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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 17631 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Pin. Obsidian. [drawing 1:1] |
| 1402 | (none) | 1924,0920.408 | (none) | Pin head(?) Lapis lazuli and gold, much incrusted with salt, etc. |
| 11231 | (none) | (none) | B16909 | Obsidian Nail. Miniature. Square in section. T Shaped top. [drawing 1:1] |
| 2672 | (none) | 1927,1003.264 | (none) | Obsidian arrowhead (?) Roughly chipped. [drawing 1:1] |
| 17836 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Object. Of white calcite. Shaped like a cow-bell with two rings for suspension: in the holes were traces of what seemed to be reed or fiber |
| 3262 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Necklace. Of carnelian, crystal, agate, one pebble and one amethyst; carnelian very roughly cut. In text: Neo-Babylonian period(5) in cat. |
| 2564 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Nabonidus cylinder. Fragment. Column II, 1-3 and 24-31. prayer for Belshazzar his son. |
| 17652 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Mudbrick. Fragment of bearing the stamp of (Warad-Sin?). The rest of the bricks in the wall are 390mm square. |
| 3327 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Mud statuette. Broken. Standing figurine with clasped hands, long shawl of robe. Upper part above hands broken off off actually 12 1/2 by 7 cm.. Inscription on back: --Mu-ir-ru-um --mu-kin par-si The commandment? the keeper of the ordnances H.C. |
| 3304 | (none) | 1927,1003.127 | (none) | Miniature jar. Of faience, originally glazed, with two holes pierced at opposite side of lip. Hole presumably for containing unguents. Type sketch 1:1. in text: Kassite period(16). Cat. [drawing 1:1] |
| 17945B | 32-40-154 | (none) | (none) | Miniature copper objects. Crescent moons; bellums; staves. In catalog. [drawing 1:1] |
| 1208 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Massive brick diorite gate-socket, with 8 lines, inscription of Kurigalzu. |
| 17114 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Limestone mace-head. Rounded pear-shaped. |
| 17689A | (none) | (none) | (none) | Lid of jar. Al Obaid ware. [drawing 1:1] |
| 1515 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Large clay cone. Nearly complete, but surface damaged. Inscription of Warad-Sin, king of Larsa, duplicate of U.1200, etc. |
| 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] | |
| 7007 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Lamp. Bronze? Funnel shaped bowl with long spout issuing from bottom 3 small perforated handles, 2 on back, one on spout - for suspension. Persian? B. [drawing 1:2] |
| 6924 | (none) | 1927,0527.301 | (none) | Lamp. Baked clay. Reddish. Thick spout at bottom of bowl, slightly upturned. Persian? Or Neo-Babylonian. E. ? | |
| 1620 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Jar. Reddish clay, drab surface; wheelmadel with single handle. Broken off at neck. |
| 7825 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Inscribed duck weight Diorite. A crescent. of Dungi; weight 5 mana. B Type VI. HC.37. |
| 2578 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Inscribed black clay tablet of circular form? Fragment of school exercise or litany has 2 on obverse. 3 lines on the reverse. The name; dNannar ( ) About BC 2100? |
| 2756 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Inscribed alabaster vase. Fragment. About BC 2800. H.C. [drawing] |
| 17625F | (none) | (none) | (none) | Inlay. Shell: [A-F] Six fragments of white shell cut in strips 38mm wide and decorated with 3 horizontal rows of 'mountain' design: the top and bottom rows are merely outlined with a double incised line which was filled in with black: the middle row is champleve and filled in with bright red paste of which a good deal is preserved. [drawing] |
| 17625A | 32-40-317 | (none) | (none) | Inlay. Shell: [A-F] Six fragments of white shell cut in strips 38mm wide and decorated with 3 horizontal rows of 'mountain' design: the top and bottom rows are merely outlined with a double incised line which was filled in with black: the middle row is champleve and filled in with bright red paste of which a good deal is preserved. [drawing] |
| 17625B | 32-40-318 | (none) | (none) | Inlay. Shell: [A-F] Six fragments of white shell cut in strips 38mm wide and decorated with 3 horizontal rows of 'mountain' design: the top and bottom rows are merely outlined with a double incised line which was filled in with black: the middle row is champleve and filled in with bright red paste of which a good deal is preserved. [drawing] |
| 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.