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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 18313B | (none) | (none) | (none) | Inlay. Fragments of grey steatite. Hair of head or beard from a large figure. [drawing] [A] One large piece thus [reference to drawing]. [B] One fragment from the upper part perhaps fitting on, [C] and one single curl |
| 18313C | (none) | (none) | (none) | Inlay. Fragments of grey steatite. Hair of head or beard from a large figure. [drawing] [A] One large piece thus [reference to drawing]. [B] One fragment from the upper part perhaps fitting on, [C] and one single curl |
| 2566G | (none) | (none) | (none) | 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. |
| 3249B | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A-M] 13 Clay cones of Sin-balatsu-iqbi. To Nin-gal the great lion of E-gish-shir-gal the lady of the beloved crown (Nin-men-na) of Ur, his lady, Sin-balatsu-iqbi, vice regent of Ur, has built anew the Gig-par shrine of Nin-lil, the beloved bride of Sin. A statue representing Nin-gal he had made. In the shrine of dHU-DU (the god who knows = her husband?) he introduced it. In E-nir- (or E-nun) the place erected for her rites, he fixed it. H.C. |
| 3249D | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A-M] 13 Clay cones of Sin-balatsu-iqbi. To Nin-gal the great lion of E-gish-shir-gal the lady of the beloved crown (Nin-men-na) of Ur, his lady, Sin-balatsu-iqbi, vice regent of Ur, has built anew the Gig-par shrine of Nin-lil, the beloved bride of Sin. A statue representing Nin-gal he had made. In the shrine of dHU-DU (the god who knows = her husband?) he introduced it. In E-nir- (or E-nun) the place erected for her rites, he fixed it. H.C. |
| 3249E | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A-M] 13 Clay cones of Sin-balatsu-iqbi. To Nin-gal the great lion of E-gish-shir-gal the lady of the beloved crown (Nin-men-na) of Ur, his lady, Sin-balatsu-iqbi, vice regent of Ur, has built anew the Gig-par shrine of Nin-lil, the beloved bride of Sin. A statue representing Nin-gal he had made. In the shrine of dHU-DU (the god who knows = her husband?) he introduced it. In E-nir- (or E-nun) the place erected for her rites, he fixed it. H.C. |
| 3249F | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A-M] 13 Clay cones of Sin-balatsu-iqbi. To Nin-gal the great lion of E-gish-shir-gal the lady of the beloved crown (Nin-men-na) of Ur, his lady, Sin-balatsu-iqbi, vice regent of Ur, has built anew the Gig-par shrine of Nin-lil, the beloved bride of Sin. A statue representing Nin-gal he had made. In the shrine of dHU-DU (the god who knows = her husband?) he introduced it. In E-nir- (or E-nun) the place erected for her rites, he fixed it. H.C. |
| 3249G | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A-M] 13 Clay cones of Sin-balatsu-iqbi. To Nin-gal the great lion of E-gish-shir-gal the lady of the beloved crown (Nin-men-na) of Ur, his lady, Sin-balatsu-iqbi, vice regent of Ur, has built anew the Gig-par shrine of Nin-lil, the beloved bride of Sin. A statue representing Nin-gal he had made. In the shrine of dHU-DU (the god who knows = her husband?) he introduced it. In E-nir- (or E-nun) the place erected for her rites, he fixed it. H.C. |
| 3249H | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A-M] 13 Clay cones of Sin-balatsu-iqbi. To Nin-gal the great lion of E-gish-shir-gal the lady of the beloved crown (Nin-men-na) of Ur, his lady, Sin-balatsu-iqbi, vice regent of Ur, has built anew the Gig-par shrine of Nin-lil, the beloved bride of Sin. A statue representing Nin-gal he had made. In the shrine of dHU-DU (the god who knows = her husband?) he introduced it. In E-nir- (or E-nun) the place erected for her rites, he fixed it. H.C. |
| 3249I | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A-M] 13 Clay cones of Sin-balatsu-iqbi. To Nin-gal the great lion of E-gish-shir-gal the lady of the beloved crown (Nin-men-na) of Ur, his lady, Sin-balatsu-iqbi, vice regent of Ur, has built anew the Gig-par shrine of Nin-lil, the beloved bride of Sin. A statue representing Nin-gal he had made. In the shrine of dHU-DU (the god who knows = her husband?) he introduced it. In E-nir- (or E-nun) the place erected for her rites, he fixed it. H.C. |
| 3249J | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A-M] 13 Clay cones of Sin-balatsu-iqbi. To Nin-gal the great lion of E-gish-shir-gal the lady of the beloved crown (Nin-men-na) of Ur, his lady, Sin-balatsu-iqbi, vice regent of Ur, has built anew the Gig-par shrine of Nin-lil, the beloved bride of Sin. A statue representing Nin-gal he had made. In the shrine of dHU-DU (the god who knows = her husband?) he introduced it. In E-nir- (or E-nun) the place erected for her rites, he fixed it. H.C. |
| 3249K | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A-M] 13 Clay cones of Sin-balatsu-iqbi. To Nin-gal the great lion of E-gish-shir-gal the lady of the beloved crown (Nin-men-na) of Ur, his lady, Sin-balatsu-iqbi, vice regent of Ur, has built anew the Gig-par shrine of Nin-lil, the beloved bride of Sin. A statue representing Nin-gal he had made. In the shrine of dHU-DU (the god who knows = her husband?) he introduced it. In E-nir- (or E-nun) the place erected for her rites, he fixed it. H.C. |
| 17842F | (none) | 1932,1008.132 | (none) | Beads. A mixed lot. 192 carnelian bugles. 56 carnelian double conoids, lentoids and barrels. 11 large carnelian double conoids and facetted lentoids. 421 carnelian rings. 81 larger carnelian rings. 41 glazed frit balls. 43 lapis lazuli, rings, bugles, ovoids, small mixed beads, apatite (?) quartzite, shell, agate and crystal. |
| 3297F | (none) | (none) | B16556B | Sinbalalsuiqbi 1/2 brick 2 stamps, side and face. Same text as U.3250 Variant U.6-7: "E-ashur the place of his royalty" | |
| 2624 | (none) | (none) | B16461 | (none) |
| 2755 | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
| 3148 | (none) | (none) | B16559 | (none) |
| 17624A | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
| 18308A | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
| 18308B | (none) | (none) | (none) | (none) |
| 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. | |
| 2635A | 29-174-17 | (none) | (none) | Pottery vase. Unglazed greenish buff clay. Type CXXIX =L. (not p) Associated with U.2654 | |
| 2654A | 29-174-22 | (none) | (none) | [A-B] Clay vases. Buff clay, unglazed. B fragmentary & greenish. Type CXXXII. (not p) Assocd with U.2635 A & B. | |
| 3333 | 29-174-25 | (none) | (none) | Lamp. Fragmentary. Glazed pottery: stem broken: glaze of buff color with tracks of bluish green. Sectional sketch 1:2. [drawing 1:2] | |
| 2620 | 29-174-26 | (none) | (none) | Glazed bowl. Reconstructed: with lotus design in relief outside: inside traces of flower design in color. =new type 2 (p) [drawing 1:2] |
| Media | Media Title | Title | Label | Author | Omeka Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field Photographs | Field Photographs | GN0097 | GN0097 | (none) | |
| Field Photographs | Field Photographs | GN0098 | GN0098 | (none) | |
| Field Photographs | Field Photographs | GN0099 | GN0099 | (none) | |
| UPM Field Photo numbers | UPM Field Photo numbers | (none) | (none) | (none) |
| Ur Excavations IV; The Early Periods | Ur Excavations IV; The Early Periods | 1955 | Woolley, L. | (none) |
| Ur Excavations V: The Ziggurat and its Surroundings | Ur Excavations V: The Ziggurat and its Surroundings | 1939 | Woolley Leonard | (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) |
- 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.