AH Site | AH
| Context Title: | AH Site | AH |
| Context Name (Excavation): | AH; Abraham's Housing |
| Context Name (Publication): | AH Site |
| Context Description: | In the southeast portion of the mound of Ur, Woolley excavated a large horizontal extent of domestic space roughly 115 x 85m. near the surface he found scattered Neo-Babylonian and Kassite remains and intrusive graves of the late periods but he did not publish these in detail nor are there any extant notes covering them. Instead, Woolley's main goal was to uncover the best preserved floorplans of houses. These he found several meters down, houses of the Isin-Larsa/Old Babylonian period. Because the Old Babylonian period was typically that associated with the potential time of Abraham, Woolley used the abbreviation AH (Abraham's Housing) to refer to this excavation area. In the course of excavation of the Isin-Larsa/Old Babylonian levels Woolley numbered 27 'houses,' or excavation units. He renumbered the houses for publication based on the overall plan, preserved walls, and doors onto streets. In this way he showed there were 52 individual houses within his 27 excavation areas. However, houses were frequently altered throughout period, as families would knock out walls or block up doors, and thus true house numbers are difficult to establish. Woolley mentions phases of rebuilding, but states that he sought the best preserved floor plan and published the excavation of a particular house based on that plan alone. In some cases he noted deeper remains that may have gone back to the Ur III period. These levels he partially uncovered as he excavated graves beneath the Larsa period floors. A great deal of baked brick was in use for walls of the Isin-Larsa/Old Babylonian period. Some houses used it in the lowest portion of a wall, but others used it for entire walls up to 3 meters in height. Town planning was not evident, as streets tended to wander in narrow and winding paths. Corners where streets met were often rounded, leading Woolley to surmise that this was to prevent problems with laden donkeys catching their wares on corners. Many houses had a domestic chapel within, often with family burials beneath the floor. Communal chapels were also noted, at least four being identified in the area. Finally, Woolley believed that some buildings were specifically used for commercial activities (shops), though this is difficult to prove. |
Files
| Object | U Number | Museum Number (UPM Date Reg Number) | Museum Number (BM Registration Number) | Museum Number (UPM B-number) | Description (Catalog Card) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3056 | (none) | 1927,1003.159 | (none) | Terracotta plaque. Showing goddess seated on bull, holding bird in left hand, crescent on pole at back and nude bull-headed man facing her. [drawing 1:1] | |
 | 3071A | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A-C] Three copper finger rings. |
| 3126 | (none) | 1927,1003.239 | (none) | Miniature frog. Crystal, left back leg missing. |
| 3150 | (none) | 1927,1003.178 | (none) | Terracotta figurine. Primitive figure of nude harpist with harp under left arm. Back and hair at back carefully modeled. Sketch 1:2. Photo: 422 (from back). [drawing 1:2] | |
| 3258 | (none) | 1927,1003.158 | (none) | Terracotta figurine. Small female figure of same type as U.3015, seated on chair. Legs broken off below knee. Sketch slightly small than 1:1 [drawing] | |
| 3276 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Terracotta animal. Presumably horse(?). Legs missing. Sketch. [drawing] |
| 6006 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Bead. Roughly cylindrical black diorite inscribed - Cut out of cylinder seal. B. |
| 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. | |
| 6104 | (none) | (none) | B16367 | Phallic bead. Drab pebble. E. [drawing 1:1] | |
| 6498 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Head of Puzuzu. Pendant. White frit. B. [drawing] |
| 6576 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Puzuzu. Head. Black steatite. E. [drawing 1:1] |
| 6671 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Cylinder seal. Diorite? Black. Mottled. 3 lions rampant one upside down. B. |
| 6758 | (none) | 1927,0527.236 | (none) | Terracotta plaque. Fragment. Fighter trampling a fallen warrior. E. | |
| 6849 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Copper vase. With spout. Badly broken. ? |
| 6853 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Cylinder seal. Grey steatite. Unpierced. Gilgamesh and Enkidu fighting rampant lion. About 2600 BC. B. |
| 6864 | (none) | 1927,0527.249 | (none) | Clay rattle. Common type. Nobbed decoration round rims. E. |
| 6893A | (none) | (none) | (none) | Puzuzu. Head of white frit. Surface mostly destroyed. [drawing 1:1] |
| 6902 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Pig. Grey frit. Incised horizontal and vertical markings indicate skin. B. |
| 6905 | (none) | 1927,0527.139 | (none) | Puzuzu. Pendant. Chert. Green. E. [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] |
| 6936 | (none) | (none) | B16351 | Puzuzu head. Black steatite. E. [drawing 1:1] | |
| 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] |
| 6944 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Puzuzu head. Limestone. Grey. B. [drawing 1:1] |
| 7098 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Puzuzu. Head of white shell. B. [drawing 1:1] |
| 7537 | (none) | 1928,1009.465 | (none) | Terracotta plaque. Fragmentary and in poor condition. 2 gods in profile facing one another. God bearded and wearing high headdress, supports an axe? with a curved handle, head of axe resting on left shoulder left forearm parallel with ground. God has a very pronounced Jewish nose. Upper part of goddess fragmentary, both wear flounced kaunakes skirt, left shoulders bare. [drawing 1:1] |
| Media | Media Title | Title | Label | Author | Omeka Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v2_p005c | Ur_Notes_v2_p005c | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v2_p006c | Ur_Notes_v2_p006c | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v2_p018 | Ur_Notes_v2_p018 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v2_p023 | Ur_Notes_v2_p023 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v2_p024 | Ur_Notes_v2_p024 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v3_p008 | Ur_Notes_v3_p008 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v3_p009 | Ur_Notes_v3_p009 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v3_p010 | Ur_Notes_v3_p010 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v3_p011 | Ur_Notes_v3_p011 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v3_p012 | Ur_Notes_v3_p012 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v3_p013 | Ur_Notes_v3_p013 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v3_p014 | Ur_Notes_v3_p014 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v3_p015 | Ur_Notes_v3_p015 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v3_p016 | Ur_Notes_v3_p016 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v3_p017 | Ur_Notes_v3_p017 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v3_p018 | Ur_Notes_v3_p018 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v3_p019 | Ur_Notes_v3_p019 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v3_p020 | Ur_Notes_v3_p020 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v3_p024 | Ur_Notes_v3_p024 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v3_p025 | Ur_Notes_v3_p025 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v3_p026 | Ur_Notes_v3_p026 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v3_p027 | Ur_Notes_v3_p027 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v3_p028 | Ur_Notes_v3_p028 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v3_p030 | Ur_Notes_v3_p030 | (none) | |
| Woolley's Field Note Cards | Woolley's Field Note Cards | Ur_Notes_v3_p031 | Ur_Notes_v3_p031 | (none) |
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Sibling Locations
City Wall | CLW - DP - Dublalmah | LL - EH Site | EH - Ehursag | HT - EM Site | EM - Enunmah | TTB | ES - ESB - FH - Giparu | KP - Great Nanna Courtyard | PD - Harbor Temple - House 34/1 - House 34/2 - House Site - Kassite Fort - KPS Site | KPS - LT - LW - Mausoleum Site | BC - Neo-Babylonian Housing | NH - NNCF - NTB - P/103 - Palace of Bel-Shalti-Nannar | AD - Pit F - Royal Cemetery | PG - SM - Temenos Wall | TW - TTC - XNCF - Ziggurat Terrace | ZT
Child Locations
Baker's Square - Bazaar Alley - Boundary Street - Broad Street - Church Lane - Graves - House I - House Ia - House II - House III - House IV - House IX - House V - House VI - House VII - House VIII - House X - House XI - House XII - House XIII - House XIV - House XIX - House XV - House XVI - House XVII - House XVIII - House XX - House XXI - House XXII - House XXIII - House XXIV - House XXV - House XXVI - House XXVII - Niche Lane | Shop Street - Old Street - Paternoster Row - Post E - Store Street - Straight Street | Division Street
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Context
Ur > AH Site | AH
References
Woolley, Leonard. (1974) Ur Excavations VI; The Ur III Period, Oxford: Oxford University Press.