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)
16189 (none) (none) (none) Sickle, hammered bronze. Turned-over tang. Type ? RC.518. [drawing]
1619 (none) (none) (none) Fragment. Head of pig(?) Yellowish clay. One side broken away.
16194 (none) 1931,1010.147 (none) Flint blade. Leaf shaped with finely serrated edge: slight rib down center. UET V: 159 FOR 16194C) [drawing 1:1]
16195 (none) (none) (none) Celt. Black stone. [drawing 1:1]
1621 (none) (none) (none) Amulet. Pig's head. Pierced between ears for suspension. [drawing 1:1]
1624 (none) 1924,0920.80 (none) Clay figurine. Drab clay; modeled. Seated figure, with necklace.
1626 (none) 1935,0113.46 (none) Figurine. Fragment, bust only. Light drab clay; moulded. Male(?) figure with right shoulder base and cloak thrown over left.
16260 (none) (none) (none) Mace head, limestone, fragment. Pear-shaped; having in relief a presentation(?) scene with seated god and standing adorant-much weathered. [drawing 1:1]
1627 (none) (none) (none) Bronze pin. With round head; square in section; pierced just below head. Point broken off. [drawing 1:1]
1628 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Black steatite. Inscribed with scene of presentation to goddess.
16287 (none) 1931,1010.353 (none) Clay roundel. On which is stamped in relief the figure of a flying bird. [drawing 1:1]
16288 (none) (none) (none) Fragment of clay vase. On which has been incised, before baking, the figure of a seated goddess, resembling those on cylinder seals, but in a rough & sketchy technique. [drawing]
16289 (none) 1931,1010.528 (none) Miniature clay vase. The body decorated with the figure of a great grotesque man. [drawing 1:1]
1629 (none) 1924,0920.124 (none) Chariot. Fragment. Red clay. Pierced for axle and pole, and having incised triangle ornament in front. [drawing]
1630 (none) 1924,0920.382 (none) Relief. On the back of a broken chair. Drab clay; moulded. 2 figures (nude) with high headdresses, standing side beside. Round them birds.
1632 (none) (none) (none) Baked clay cone of Ur-Nammu, top broken away; text records building of a temple to Enlil, and digging of a canal called En-sig-nun. Cf. U.872, U.1595-U.1597
1634 (none) 1924,0920.247 (none) Baked clay cone(point broken) of Ur-Nammu, recording his digging of the canal called Nun, in honor of the Moon-god. Duplicate of U.918.
1636 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Steatite. With roughly engraved device of introduction ceremony, and inscription of 2 lines. Ur-dub: dumu Ur-d.Kal
1637 (none) (none) (none) String of beads. large bugles and ball beads, frit, originally blue glazed, now bleached white.: 36 in all.
1638 (none) (none) (none) String of beads. (32) Small bugle or lentoid beads and balls; once glazed, now bleached white; the former had marbled patterns in different colors.
16398 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Green steatite. 2 standing figures engaged in salutation. Between them a palm rising from a high stand.
16406 31-43-205 (none) (none) Puzuzu head amulet. White frit, originally glazed. [drawing 1:1]
16417 (none) (none) (none) Duck weight Pebble. brownish-purple, eyes originally inlaid. Type VI.
16418 (none) 1931,1010.112 (none) Fragment of duck weight Grey limestone, right side broken away. Type VI.
16421B (none) (none) (none) Weight Drab steatite. Lentoid. To be weighed. Type II.

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