Ziggurat Terrace | ZT
| Context Title: | Ziggurat Terrace | ZT |
| Context Name (Publication): | Ziggurat Terrace |
| Context Name (Excavation): | ZT |
| Context Description: | The excavation area abbreviation ZT stands for Ziggurat Terrace. It was used for any portion of the terrace on which the ziggurat stood, though other more specific abbreviations were also used. For example, the abbreviation PDW refers to the northern side of the terrace, west of the Great Nannar Courtyard (PD), and HD refers to the southern part of the terrace. Early references using the abbreviation ZT refer specifically to excavations along the terrace retaining wall itself. Later references, however, mention specific areas on top the terrace such as the so-called 'boat shrine.' The abbreviation also refers to deep clearing of the terrace fill, particularly on the north side in later excavation seasons, though the abbreviation Zig.31 was most often used for this. Woolley uncovered large areas of the retaining wall that supported the platform known as the ziggurat terrace. He found that it was decorated with large wall cones. These cones bore an inscription of Urnamma but there is evidence that the terrace in some form existed in the Early Dynastic period as well. The Urnamma retaining wall was slanted to support the terrace, was 1.7 meters high, 34 meters wide, and was decorated with 5-meter-wide buttresses about 4 meters apart. The inscribed cones dedicate the terrace to the moon god, Nanna, and show that it was called e-temen-ni-gur, which translates as, "house, foundation platform clad in terror." (Woolley read this e-temen-ni-il). |
| Season Number: | 02: 1923-1924 |
| Season Number: | 03: 1924-1925 |
| Season Number: | 05: 1926-1927 |
| Season Number: | 10: 1931-1932 |
| Season Number: | 11: 1932-1933 |
Files
| Object | U Number | Museum Number (UPM Date Reg Number) | Museum Number (BM Registration Number) | Museum Number (UPM B-number) | Description (Catalog Card) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 18585G | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A-I] A set of weights. Weights in grains [A] (1) Diorite, pierced at one end. 413 grs. [B] (2) Hematite . 130grs. [C] (3) Hematite 64grs. [D] (4) Hematite 65grs. [E] (5) Steatite 37grs. [F] (6) Steatite 7grs. [G] (7) Steatite 10grs. [H] (8) Hematite 78grs. [I] (9) Doubtful weight: white calcite shaped as a plano-convex brick 315grs. [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card] |
| 18585H | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A-I] A set of weights. Weights in grains [A] (1) Diorite, pierced at one end. 413 grs. [B] (2) Hematite . 130grs. [C] (3) Hematite 64grs. [D] (4) Hematite 65grs. [E] (5) Steatite 37grs. [F] (6) Steatite 7grs. [G] (7) Steatite 10grs. [H] (8) Hematite 78grs. [I] (9) Doubtful weight: white calcite shaped as a plano-convex brick 315grs. [CARD MISSING Typed Transcription from British Museum Card] |
| 18585I | 33-35-128 | (none) | (none) | [A-I] A set of weights. Weights in grains [A] (1) Diorite, pierced at one end. 413 grs. [B] (2) Hematite . 130grs. [C] (3) Hematite 64grs. [D] (4) Hematite 65grs. [E] (5) Steatite 37grs. [F] (6) Steatite 7grs. [G] (7) Steatite 10grs. [H] (8) Hematite 78grs [I] (9) Doubtful weight: white calcite shaped as a plano-convex brick 315grs. | |
| 18587 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Cylinder seal. Shell. Much decayed. A naked hero, kneeling, holds two antelopes by their hind legs. Archaic style. |
| 18590 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Cylinder seal. Shell. Im-dugud with 2 gazelles: woman wearing Kaukanes and holding up a cup: a second figure many with a cup on a stand (?) and a drinking tube? Fine archaic work. |
| 18628 | (none) | 1933,1013.10 | (none) | Copper statuette of a woman standing with hands roun in the attitude of prayer: her hair is done in a heavy shignon and she wears a long flounced dress. In catalog. [drawing] |
| 2518 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Bronze safety pin. Pin missing, back only. [drawing] |
| 2523 | (none) | 1935,0113.50 | (none) | Figurine. Light drab clay. Pig. Hand modeled, very rough. [drawing] | |
| 2524 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Vase. Light red clay = Wheel made. Fragment. The outer face decorated, after turning, with a heavy fluting in imitation of metal. Only part of body services and shape is conjectural. [drawing 1:2] |
| 2538 | 29-174-12 | (none) | (none) | Clay Pot. Pinkish drab ware. Found with U.2558 A+B. Type CXX. =P.121. Type drawing in album. | |
| 2539 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay bowl. Pinkish drab ware. Type CXXI =RC.3 =P.29 =L.11a |
| 2542 | (none) | 1927,1003.146 | (none) | Terracotta dog. Red ware: seated, part of hind quarters missing. [drawing] | |
| 2549 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Copper Animal. Genus unknown: head, near foreleg and parts of other legs missing. [drawing 1:1] |
| 2550 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragment of inlay. Lapis-Lazuli, pierced for wiring and engraved to represent flower petal (?) [drawing 1:1] |
| 2556 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet. Inscribed. Fragment of Syllabary. 21 lines. End of one column of obverse signs: DI. TAK. A.DIR.NE.LAL.GUB? KUL. ES. BE. BAT. UG. IG. IG. IG. DA. TUM? AL? IB. BA. SIG. 21 lines. |
| 2557 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay tablet. Letter Unto Nabu-sag-ga, so speaks?. x his brother: Na-dug son of Ma-kam(?) ?unto the 5 brothers, ?son of Makam, ? ki-ma son of the calker (Ad-kib), he has brought Neo-Babylonian Period? 10 lines writing. H.C. |
| 2558A | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay vases. Drab. Found with U.2538. Type CXIV =P.76a. Type drawing in album. |
| 2558B | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay vases. Drab. Found with U.2538. Type CXIV =P.76a. Type drawing in album. |
| 2559 | (none) | 1927,1003.128 | (none) | Clay vase. Drab clay with incised pattern at rim and base. Rim broken. Type CXXV =L38 (not p). | |
| 2562 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay jug. Drab clay. Handle broken. Type CXXVI. Type drawing in album. |
| 2563 | (none) | 1927,1003.256 | (none) | Fragment of lapis-lazuli. From inlay: representing man's curled beard. Pierced at back for fixing. [drawing 1:1] |
| 2564 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Nabonidus cylinder. Fragment. Column II, 1-3 and 24-31. prayer for Belshazzar his son. |
| 2565 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Arad-Sin clay nail. Fragment. Ends of lines of Column I. Column II: e-a-ni du(-u-de) to: e-emen (-ni-il) mu (-na-du) and the last three lines. Cp. [Cf?] U.2528 (H.C.) |
| 2566A | (none) | (none) | B16467 | Baked brick of ISHME-DAGAN. Fragment. Ishme-Dagan, who takes care of Nippur, who exalts the head of Ur, the .... of Eridu, the lord of Uruk, the powerful king, (king of Isin, king of Sumer and Akkad, the beloved husband of the goddess Ninni Only lines 1 to 7 are preserved. c. BC 2110. | |
| 2566B | (none) | (none) | B16468A | Baked brick of ISHME-DAGAN. Fragment. Ishme-Dagan, who takes care of Nippur, who exalts the head of Ur, the .... of Eridu, the lord of Uruk, the powerful king, (king of Isin, king of Sumer and Akkad, the beloved husband of the goddess Ninni Only lines 1 to 7 are preserved. c. BC 2110. |
| Media | Media Title | Title | Label | Author | Omeka Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPM Field Photo numbers | UPM Field Photo numbers | (none) | (none) | (none) |
| Ur Excavations V: The Ziggurat and its Surroundings | Ur Excavations V: The Ziggurat and its Surroundings | 1939 | Woolley Leonard | (none) |
| Ur Excavations IV; The Early Periods | Ur Excavations IV; The Early Periods | 1955 | Woolley, L. | (none) |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v2_p160 | Ur_Notes_v2_p160 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v2_p211 | Ur_Notes_v2_p211 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v2_p212 | Ur_Notes_v2_p212 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v2_p213 | Ur_Notes_v2_p213 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v2_p214 | Ur_Notes_v2_p214 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v2_p215 | Ur_Notes_v2_p215 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v2_p219 | Ur_Notes_v2_p219 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v4_p121 | Ur_Notes_v4_p121 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v4_p218 | Ur_Notes_v4_p218 | (none) | |
| Field Photographs | Field Photographs | GN0097 | GN0097 | (none) | |
| Field Photographs | Field Photographs | GN0098 | GN0098 | (none) | |
| Field Photographs | Field Photographs | GN0099 | GN0099 | (none) |
- 15 Media
Sibling Locations
AH Site | AH - City Wall | CLW - DP - Dublalmah | LL - EH Site | EH - Ehursag | HT - EM Site | EM - Enunmah | TTB | ES - ESB - FH - Giparu | KP - Great Nanna Courtyard | PD - Harbor Temple - House 34/1 - House 34/2 - House Site - Kassite Fort - KPS Site | KPS - LT - LW - Mausoleum Site | BC - Neo-Babylonian Housing | NH - NNCF - NTB - P/103 - Palace of Bel-Shalti-Nannar | AD - Pit F - Royal Cemetery | PG - SM - Temenos Wall | TW - TTC - XNCF
Child Locations
Courtyard BB - Ningal Temple | HD - PDW - Room FF - Room GG - Room SW 2 - Ziggurat
Share
Context
Ur > Ziggurat Terrace | ZT
References
Woolley, L. . (1955) Ur Excavations IV; The Early Periods, Oxford: Oxford University Press.