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)
3047 (none) 1927,1003.118 (none) Pottery Lekythos [in Greek]. Reddish ware with grey surface. Type LXII (slightly over half size) =P94.
2737 (none) 1927,1003.116 (none) Clay vase. Greenish drab ware : wheel made with incised circles on shoulder. Lip partly broken. Type CXXXIX =P.112
2984B (none) 1927,1003.114 (none) Pottery Lekythos [in Greek]. Buffware with spread cheeks and rounded base. Neck and lip missing. (B) Reddish buff with lip intact, but bottom broken. Type CLXXXVII, =L., (not p)
6123 (none) 1927,0527.64 (none) Weight. Reddish stone. Pyramid shaped. Hole at top for stringing. Type IV.
7004 (none) 1927,0527.275 (none) Clay vase. Reddish. Rim lost. Type CCLXII. RC.175
6864 (none) 1927,0527.249 (none) Clay rattle. Common type. Nobbed decoration round rims. E.
6863 (none) 1927,0527.248 (none) Fish. Frit. Glazed. Pair . One on topo f the other. E. [drawing 1:1]
6869 (none) 1927,0527.242 (none) Terracotta chair? Fragment. Decorated with dogs and crescent moons. E.
6758 (none) 1927,0527.236 (none) Terracotta plaque. Fragment. Fighter trampling a fallen warrior. E.
3200 (none) 1927,0527.234 (none) Terracotta figurine fragment. Drab ware: made goddess with horn and stars. [drawing 1:1]
7074 (none) 1927,0527.232 (none) Terracotta figurine. Bearded male holding lamb to breast. Fragmentary below waist. E.
6895 (none) 1927,0527.230 (none) Terracotta figurine. Bearded male figure in profile wearing close fitting cap and long flowing garment, left hand held over waist and supporting a whip? The handle of which runs over left shoulder, cord falling down by left side. Right arm bent at elbow and held slightly upraised. Arms apparently bare, beard flowing down to waist, and hair apparently done up in a knot at back of head. [drawing 1:1]
6169A (none) 1927,0527.229 (none) Baked clay figurine. Nude female standing on a lion. Left arm bent at elbow. E. [drawing 1:1]
6837 (none) 1927,0527.228 (none) Terracotta figurine. Nude female hands clasped below breast. Common type. E.
7071 (none) 1927,0527.226 (none) Terracotta figurine. Female in Kaunakees dress, right shoulder exposed holding suckling child against breast. Feet of female lost. E. [drawing 1:1]
6935 (none) 1927,0527.207 (none) Seal. Black steatite. Cut on flat base. Pyramid shaped. Rough work. Chair? Scorpion above or animal? Before 3000BC. E. [drawing]
6865 (none) 1927,0527.198 (none) Cylinder seal. Black. [steatite crossed out]. Two figures with unpierced arm standing on either side of sacred palm with dates rising out of water pot. About 2300 BC.
6591 (none) 1927,0527.196 (none) Cylinder seal. Gray steatite. Inscribed. Lu-dingir-ra son of Lugal-dugga. Worshipper and standing god. About BC 2000.
6483 (none) 1927,0527.194 (none) Cylinder seal. Black steatite. Inscribed. Bur-a-mu. Son of Hu-hu-a the metal worker (precious metal). About BC 2400.
6595A (none) 1927,0527.193 (none) Cylinder seal. White pottery. Rampant bull and tree of life. Crescent. About BC 700.
6593 (none) 1927,0527.191 (none) Cylinder seal. Black steatite. Introducing a worshipper to a standing god. About BC 2200.
7128 (none) 1927,0527.187 (none) Cylinder seal. White shell. Fragment. 2 crossed ibex? Attacked by rampant lion and on the other side by Gilgamesh. Before 3000 BC. E.
6482 (none) 1927,0527.184 (none) Cylinder seal. Black steatite. Weatherworn. Presentation to a standing god. About BC 2200.
6780 (none) 1927,0527.182 (none) Cylinder seal. Black steatite. Scene of worship. Worshipper introduced by minor goddess to seated Nannar. Attributes: Crescent moon. 3rd Ur Dynasty about 2200 BC.
6058 (none) 1927,0527.181 (none) Cylinder seal. Black steatite. 2 spread eagles, reversed and a scorpion. E.

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