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)
18341 33-35-164 (none) (none) Animal's body. Grey steatite. Body of couchant animal, the hind quarters complete, in fairly high relief: the front leg only sketched: the stone is rounded off at the shoulder so that there never was a head. The body is flat and bears two engraved signs thus. [drawing]
17341 31-43-76 (none) (none) Button seal. Steatite(?). White. Fragment. Half only remains. Animals. With a boss on the upper side perforated for suspension.
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.
18289 33-35-259 (none) (none) Clay seal impression. From a cylinder. Standing figure of worshipper, with shaven head and long dress.
16794 31-43-59 (none) (none) Cylinder Glazed Frit Type same as U.16.606.
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)
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
6983 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Grey steatite. 4 standing figures. Attributes: crescent moons. About BC 2000. B.
16749 31-43-19 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Baked clay. 2 crescents on poles and an X. Rough work.
15474 31-17-21 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Black steatite. 2 scorpions.
17319 31-43-18 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Baked clay. Animals (?) at gate of shrine course cutting.
17317 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Baked clay. Two standing figures and a winged dragon.
6687 (none) (none) B16310, B16310 Cylinder seal. Black hematite. Inscribed. Shamash, worshipper and goddess. Servant of Sin and servant of Nin-Shah. E. 1st Babylonian dynasty 2000 BC.
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.
6519B (none) (none) B16313, B16313 Cylinder seal. Black steatite. Inscribed. Minor god introducing worshipper to major god. Nin-da-da son of Da-da-a. About 2300 BC?
6406 (none) (none) B16304 Cylinder seal. Black steatite. Rampant lion attacked by two naked men. Crescent, goose, scorpion. About BC 2400.
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.
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?
6987 (none) (none) B16308 Cylinder seal. Black steatite. Worshippers round sacred tree. Palm branch and dates in a vase. About BC 2200.
17702 (none) (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Clay. Tree encircled with fillet between 2 adoring figures; crescent on staff.
18258 33-35-173 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Dark steatite. Presentation scene. Seated goddess, with 2 standing figures and 2 lizards. Poor condition.
17871 32-40-326 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Dark steatite. Badly chipped. Presentation scene with seated goddess and 2 standing figures and 3 columns of inscription.
18276 33-35-174 (none) (none) Cylinder seal. Fragment of greenish grey steatite. Only 2 columns of inscription left; no figures.
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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