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)
18133 (none) (none) (none) Amulet of glazed frit, bleached white the Egyptian Bes.
18104 32-40-2 (none) (none) Vase of light drab clay in the form of a woman carrying a jar. (the arms broken). [drawing 1:1]
18100 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta bed. The mattress rendered from a mould in relief. One leg broken.
18099 (none) 1933,1013.240 (none) Terracotta bed. The corners project: the string mattress rendered by incised lines. The corners chipped off.
18096 32-40-25 (none) (none) Terracotta figurine. Primitive. Hand modelled: man standing, right arm broken. [drawing]
18086 32-40-45 (none) (none) Clay mould. For making figurines. Goddess wearing a flat low headdress. Fragment: only the head and ahoulders left.
18084 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta head. For a figurine. Hand-modelled: made separately, with a peg for insertion in a body. Rudimentary owl-like features with holes for eyes.
18083 (none) 1935,0113.91 (none) Terracotta figurine. Hand modelled. Miniature human figure with head, rudimentary arms and shapeless trunk. Left arm missing.
18082 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta figurine. Hand modelled in the round: snowman technique. Bearded man, full face, left hand to breast, right arm missing. Fragment: body below hips missing.
18081 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta figurine. Hand modelled. Bearded man (in the round). Fragment: body below waist and arms missing.
18080 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta figurine. Female figure, full face, holding object to breasts: big earrings and necklaces, body nude. Moulded, but finished with snowman technique: very crude. Fragment, from waist upward.
18079 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta figurine. Hand modelled, snowman technique. Seated female figure, full face: hands designed draped. Very crude. Complete.
18078 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta relief. Door of shrine? Or else a statue inside a shrine, the statue wearing full robes with straight vertical folds which fill the entire door space.
18077 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta figurine. (Covered with salt: apparently a god, standing full face with hands at breasts carrying objects). Complete except for feet.
18076 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta figurine. Hand modelled. Very crude figure of a god (?) bearded and wearing a long garment. Complete.
18075 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta figurine. Hand modelled. Fragment of human head with big coiled earrings, with cloak worn over the head and falling on each side.
18074 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta figurine. Hand modelled, snowman technique. Nude female figure standing full face: left arm missing. Head very small with big hair waves: breasts applied; triangle much exaggerated, coming almost to the ground; with no legs. (Covered with salts)
18073 (none) 1932,1008.250 (none) Terracotta figurine. Hand modelled. Snowman technique. Nude female figure holding a dish (or tambourine) against her breast. Elaborate hair, necklaces etc. Fragment, complete from hips up.
18072 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta figurine. Hand modelled. Nude female figure standing full face and holding a dish (?) before her breasts. Snowman technique. Complete.
18071 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta face. Hand modelled. Only the lower part left, half the nose and the mouth and chin, and a long spike neck for insertion in the body. Very good and clean modelling.
18070 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta figurine. Hand modelled. Female figure, full face, with large wig, holding object to breast with rt. hand. Complete from waist upwards.
18069 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta figurine. Female figure standing full face, nude but with broad necklaces; hands clasped, exaggerated coiled earring: grotesque type. Broken away below hands.
18068 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta figurine. Female figure standing full face, hands clasped,: draped, and wearing a low cap. Fragment, from below hands upwards.
18067 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta figurine. Seated female figure in flounced dress. Complete: very bad impression.
18066B 33-35-49 (none) (none) Terracotta figurine. Female figure standing full face, hands clasped, pleated and flounced dress, hair elaborately waved. (A) Fragment from middle thighs upwards. (B) Complete (poor example).

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