Mud bricks were the primary building blocks at Ur. Most were sun-dried but some were intentionally baked to make them more stable. Baked bricks were typically used in building foundations and as facing to important public buildings, but they were also used extensively in some house walls, especially in the Isin-Larsa/Old Babylonian period. Those used in public buildings were often stamped with a building dedication and the name of the king, and the bricks that were collected from the field are almost exclusively of this type. A few bricks have other impressions in them, such as dog paw prints or inscribed lines imitating gaming boards.

Bricks were rectangular, square, or plano-convex and their sizes sometimes varied with time period, though direct temporal indicators are not clear simply from brick measurements. For Brick Stamps see Stamps/Sealings under Economic/Administrative. 

Objects: Bricks 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)
2880C (none) (none) B16536 Brick of Dungi. "Dun-gi, mighty hero, king of Ur, king of Sumer and Akkad, E-har-sag, his beloved house, has built." H.C.
2882B (none) (none) B16550 Brick of Kudur-Mabug. To Nannar, his king. Kudur-ma0bu-uk-adda of the Martu land, son of Si-im-li-shi-il-ba-ak, when Nannar had exauced [sic?] his prayers, he built the Ga-nun-mah of nannar, for his life and that of his son Warad-Sin, king of Larsa. H.C. text: E-nun-mah (8)
3081A (none) (none) B16531A [A-D] Brick of Ur-Engur. To Anu king of gods, his king, Ur Engur, king of Ur, has planted the great orchard, the shrine the pure location, he has builtt. Cf. SAKI p.186F. H.C.
3081B (none) (none) B16532 [A-C] Brick of Ur-Engur. "To Anu, king of gods, his king, ur-engur king of ur has planted the great orchard the shrine." the pure location he has built of SAKI p. 186.F
3133B (none) (none) B16528 Ur-Engur bricks. Inscript of SAKI p.186 Backstein C. Several samples. H.C.
3297D (none) (none) B16556A Sinbalalsuiqbi 1/2 brick 2 stamps, side and face. Same text as U. 3250. Variant U. 6-7: E-ashur "The place of his royalty."
3297E (none) (none) (none) Sinbalalsuiqbi 1/2 brick 2 stamps, side and face. Same text as U.3250 Variant U.6-7: "E-ashur the place of his royalty"
3298D (none) (none) B16557 Sinbalatsuiqbi 1/2 brick. 2 stamps side and face. same text as U.3250. Except variant 11.6-7: "E-sag-dug-ga, the shrine of his Enlil-ship. (=Lordship)"
3299C (none) (none) B16558 Brick of Sin balalsu iqbi 2 stamps: face and side. Same text as U.3250. Except var. 11.6-7: "E As-an-bur, the shrine of Enlil."
3315B (none) (none) B16474 Brick Sin-idinnam. 30 lines inscription. Has rebuilt the old In-dub and to nannar the temple of his majesty cf. SAKI. P.210 d) H.C.
10149B (none) (none) (none) [A-B] Brick Inscription on side Kurigalzu ded. to Ningal. new. (- f. U. 3202.) H.C .6
2566G (none) (none) (none) Baked brick of ISHME-DAGAN. Fragment. Ishme-Dagan, who takes care of Nippur, who exalts the head of Ur, the .... of Eridu, the lord of Uruk, the powerful king, (king of Isin, king of Sumer and Akkad, the beloved husband of the goddess Ninni Only lines 1 to 7 are preserved. c. BC 2110.
3145B (none) (none) (none) [A-B] 2 examples. Second broken. [moulded brick?] [drawing 1:8]
3081D (none) (none) B16531B [A-D] brick of UR-Engur. "To Anu, king of gods, his king, Ur-Engur king of Ur, has planted the great orchard the shrine the pure location, he has built, of SAKI."
3135B (none) (none) B16537B [A-B] Brick of Bur-Sin. Cf. SAKI. P. 196. Backstein B.
6743B (none) (none) B16543B, B16543A [A-E] Bricks of Enannatum. The usual stamp (U.2569) has a variant 1.2: En-sal-me-nunuz-zid dNannar. the pure zirru priest of Nannar (cf. SAKI. P.206 note [illegible]) One 1/2 to B. 4 wholes to B.
6743C (none) (none) B16543C [A-E] Bricks of Enannatum. The usual stamp (U.2569) has a variant 1.2: En-sal-me-nunuz-zid dNannar. the pure zirru priest of Nannar (cf. SAKI. P.206 note [illegible]) One 1/2 to B. 4 wholes to B.
6743D (none) (none) (none) [A-E] Bricks of Enannatum. The usual stamp (U.2569) has a variant 1.2: En-sal-me-nunuz-zid dNannar. the pure zirru priest of Nannar (cf. SAKI. P.206 note [illegible]) One 1/2 to B. 4 wholes to B.
6743E (none) (none) (none) [A-E] Bricks of Enannatum. The usual stamp (U.2569) has a variant 1.2: En-sal-me-nunuz-zid dNannar. the pure zirru priest of Nannar (cf. SAKI. P.206 note [illegible]) One 1/2 to B. 4 wholes to B.
3297F (none) (none) B16556B Sinbalalsuiqbi 1/2 brick 2 stamps, side and face. Same text as U.3250 Variant U.6-7: "E-ashur the place of his royalty"
(none) 35-1-142 (none) (none) (none)
(none) 31-16-720 (none) (none) (none)
(none) 31-16-721 (none) (none) (none)
(none) 84-26-4 (none) (none) (none)
(none) 31-16-359 (none) (none) (none)

Related Terms

Cones - Door/Gate Sockets - Drain Pipes