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)
6998 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Black steatite. 2 birds with spread wings. Star. Crescent. About BC 800. B.
6987 (none) (none) B16308 Cylinder seal. Black steatite. Worshippers round sacred tree. Palm branch and dates in a vase. About BC 2200.
6986 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Black steatite. Gilgamesh and Enkidu fighting rampant lion. About BC 2100. 2300 BC? B.
6985 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Black steatite. Inscribed: Urd Ba-u. Scene of worship. Introduction of votary by minor god to seated Nannar. B.
6983 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Grey steatite. 4 standing figures. Attributes: crescent moons. About BC 2000. B.
6982 (none) (none) B16285 Cylinder seal. Black steatite. Scene of worship. Votary introduced by minor god to seated Shamash. Attributes Tripod. About BC 2400. 2300 BC?
6979 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta bird. On raised pedestal. Head missing. B. [drawing 1:1]
6944 (none) (none) (none) Puzuzu head. Limestone. Grey. B. [drawing 1:1]
6943 (none) (none) B16277 Terracotta dog. Head turned to the right, pellet eyes experienced and ears. Tail fragmentary. E.
6941 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta figurine. Female, full face with high headdress and heavy necklace of rounded beads. Round beads also run diagonally body from shoulder to waist. Hands clasped below breast. [drawing 1:1]
6940 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta figurine. Lost below waist. Bearded male with monkey on head, monkey's feet resting on shoulders. Cord hangs down from monkey's neck in front of male figure. B.
6939 (none) (none) B16268 Terracotta mould. Fragmentary. Broken at bottom. Seated goddess feat resting on goose and second goose standing at right hand side. Cf. terracotta figurine identical in subject with this mould though not actually produced from it. E.
6937 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Pink steatite. Poor condition. Inscribed. Introductory scene. Votary introduced by minor god to Nannar. En-da-[ ]; gis-du-[ ]. B.
6936 (none) (none) B16351 Puzuzu head. Black steatite. 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]
6934 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Black steatite. Inscribed. Introduction of votary by minor goddess to seated nannar. Attribute: crescent moon scorpion. Ur dNannar. Servant of Shamesh. B. IIIrd Ur Dynasty 2300BC.
6932 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta monkey. Fragment. Lost below waist.Elbows held against sides, hands poised on breast, right above left holding a flute to the mouth. B. [drawing 1:1]
6925 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta figurine. Fragmentary head lost. Enthroned Ishtar in profile: feet resting on seated lion's head. Ishtar wears flounced kaukenes skirt scalloped at bottom. B. [drawing 1:1]
6921 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta figurine. Fragmentary. Bearded man in profile with monkey on shoulders. Male figure clothed in long flowing garment and wearing close fitting cap on head. Twisted cord suspended from Monkey's neck and hangs down in front of male figure who holds a stick in his left arm. In his right hand a staff? -held against side. Cf. U.6855 same mould may have served for both. B.
6916 (none) (none) B16602 Clay vase. Light drab. 3rd Dynasty. Type LXI. =P.200a
6915 (none) (none) B16256 Terracotta statuette. Female: full face, dressed in close fitting skirt and holding a high-necked vase against waist in left hand, Right arm bent at elbow and slightly upraised. Skirt which is close fitting is embroidered at the bottom and tasseled down right side. Short sleeves reaching elbows only. Female wears necklace, short hair done up in clusters at sides. E. [drawing 1:1]
6914 (none) (none) B16638 Clay bowl. Light drab. Type XXXIX(?) =RC.160mm (not a bowl) (not p)
6913 (none) (none) (none) Clay vase. Light drab. 3rd Dynasty. Type LVII. RC.75. (not p)
6909B (none) (none) (none) [A-B] 2 terracotta figurines. Fragmentary. Both figures lost below waist. One right bearded male full face; wearing high headdress holds in the right hand a stick? Which rests against his right shoulder. Right arm bare, left arm which is held horizontally against against breast and sleeved. On his left a female also full face wearing a high headdress rests her right hand on his shoulder. Female also has right arm bare and left arm sleeved, and wears a necklace. Hole 4mm., in diameter perforated between left shoulder of male and right shoulder of female. [drawing 1:1]
6909A (none) (none) (none) [A-B] 2 terracotta figurines. Fragmentary. Both figures lost below waist. One right bearded male full face; wearing high headdress holds in the right hand a stick? Which rests against his right shoulder. Right arm bare, left arm which is held horizontally against against breast and sleeved. On his left a female also full face wearing a high headdress rests her right hand on his shoulder. Female also has right arm bare and left arm sleeved, and wears a necklace. Hole 4mm., in diameter perforated between left shoulder of male and right shoulder of female. [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