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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 3311 | (none) | 1927,1003.228 | (none) | Gold leaf. Carved fragment in shape of blade, with dots beaten in round edge. In text: Kassite period (16) in cat. |
| 3312 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Gold leaf fragments? four fragments. Plain leaf. In txt: Kassite period (16) in cat. |
| 3313 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Gold wire. Small fragments. In text: Kassite period (16) in cat. |
| 3314A | (none) | 1927,1003.130 | (none) | (A) Small unguent vase of faience originally glazed. Type sketch 1:1. [drawing 1:1] (B) miniature altar (?) of faience originally glazed [drawing 1:1] |
| 3314B | (none) | 1927,1003.187 | (none) | (A) Small unguent vase of faience originally glazed. Type sketch 1:1. [drawing 1:1] (B) miniature altar (?) of faience originally glazed [drawing 1:1] |
| 3316 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Brick - Time of Sin-balatsu-iqbi. With counting board of 6 by 10 squares. In text: neo-Babylonian period (6) in Cat.[drawing] |
| 3326 | (none) | (none) | B16484, B16484 | Sin-balatsu-iqbi 1/2 brick. Same text as U.3250. Variant 11.6-7: E-ab (sal?)-ban-da the shrine of dSu-zi-an-na he built. Side and face text. H.C. | |
| 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. |
| 3335 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Glazed pottery ampulla. Round cheeked vessel with exceedingly small neck and almost rounded base lip broken off. Brownish glaze with traces of bluish green. |
| 3340 | (none) | 1927,1003.79 | (none) | Half-bead mould. Limestone, for bead with scarab design. In text: Neo-Babylonian period (14). [Additional note on back regarding dinner plans] [drawing 1:1] | |
| 3368 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Cup. White frit originally glazed, in fragments. Two small handles pierced at top: first traces of colored design. |
| 6338A | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay cones of Warad ilSin. To Nin-gal. Warad-sin only patesi like Silli Adad. Restores on the old plan her hous: e id-galu-sub-gu-kalam-ma. Walls destroyed? does not destroy the temenos, but puts (a si-cu-um: Semetic word) Curious name of the temple: house of the canal: the man who raises the land. Cf. Br. 11656: boat of the god of the same canal. B. H.C. |
| 6338B | (none) | (none) | B16233 | Clay cones of Warad ilSin. To Nin-gal. Warad-sin only patesi like Silli Adad. Restores on the old plan her hous: e id-galu-sub-gu-kalam-ma. Walls destroyed? does not destroy the temenos, but puts (a si-cu-um: Semetic word) Curious name of the temple: house of the canal: the man who raises the land. Cf. Br. 11656: boat of the god of the same canal. E. H.C. | |
| 6742 | (none) | 1928,1009.2 | (none) | Diorite door-socket. To nannar, king of Ur, dEnlilla-mishag, patesi of Niffer (the ? has restored?) E. H.C. |
| 6922 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Arrowhead. Bronze? Neo-Babylonian or Persian. [drawing 1:1] |
| 6924 | (none) | 1927,0527.301 | (none) | Lamp. Baked clay. Reddish. Thick spout at bottom of bowl, slightly upturned. Persian? Or Neo-Babylonian. E. ? | |
| 6927 | (none) | (none) | B16432 | Adze head. Bronze? Upper and lower portion of handle ribbed. No traces of wood found in handle hole. In text: Kassite period (7) and fig. E. [drawing 1:2] | |
| 6928 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Adze head. Bronze? Triangular in section, with rounded edges. In elevation oblong and arched.. Adze consists of two oblong slightly convex slabs with rounded edges turned in, welded at top to form an arched join. 2 bronze cross pieces 12mm away from open ends. Wood belonging to handle was probably sickle shaped. B [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] |
| 7816 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Stone tablet (fragmt). Limestone. Prob. of Kurigalzu. The insc. in so far as it is extent being identical with that of Kurigalzu's found. tablet U3019 except that line 9(?) is e-kis-sir-gal. HC.36. B. |
| 7822 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Brick with game board? |
| 7825 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Inscribed duck weight Diorite. A crescent. of Dungi; weight 5 mana. B Type VI. HC.37. |
| 7830 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Socket. Diorite. UrNammu = 2749 etc. |
| 7912 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Cylinder seal. Glazed. Originally green, bleached white. Winged dragon with long upright tail. Three snakes standing vertically. Two incised lines run round cylinder close to circumference at top and two similarly at bottom. |
| 7921 | (none) | 1928,1009.143 | (none) | Bird. Miniature. Frit. Two holes pierced for eyes and one in each wing. |
| 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
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Context
Ur > Ziggurat Terrace | ZT
References
Woolley, L. . (1955) Ur Excavations IV; The Early Periods, Oxford: Oxford University Press.