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)
1692 (none) (none) (none) Vase. Drab clay; wheelmade. Upper part broken away. B. Type XXIX, but more rounded outline. (not p)
1695 (none) 1924,0920.246 (none) Stone tablet. Fragment. Sharply convex both sides, on one of which are traces of what is perhaps a very archaic, semi-heiroglyphic inscription but mostly obliterated.
1703 (none) (none) (none) Box-lid. Fragment, with boss handle and spotted snake decoration. [drawing 1:4]
1704 (none) 1924,0920.236 (none) Bronze stilus. [drawing 1:1]
1707 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Stone. Half broken away. With erect animal and human figure.
1708 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Fragment, shell. With traces of design.
1709 (none) (none) (none) Duck weight. Hard, light, black stone. Type VI.
1710 (none) (none) (none) Stone Weight. Black stone. Cigar-shaped with 3 strokes incised. Type II.
1711 (none) 1924,0920.228 (none) Copper wire coil. Fragment. Part of 6 coils.
1714 (none) (none) (none) Stone Duck weight. Yellow stone. Type VI.
1716 (none) (none) (none) Frit ornament. Pectoral, like U.1715 but smaller, broken at one end.
1717 (none) (none) (none) Copper arrowhead. Tang broken off. The head round in section. [drawing]
1720 (none) 1924,0920.57 (none) Cylinder seal. Black stone. Unfinished and broken; with single figure of erect lion. Found with figurine U.1712.
1722 (none) 1924,0920.63 (none) Figurine. Drab clay; moulded. Female figure, clothed, with high headdress and flounced skirt.
1723 (none) (none) (none) Clay figurine. Drab clay: moulded. Nude female figure, with necklace.
1725 (none) 1924,0920.107 (none) Figurine. Fragment, waist upwards only: drab clay; moulded; nude female figure.
1726 (none) 1924,0920.101 (none) Relief. Fragment from back of chair; drab clay; moulded. 2 female(?) figures facing each other with 2 birds on poles and tripod (?) between them.
1731 (none) 1924,0920.121 (none) Terracotta figurine. Fragment. On a sort of tray, two miniature couchant lions. Cf. U.1227, which is certainly of the same subject.
1736 (none) 1924,0920.141 (none) Bowl. Greenish white clay. Same type as U.1735 but rim much chipped. Same size.
1739 (none) 1924,0920.135 (none) Miniature vase. Light drab clay. Handmade. Cf. RC.83c [drawing]
1740 (none) 1924,0920.136 (none) Miniature bowl. Hand-made. Flat-bottomed.
1742 (none) 1924,0920.64 (none) Terracotta relief. Green clay. Female figure, full face, standing with hands raised to breast. Triple feather crown, bead (?) girdle. By the side of the figure traces of rope-pattern, possibly edge of a veil (or shrine) behind the goddess.
1746 (none) 1924,0920.114 (none) Terracotta relief. Fragment. Upper part of female figure, full face: curious double headdress: hair elaborately ringed: cloak over shoulders bbelow bead collar meeting above breasts, rosette on left shoulder: hands clasped below breasts.
1748 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta figurine. Fragment. Whitish clay. Nude female figure, full face, broken at knees; no detail.
1749 (none) 1924,0920.138 (none) Miniature vase. Handmade. Light reddish clay. Cf. RC.188 and 231

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