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 Clay Seals and Sealings

Object U Number Museum Number (UPM Date Reg Number) Museum Number (BM Registration Number) Museum Number (UPM B-number) Description (Catalog Card)
1054 (none) (none) B15276 Cylinder seal. Lapis lazuli. Very small.
1267 (none) (none) B15592, B15592 Cylinder seal; scene of "introduction" to seated god facing right, with star and crescent above. Inscription: Lugal-asum-gal (cf. U.1268) mar Ur-sul. Su-du-a.
1268 (none) (none) B15593, B15593 Cylinder seal in 2 registers: above, scene of "introduction" to a goddess. A woman is led forward by a female protecting deity. In lower register, 3 swans. Inscription: Ahat-ilti. Assat Lugal-usum-gal. (cf.U1267)
1423 (none) (none) B15596 Stamp seal. Square button in terracotta with rude incised device of a bird standing among plants. [drawing]
15474 31-17-21 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Black steatite. 2 scorpions.
16179 31-43-28 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Green steatite. Presentation scene: enthroned god and two standing figures.
16180 31-43-3 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Pink marble. Two rows of deeply incised circles.
16554 31-43-34, 31-43-34 (none) (none) Cylinder seal, steatite. Ur-Ki(?)-dur(?)-sag(?) servant of... H.C. 30/II, 10
16555 31-43-20, 31-43-20 (none) (none) Cylinder seal, white calcite. Ga-ad-i(?)-li(?)-a, daughter of Ah(?)-na-nu-um H.C. 30/II, 11
16618 31-43-9 (none) (none) Stamp seal. Greenish grey steatite. Pyramidal. 2 scorpions.
16743 31-43-46 (none) (none) Quartz cylinder. Unengraved. Unpierced. cf. U. 16606. [drawing 1:1]
16749 31-43-19 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Baked clay. 2 crescents on poles and an X. Rough work.
16794 31-43-59 (none) (none) Cylinder Glazed Frit Type same as U.16.606.
16927G 31-43-7 (none) (none) Group: objects found together and belonging to a manufacturer of cylinder seals. (A) Limestone fragment, a trial piece with first sketches of 3 standing figures; (B) Limestone fragment, a trial piece with one standing figure nearly finished; (C) Uncut and unpierced cylinders of shell, steatite and limestone; (D) Unfinished beads of rock crystal; (E) Part of an eye of a statue; etc. (F) Limestone fragment a trial piece with the lower parts of 2 standing nude male figures (this was brought in separately, cf. U.16994) (G) Square of red limestone, sculptors trial pieces with unfinished figures of man and dog. [These objects were relettered on the card as follows: C=E, D=F, E=G, F=C, and G=D. Entries in this database, however, follow original lettering]
16929A 31-43-90 (none) (none) Clay mould. (A) For a female head in profile, high relief: head with filletted and braided hair, looking right (in impression): rows of necklaces. Full face, rather pleasing and not like the usual Sumerian type. (B) For a bearded male figure, draped, standing in profile facing left (in impression) with hands clasped on breast. Very fine work, bold and yet delicate, perhaps goldsmiths moulds: the female head is best suited to such technique as gold-working. Brought in together and said to have been found together.
16929B 31-43-89 (none) (none) Clay mould. (A) For a female head in profile, high relief: head with filletted and braided hair, looking right (in impression): rows of necklaces. Full face, rather pleasing and not like the usual Sumerian type. (B) For a bearded male figure, draped, standing in profile facing left (in impression) with hands clasped on breast. Very fine work, bold and yet delicate, perhaps goldsmiths moulds: the female head is best suited to such technique as gold-working. Brought in together and said to have been found together.
16930 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta relief. Clean-shaven man, holding staff in right hand, left hand to ... (A) Broken off at waist, weak impression. Type XI, c.4.
1706 (none) (none) B15594 Cylinder seal. Light brown stone. With traces of archaic design of fishes.
17121A 31-43-10 (none) (none) Seals. Two steatite plaques, rectangular and oblong, flat on one side and gabled on the other, the gabled side pierced perhaps for a metal ring handle. A) [drawing 1:1] thus, with rough design of a scorpion. B) smaller but apparently with the same design (much worn)
17312 (none) 1931,1010.26 (none) Cylinder seal. Steatite. Black. Presentation scene. 3 standing figures.
17314 31-43-63 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Steatite. Black. Unpierced. Unfinished. A reserve for an inscription which has not been inserted.
17317 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Baked clay. Two standing figures and a winged dragon.
17319 31-43-18 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Baked clay. Animals (?) at gate of shrine course cutting.
17325 31-43-40 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Steatite. Grey. One roughly cut human figure and second carrying an animal (?) two spears? [second carrying an animal has been crossed out on catalog card]
17328 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Steatite. Black. One human figure thus [drawing] and a small animal (?) roughly incised.
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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