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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 17602 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Statue fragment of White limestone. Back of head, showing type of hair-dressing: all the face in part of the ears broken away. [drawing] |
| 7830 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Socket. Diorite. UrNammu = 2749 etc. |
| 1153 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Small tablet, nearly complete, slight break at lower left corner of obverse, 4 and 2 lines. Date only on reverse. Note of the weight (10 shekels) of 2 bronze ornaments for the king's door; weighd by Zezam. Dated in the 8th year of Bur-Sin I by formula mu en en-ki ba-hum. |
| 3120 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Small pot of bitumen. Sketch pattern 1:1. [drawing 1:1] |
| 1180 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Small fragment of baked clay tablet, with parts of 6 lines, from a New Babylonian copy of a syllabary. |
| 2806A | (none) | 1927,1003.260 | (none) | Small cones. Gypsum compound? (A) lacks part of head and is broken at side. (B) lacks point. [drawing 1:1] |
| 2806B | (none) | 1927,1003.261 | (none) | Small cones. Gypsum compound? (A) lacks part of head and is broken at side. (B) lacks point. [drawing 1:1] |
| 1199 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Small baked clay tablet, inscription of of obverse only with 5 lines of accounts, mostly illegible. Period of 3rd Dynasty of Ur. |
| 3115 | (none) | 1927,1003.271 | (none) | Sinidinnam Brick (18 lines). Has mark [reference double crescent drawing] The mighty hero who takes care of Ur king of Larsa, who restores the rites of Ur of Eridu. Ga-nun-mah from ancient days the previous kings had restored . On the [word erased] of Nannar the sublime king the sanctuary ( ) For the life of... and for my life I did build. [drawing] |
| 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" | |
| 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." | |
| 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. | |
| 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. | |
| 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. | |
| 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. | |
| 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. | |
| 3298B | (none) | (none) | (none) | 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. |
| 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. | |
| 3297B | (none) | (none) | (none) | 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. |
| 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. | |
| 3299B | (none) | 1927,1003.269 | (none) | 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. |
| 3305 | (none) | 1927,1003.113 | (none) | Silver cup. Straight-sided cup of silver alloyed with copper and ornamented. Type sketch 1:1. in Cat. In text: kassite period(16) [drawing 1:1] | |
| 2721 | (none) | 1927,1003.235 | (none) | Shell mask. Grotesque, pierced for suspension. [drawing 1:1] |
| 3278 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Shell inlay fragment. Portion of flounced woolen dress, finely worked. From figure ringed on to base by wires at back. Rough sketch. [drawing 1:1] |
| 2722 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Shell fish. Pierced for suspension. [drawing 1:1] |
| 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.