Context Title: Diqdiqqeh | DQ     
Context Name (Publication): Diqdiqqeh     
Context Name (Excavation): Digdiggah; DQ     
Context Name (Excavation): Railway site     
Context Description: Essentially a suburb of the ancient city, this area is located about 2 km to the northeast of the ziggurat of Ur. The precise extents of Diqdiqqeh were never defined, but Woolley referred to it as the low ground between the main railway line and the branch that went to Nasiriyeh. The train lines no longer run in the same place they did in Woolley's day, but Corona images allow us to recreate their paths. This makes the general boundaries west, south, and east somewhat known but how far it stretched north is not completely clear. From the first season workers walking across this area picked up surface finds and brought them to Woolley. At that time the location did not have a fixed name in Woolley's mind and thus first season references sometimes say 'near the railway' or 'near Munshid's water engine.' In the second season Woolley decided to investigate more systematically, but after two days of excavation he decided there was not enough remaining architecture to reward further work. Instead, he continued to allow the workers to gather finds over the next ten seasons, and many later catalog cards state "brought in: Diqdiqqeh" The finds from Diqdiqqeh indicate that the ancient suburb played a role in manufacturing and perhaps in commerce. Canals seem to have met in the area and boats may have unloaded goods here. Many figurines, tools, moulds and other crafting items are among the finds, suggesting that Diqdiqqeh may have been an industrial area away from the main habitation. The so-called Treasury of Sin-Iddinam was also excavated in this general area in season 5. In the Antiquaries Journal of January 1925, Woolley described Diqdiqqeh as follows: “A mile and a half NE. of the ziggurat, between the main railway line and the Nasiriyah branch, there is a patch of low-lying ground, occasionally cultivated, which the natives call Diqdiqqeh... a happy hunting-ground for treasure-seekers, and I took advantage of this fact to collect from the natives the scattered antiquities which they might bring to light.”     
Season Number: 01: 1922-1923      

Objects: Diqdiqqeh | DQ Export: JSON - XML - CSV

Object U Number Museum Number (UPM Date Reg Number) Museum Number (BM Registration Number) Museum Number (UPM B-number) Description (Catalog Card)
1240 (none) (none) (none) Upper part of terracotta relief of woman, apparently naked, standing with hands clasped under breasts. Lower part broken or missing. Light buff clay.
1241 (none) (none) (none) Upper part of a Terracotta relief of woman, as preceding number. Lower part, below arms broken away.
1243 (none) (none) (none) Lower part of terracotta figurine of naked woman. Similar to U.1148.
1245 (none) (none) (none) Upper part of terracotta relief showing horned headdress and head of a god: remainder entirely broken away.
1247 (none) (none) B15698 Portion terracotta model probably the head (or foot) of a bed, of which 2 legs remain. The head is decorated inside, quarterly with low reliefs of geese or ducks, and cocks. P. [drawing]
1252 (none) (none) B15708 Clay model, a child's toy representing a man mounted upon a horse, which has two heads looking towards each other. The upper part of the rider is broken, and the reins(?) are represented in a curious manner. The whole stands on a clay base with holes for wheels and for a string to pull it along. P. [drawing]
1253 31-16-995 (none) (none) Fragment of a terrracotta model. Apparently part of the reins from a toy similar to the preceding.
1254 (none) (none) (none) Fragment terra-cotta figurine representing middle part of naked woman: remainder broken away.
1255 (none) (none) B15710 Child's rattle in baked clay, double cogged edge and perforations in the sides. P. [drawing]
1256 (none) (none) (none) Clay model of wheel; usual type; red ware, the circumferential coggings worn away.
1258 (none) (none) (none) Portion of clay model of a wheel; light buff.
1260 (none) (none) (none) Clay model of a bellum, broken at one end.
1264 (none) (none) (none) Fragment from edge of a bowl in a black porous stone, with remains of an archaic inscription under lip.
1265 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal the device mostly obliterated, but containing 3 lines inscription. Sa-ku-gi; mar Lugal-ka-gi; amel (?) DIM.
1266 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal; two confronted human figures slaying lion which rears between them facing left. Inscription. Emuk(GIR)-i-li-sa(!) mar Urdnin-? PA KU(?) LU(?)
1267 (none) (none) B15592, B15592 Cylinder seal; scene of "introduction" to seated god facing right, with star and crescent above. Inscription: Lugal-asum-gal (cf. U.1268) mar Ur-sul. Su-du-a.
1268 (none) (none) B15593, B15593 Cylinder seal in 2 registers: above, scene of "introduction" to a goddess. A woman is led forward by a female protecting deity. In lower register, 3 swans. Inscription: Ahat-ilti. Assat Lugal-usum-gal. (cf.U1267)
1270 (none) (none) B15724 Clay monkey. Light drab clay. Pierced for suspension. P. [drawing 1:1]
1271 (none) (none) (none) Clay tortoise. Light drab clay. Pierced for suspension. Under side plain. [drawing 1:1]
1272 (none) (none) B15720 Clay Frog. Light drab clay. Pierced for suspension. (small) P. [drawing]
1273 (none) (none) (none) Frog. Drab clay. Pierced for suspension. [drawing 1:1]
1274 (none) (none) B15719 Clay Frog. Light drab clay. With traces of green pigment (glaze?) pierced for suspension. Like U.1273. P.
1277 (none) (none) (none) Clay duck. Light clay. Pierced horizontally for suspension. (head missing) [drawing 1:1]
1279 (none) (none) B15721 Clay duck. Like U.1278. P.
1280 (none) (none) (none) Clay duck. Light. Clay. Pierced vertically for suspension. [drawing 1:1]

Media: Diqdiqqeh | DQ Export: JSON - XML - CSV

Media Media Title Title Label Author Omeka Label
Ur Excavations VII; The Old Babylonian Period Ur Excavations VII; The Old Babylonian Period 1976 Woolley, L. and M. Mallowan (none)
  • 1 Media