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)
1005 (none) (none) B14986 Bowl. Egg-shell ware. Pale drab color, wheelmade. Broken but joins up. Type XCV =P.187
1010 (none) (none) B15182 Terracotta relief Moulded Upper part of male figure, bearded, wearing Semitic cloak fringed over l. shoulder, & low bonnet: carries a goat against chest. Whitish clay photo 118 Phil ht 009
1011 (none) (none) B15185 Terracotta relief. Moulded. Whitish clay. Male figure, bearded, with horned cap and vertically pleated skirt, showing left knee, cloak over shoulders: bull's ears. Left hand against body, right carries object like axe. Broken at knees.
1013 (none) (none) B15188 Terracotta relief. Red clay. Moulded. Replica (from same mould) as U.1012, but broken off a little bit below the waist.
1014 (none) (none) B15189 Terracotta relief. Moulded. Seated female figure. Very elaborate headdress. Grotesque features, flounced skirt: hands on breasts: in field, crescent (above head) and dotted circles. Much damaged by salt flaking. Red clay.
1016 (none) (none) B14993 Terracotta figure. Snowman technique. Whitish clay. Male figure with whiskers and beard (applique) and heavy bonnet, wearing chiton and mantle. Crude work: broken above knees. Whitish clay.
1018 (none) (none) B15186 Terracotta relief. Moulded. The Moon-god and his consort(?) seated side by side with arms around eachother. Male figure bearded and wearing bonnet. Female with hair over forehead and in heavy silk curls; both with flounced skirts, Complete except for chips off left bottom corner, out in bad condition. Light clay flaking to pink.
1019 (none) (none) B15193 Terracotta relief. Moulded. A grotesque male mask, hollow behind, with holes through eyes and at edge for suspension. Very bad condition, Reddish clay, once covered with white slip.
1020 (none) (none) B15181 Terracotta relief. Moulded. Fragment of bearded male head wearing high horned cap from which descend on each side spiral curls containing a cross white the side locks of hair also end in spirals. [drawing of spirals]
1021 (none) (none) B14994 Terracotta relief. Moulded. Fragment from waist upwards of female figure, nude, hands to breasts, face broken away. Whitish clay.
1022 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta relief. Moulded. Upper part of group of 2 figures, bearded male figure wearing high lunar headdress: in field, above, crescent; behind male figure a staff with crescent top.
1023 (none) (none) B15190 Terracotta figure. Moulded. Fragment lower part only of seated female figure with very full flounced skirt and rosettes in relief on bodice: hands clasped below breasts. Support behind. Greenish white clay.
1024 (none) (none) B15194 Terracotta figure. Fr. of. Moulded, and finished by hand. Head and shoulders of a duck. Reddish clay.
1026 (none) (none) B15200 Terracotta relief. Fragment. Part of a circular model table(?) on legs, of which one only remains; on top a stamped design of a bird, palm branches, a round object (fruit?) and an oblong like rectangular cartouche. Whitish clay.
1027A (none) (none) B15228 Clay wheels. With pierced projecting hubs and cogged edges. (A) Reddish clay. (B) Greenish clay.
1028 (none) (none) (none) Terracotta figure. Fragment, grotesque head and shoulders. Snowman technique. Whitish clay.
1030 (none) (none) (none) Rattle. Broken and incomplete. Same type as U.1029 but with holes all over. Pinkish drab clay.
1031 (none) (none) (none) Clay Cullender. Shallow dish form pierced with 3 rows of holes and one central hole. Greenish white clay.
1032 (none) (none) B15229 Clay Cullender. Miniature: with flat everted rim.
1034 (none) (none) B15231 Clay Boat. hand moulded of greenish clay Stern-piece missing.
1035A (none) (none) B15230 Frs of three model boats. A only Phil.
1035C (none) (none) (none) Frs of three model boats. A only Phil.
1037 (none) (none) (none) Clay Bowl. wheelmade. With inverted sides and flat base. Greenish clay,
1038 (none) (none) (none) Model Vase. in light drab clay. Miniature: straight sides, rim round base, everted rim.
1039 (none) (none) (none) Model wheel. Miniature. Drab clay. Smooth edges, projecting hub.

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