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)
6094 (none) 1927,0527.131 (none) Bead necklace. Including agate beads. E.
6090 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Black steatite. Inscribed. Presentation to seated god probably Shamash. Worshipper introduced by seated goddess wearing horned attire and long pleated robe covering one shoulder and leaving other bare. Worshipper has fringed shawl. Attributes: ? Libra ? Inscription: Ilu-Shamash. c. 1st Babylonian Dynasty.B.
6068 (none) (none) (none) Frog amulet. Lapis lazuli. [drawing]
6067 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Black steatite. 2 men exchanging greetings and inscription. Arad-dam son of Badada About BC 1900. B. VII. [drawing]
6066 (none) (none) B16292 Seal. Black steatite. Triangular shape scorpion and? Lizard? About BC 2600. E.
6065 (none) (none) B16300 Cylinder seal. Black steatite. 3 grooves in middle divider scene, seated god and introduction of votary from 4 swans on lower half. About BC 2700. E.
6063E (none) (none) (none) Bronze arrowheads. 3 petal shaped grooves running to a point.
6063D (none) (none) (none) [Seems to have been added to U.6063 catalog card at a later time, explains that Bronze arrowheads. 3 petal shaped grooves running to a point. B. [drawing 1:1]
6059 (none) (none) B16284, B16284 Cylinder seal. Black steatite. Reception scene, Nannar and minor go and votary, 2 lines of inscription. E. 3rd Dynasty of Ur.
6058 (none) 1927,0527.181 (none) Cylinder seal. Black steatite. 2 spread eagles, reversed and a scorpion. E.
6028 (none) (none) (none) Clay bowl. Glazed. 2 small handles on rim. Round base. Type CXXII, nearest approximate. =RC.83 ?6094
526 (none) (none) (none) Clay cone. Broken. Enscription of Ur-Engur concerning the canal of Ur. Duplicate of U.169. Placed in IN/No 4
518 (none) (none) B15184 Terracotta relief - Complete: greenish pottery. 2 male fig. advancing front. Each has tall feather(?) head-dress, long hair curled over ears, Semitic nose, long beard arranged in 3 rows of short curls and +long straight hair to a point: the right arm by the side, l. across body with in hand the litnus: drapery to knees, crossing legs diagonally. Behind, two legs to make the relief stand upright.
412 (none) (none) (none) Shell amulet. Human face, full front: rough cut. [drawing 1:1]
411 (none) (none) (none) Chalcedony seal. Very roughly engraved with design of two fish. [drawing 1:1]
409 (none) (none) (none) Bronze fibula. Broken. Poor condition. 9th-5th cent BC type. [drawing 1:1]
368A (none) (none) B14964 [A] Stone mould, broken, for making clay figurines. Scene: a god seated on a stool wearing the seven-horned cap, with left arm and hand stretched out towards a standing figure in a plain robe wearing a single horn: above two crescents. (B) Second fragment; female figure standing upright (Baghdad)
3374 (none) (none) (none) Brick of Warad-Sin, recording his cutting of the canal called Nannar-hul.
3359 (none) 1927,1003.203 (none) Seal cylinder. Diorite. About BC 2500. [drawing]
3354 (none) (none) (none) Fragment of limestone tablet. Inscribed both sides. Historical inscription? About BC 700? H.C.
3350 31-16-940 (none) (none) Fragment of mould for figurine. Limestone: showing flounced skirt of draped figure.
3343 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Limestone. Worn. Tree of Life about BC 1200. [drawing]
3342 (none) 1927,1003.193 (none) Seal Cylinder. White limestone. Worn. Worshipping the Tree of Life. Assyrian influence BC 1200 (?) [drawing]
3325 (none) (none) (none) Seal cylinder about BC 2400. Introducing worshipper to a goddess. [drawing]
3324 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Soapstone. About BC 2800. Winged gate on crouching bull [drawing]

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