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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1584A | (none) | (none) | B15754 | [A and B] Bronze models (?) In shape of canoes. 2 adhering, one inside the other, and fragment of others. [drawing 1:1] | |
| 1584B | (none) | (none) | B15755 | [A and B] Bronze models (?) In shape of canoes. 2 adhering, one inside the other, and fragment of others. [drawing 1:1] | |
 | 1702 | (none) | (none) | B15812 | Bowl. Fine drab clay; wheelmade; with raised decoration imitating metal form; (in fragments) |
| 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. | |
| 8843A | (none) | (none) | B16371 | Gold ear ring. Conical in shape and rising in two tiers. The base consists of 7 gold ball beads; above them a strip of gold foil with vertical ribs and two rims of a single coil of gold wire. Above this narrow hub and above the hub a second strip of ribbed gold foil about half the diameter of the first. On the top a thin plate of gold with 2 minute gold rings through which is passed a semicircular piece of copper wire. Upon this copper wire between the gold rings swivels the gold pin. The gold pin is a circular piece of wire with detached ends which originally fastened the earring to the ear. Intact Neo-Babylonian Period. [drawing 1:1] | |
| 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] | |
| 2624 | (none) | (none) | B16461 | (none) |
| 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. | |
| 3252 | (none) | (none) | B16477 | Brick of Kurigalzu. To Nannar, his king, dKurigalzu mighty hero, king of Ur, king of Sumer and Akkad E-kish-shir-gal, his beloved temple, has restored. H.C. in text: Kassite period(13) | |
| 3250 | (none) | (none) | B16483 | Half brick of Sin-balatsu-iqbi. Main stamp: To Nannar, king of the dEnlils, his king Sin-balatsu-iqbi, shakkanak of Ur, caretaker of Eridu, the E-gal En-nu-an-na (Palace heavenly fortress), the place where stands dNin-ka-si, he has built 8 lines. Side stamp: 7 lines. To Nannar, king of the Enlils... Omits mention of Nin-ka-si. | |
| 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. | |
| 3296 | (none) | (none) | B16485, B16485 | Sin-balatsu-iqbi 1/2 brick. 2 stamps: side and face. Same text as U.3250. Variant 11. 6-7: E An-ki-azag-ga where stands dAzag-sud. H.C. | |
| 3297A | (none) | (none) | B16486 | Sin-balatsu-iqbi 1/2 brick. 2 stamps, side and face. Same text as U.3250. Variant 11. 6-7: E-dAsur (the place of his royalty) H.C. | |
| 3298A | (none) | (none) | B16487 | Sin-balatsu-iqbi 1/2 brick. 2 stamps, side and face. Same text as U.3250. Variant 11. 6-7: E-sag-dug-ga the shrine of his Enlil-ship (=Lordship) H.C. | |
| 3299A | (none) | (none) | B16488 | Sin-balatsu-iqbi 1/2 brick. 2 stamps, side and face. Same text as U.3250. Variant 11. 6-7: E As-an-bu the shrine of Enlil H.C. | |
| 3300 | (none) | (none) | B16489, B16489 | Sin-balatsu-iqbi 1/2 brick. 2 stamps: side and face. Same text as U.3250. Variant 11. 6-7: E Ad-gi-gu Shrine dNusku. H.C. | |
| 3301 | (none) | (none) | B16490, B16490 | Sin-balatsu-iqbi 1/2 brick. 2 stamps: side and face. Same text as U.3250. Variant 11. 6-7: E Kisib-gal E-kur-ra(?) the shrine of dNin-sig (=Ea) H.C. | |
| 2570 | (none) | (none) | B16496, B16496 | Baked brick. Broken. Drawing resembles cuneiform sign for wall tomb [drawing 1:2] | |
| 2566C | (none) | (none) | B16539 | 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. | |
| 2566D | (none) | (none) | B16540 | 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. | |
| 2569A | (none) | (none) | B16542 | Baked brick. Stamp for En-an-na-tum, the beloved priest of Nannar, high-priest of Nannar, in Ur, son of Ishme Dagan, king of Sumer, and Akkad. (6 lines) Ishme-Dagan, king of Isin about BC 2100. H.C. Brick (28) x 18 1/2 x 8 from cruciform building. Brick 28 x 28 x 8 cm. Stamp 76 x 45mm. H.C. | |
| 3297D | (none) | (none) | B16556A | 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." | |
| 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" | |
| 3299C | (none) | (none) | B16558 | Brick of Sin balalsu iqbi 2 stamps: face and side. Same text as U.3250. Except var. 11.6-7: "E As-an-bur, the shrine of Enlil." |
| 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.