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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 17841 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Figurine? Of veined reddish calcite. (broken = and the surface badly decayed). Apparently a human figure very summarily represented with drilled eye-holes. [drawing 1:1] |
| 2666 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Flint arrowhead. Finely chipped. [drawing 1:1] |
| 1135 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Flint implement. arrowhead? [drawing 1:1] |
| 17628 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Foundation Cone. Fragmentary. (Larsa type) 1/3 of stem and virtually all of base missing = UR RI#131 (Warad-Sin). |
| 1111 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragment (711) of New Babylonian Clay cylinder with inscription for Nabonidus (cf. Langdon, Neubab.Konigsinscar. P.250ff.) Duplicate of U.1131, U.1132 and other fragments unnumbered making up part of the complete cylinder. |
| 1354 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragment from base of inscribed clay cone of uncertain authorship: 2 or 3 signs alone remain. |
| 1132 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragment from left side of backed clay cylinder of Nabonidus. Part of same object as U.1113, but does not join. (Joins a later discovered fragmnet, completing the left end of the cylinder) Joins U.1131, and another fragment unnumbered making up part of complete cylinder. |
| 1521 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragment from lip of small alabaster vase with trace of archaic inscription. |
| 1188 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragment from middle left side of a New Babylonian baked clay tablet. Obverse has remains of 3 sections, of a text of a religious nature, but too fragmentary to yield a certain sense; apparently bilingual. Reverse, parts of 2 sections of a list of woods, the second column broken away. |
| 1131 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragment from middle of a baked clay cylinder of Nabonidus (cf. U.1132, U.1111) in 2 columns 2 3/8 [60.325mm] by 1 3/4 [44.45mm] inscription concerning the building of E-lugal-galga-si-sa, the Ziggurat of Ur. Joins U.1132, and another fragment unnumbered making up part of complete cylinder. |
| 1712 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragment from middle of a small baked clay cylinder of Nabonidus, containing parts of both columns duplicate of U.1111, etc. |
| 1154 | (none) | (none) | B15618 | Fragment from right side of small baked clay barrel-cylinder of Nabonidus. 17 lines from 2nd column. Inscription duplicate of U.1111, U.1131, etc. P. |
| 1155 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragment from small baked clay barrel-cylinder of Nabonidus. Fragments of 4 lines, from Column I. Inscription of duplicate of U.1111, U.1113, etc. Probably part of same object as U.1154 but does not join. |
| 1455 | (none) | 1924,0920.395 | (none) | Fragment from the rim of a mottled black and white stone vase, with the remains of an inscription of Ennapadda, priest of Nnar, and son of Ur-Nammu, King of Ur. Cf. U.18224. Cf. Ur Texts No. 25 |
| 1355 | (none) | (none) | B15614, B15614 | Fragment from top of stem of large clay cone apparently of (Nur)-Adad, King of Ur and Larsa. Ends of 8 lines. P. |
| 1198 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragment from upper part of a tablet with portions of 8 lines of accounts. About period of First Dynasty of Babylon. |
| 1156 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragment of baked clay barrel-cylinder of nabonidus, inscription duplicate of that upon U.1111, U.1113, etc. Fragments of 15 lines, from column I. |
| 1697 | (none) | 1924,0920.392 | (none) | Fragment of baked clay cone of Warad-Sin duplicate of U.19, U.700, etc. Contains beginnings of Column I lines 8-12. |
| 1635 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragment of baked clay cylinder of Nabonidus. Duplicate of U.1111, etc., containing last 12 lines of column I. |
| 1518 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragment of baked clay cylinder of Nabonidus. Fragments of 5 lines from column I of inscription duplicate of U.1111, etc. |
| 1356 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragment of black diorite, with traces of an inscription, probably of the 3rd Dynasty of Ur. |
| 1664 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragment of brick, with part of first 5 lines of inscription of Sin-balatsu-igbi. |
| 17609 | (none) | 1932,0010.8 | (none) | Fragment of celt. Schist. [drawing 1:1] |
| 2607 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragment of clay horse. Head and legs missing; saddled. [drawing 1:1] |
| 10613 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragment of Door-socket. Inscription Equivalent to last 5 lines of Bur Sin, U.295, U.1727 Found at same time as fragmentary diorite statue) Later; Another fragment, joining, giving end of lines 2-5. |
| 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.