Mesopotamian doors had large wooden posts that extended past the threshhold.  This post rested in the depression of a gate/door socket.  The door then pivoted on this post, and the sokept kept it in place.  The socket was set into the floor, so the top of the socket was aligned with the floor.  Most sockets were inscribed with a dedicatory inscription from the ruler/govenor to a god/goddess recording achievements and building projects.  

Objects: Door/Gate Sockets 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)
293 (none) (none) (none) Gate socket. Limestone. Inscription of Kurigalza, badly damaged. Copied.
294 (none) (none) (none) Gate socket. Inscription of Ur-Engur. Illegible
420 (none) (none) B15324, B15324 Basalt hinge-socket of GIMIL ILISHU.
421 (none) (none) (none) Basalt hinge-socket of GIMIL ILISHU.
422 (none) (none) B15323 Basalt hinge-socket of UR-ENGUR.
423 (none) (none) (none) Basalt hinge-socket of UR-ENGUR.
424 (none) (none) (none) Basalt hinge-socket of UR-ENGUR. The stone had been cut down and re-used between the Nebuchadnezzar and the Persian periods: its connection with the door was not certain.
900 (none) (none) (none) Basalt door-socket. In very bad condition. With inscription of KURIGALZU. Reads "To Nannar, his king, Kurigalzu, who is the servant of the sun-god..." (1) Nannar (2) logal-a-ni-ir. (3)(a) Ku-ri-gal-zu. (4) lu arad Babbar-ra??
901 (none) (none) (none) Basalt impost-stone. Inscription with name, etc., of BURSIN.
950 (none) (none) B15322, B15322 Basalt hinge-stone. Inscribed with name, etc., of KURIGALZU.
1165 (none) (none) B15885 Black stone gate socket, with long but incomplete inscr. running round the side. Beginning and end lost, partly by the breaking off of one side of the stone, partly by flaking away the surface. 42 ll remain, recording the building of an archive-house (dub-la-mah), annexed to the court of justice, by Bur-Sin I, king of Ur. The text ends with blessings and curses upon those who should respect or destroy the king's monument. Photo 147 RI.71
1208 (none) (none) (none) Massive brick diorite gate-socket, with 8 lines, inscription of Kurigalzu.
1357 (none) (none) (none) Gate socket of Ur-Nammu, with inscription duplicate of the bricks from the Ziggurat. SAKI p.186a.
1367 (none) (none) B15322, B15322 Sandstone gate socket of Kurigalzu, with inscription similar to that of U.1208, 9 lines.
1663 (none) (none) (none) Gate socket, (sandstone?) with traces of an almost completely obliterated inscription probably of Kurigalzu.
1727 (none) (none) (none) Black stone, of irregular shape, broken, probably part of a gate socket. On a smoothed surface is a 8 line inscription of Bur-Sin, king of Ur, recording his building of a ge-par for the goddess Nin-gal.
2673 (none) (none) (none) Door-socket of dGimil-dSin, beloved of Enlil, the king whom Enlil has chosen as the delight of his heart, the mighty king, king of Ur, king of the 4 regions of the world, his god, Lugal-ma-gur-gur-ri, the commandment of the fortress, patesi of Ur, his servant has built his beloved temple. (Another example in Berlin VA.3302)
2675 (none) (none) (none) Door-socket of Ur-Engur with the usual inscription: UrdEngur, king of Ur who has built the temple of Nannar?
2749A (none) (none) (none) (A) Diorite Door-socket.; (B) Copper pole shoe} Both same inscription: Ur Engur, king of Ur, who has bult the house of Nannar. in text: 3rd Dynasty Terrace (13)
2749B (none) (none) (none) (A) Diorite Door-socket.; (B) Copper pole shoe} Both same inscription: Ur Engur, king of Ur, who has bult the house of Nannar. in text: 3rd Dynasty Terrace (13)
2750 (none) (none) (none) Door-socket of Ur Engur. ?king of Ur, who has built the house of Nannar.
2753 (none) (none) (none) Door-socket of Kurigalzu. Surface recut on an older (Ur Engur?) Door-socket and partly destroyed. (To Nan)nar, his (king), (Ku)-ri-gal-(zu), (shak)-kanak of En(lil), the (E)-kis-sir-gal [his erased] ( ) [of erased] his [wall erased] (? written ki-bad-a-ni), he built... Usual lecture w: e-ki-ag-a-ni: his beloved house. H.C.
2768 (none) (none) (none) Door-socket of Ur-Engur king of Ur who built the house of Nannar.
2771 (none) (none) (none) Door-socket. Ur-Engur. Bluish stone (flakes easily) usual inscription. In text: 3rd Dynasty Terrace(12)
2772 (none) (none) (none) Ur-Engur Door-socket. Bluish stone. Usual inscription. In text: 3rd Dynasty Terrace(12)
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Related Terms

Bricks - Cones - Drain Pipes

Child Terms

Socket

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Parent Terms

Architectural Elements > Door/Gate Sockets


Linked Resources

British Museum Semantic Web Collection Online