TTE

General

Context Title:	TTE
Context Name (Excavation):	Trial trench E
Context Name (Publication):	Royal Cemetery Area
Context Description:	TTE is shorthand for Trial Trench E, one of two initial trenches dug in season 5 to extend TTA from season 1. Woolley dug TTE and TTD at right angles to each other in order to search for graves in what he believed was a potentially vast cemetery. These trenches were never mapped and no aerial photos show them, as by the time of the 1930 photograph the trial trenches had been so extended that most of the Royal Cemetery area was exposed. Fortunately, Woolley's field records allow us to reconstruct its direction and extents. He states that TTE extended southwest to the south gate of the Neo-Babylonian temenos wall. This would make it about 85 meters in length, and though he does not tell us its width it is likely that it was around 4 meters, the same as the measurable trial trenches A, B, and C. Although Woolley reports that he dug "two long trenches running diagonally across the site from the head of the old trench" only TTD can actually have begun at the northern end of TTA. TTE extends at a right angle to TTD, but it does so 8 meters from the northeast corner of TTA. In order to place TTE accurately, other information has been used from field notes and publications. These show that TTE struck PG580 but did not completely reveal it. In fact, Woolley began to dig part of PG580 from the side of the trial trench because he had cut through it without recognizing its full importance. He had to leave this particular grave at the end of the season and return to it in season 6. TTE also hit the stone roofing of PG777 but left it intact. PG580 and PG777 were mapped and show the direction and general placement of TTE. TTE almost immediately began revealing graves, some of them relatively rich in gold jewelry. It is probably for this reason that Woolley did not continue TTD to any great depth but chose instead to focus on TTE. In fact, he later began extending TTE into new trenches along the same line (TTF and TTG). He assigned numbers to each grave as it was uncovered, preceded by the abbreviation PG (Private Grave). The initial sequence, PG1-PG226 were all located within TTE. The sequence then began to share with TTF and eventually with TTG. Unfortunately, none of the first 579 graves were ever mapped within the length of their trial trenches.
Season Number:	05: 1926-1927

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Objects: TTE Export: JSON - XML - CSV

U Number	Museum Number (UPM Date Reg Number)	Museum Number (BM Registration Number)	Museum Number (UPM B-number)	Description (Catalog Card)
9334A	(none)	(none)	B17805	Silver vases Spouted (A) In remarkably good condition, but the spout has been bent back touching the rim. (B) Exactly similar, but the lower part is broken and badly warped
8013C	(none)	(none)	B17716	[A and B] Two silver bracelets. Made of three twists of wire. To one of these is attached by corrosion an [C] object of silver apparently containing a cockle shell [D]; the cockle shell has in it green pigment and was covered by a silver shell (broken) thus: [drawing] though it is impossible to say whether the shell is really belonging or only accidentally attached. Various beads are also attached by corrosion to the bracelet and also [E] an eye of lapis with white shell filling.
8010	(none)	(none)	B17667	Beads. Carnelian. Mostly minute ring beads. With them a few small balls etc.
9780B	(none)	(none)	B17655	Gold Chain The usual type with double-twisted links giving a square section
9780A	(none)	(none)	B17654	Gold Chain The usual type with double-twisted links giving a square section
8009	(none)	(none)	B17622	White shell beads. All small, mostly minute: several thousands of them, with one white spacer.
8466B	(none)	(none)	B17615	[A-E] 5 weights, [A-D] 4 hematite, [E] 1 silver lentoid. hematite - 1 lentoid, 1 conoid, 1 ovoid, 1 roughly cylindrical, slightly bigger at base than at top. weights: Types I, II, III, IV.
8466E	(none)	(none)	B17613	[A-E] 5 weights, [A-D] 4 hematite, [E] 1 silver lentoid. hematite - 1 lentoid, 1 conoid, 1 ovoid, 1 roughly cylindrical, slightly bigger at base than at top. weights: Types I, II, III, IV.
9656B	(none)	(none)	B17597	Beads Gold. Large double conoids, small double conoids, tubular beads, barrel beads, fluted ball beads, flattened double conoids, double conoids of spiral wire, circles of spiral wire, 2 elongated double conoids; 4 ring spacers for 3 strings, gold bar spacers (square in section) for 20 strings, 3 gold leaves with spacers for 2 strings. Carnelian. Barrel beads, ball beads, bugles, double conoids, ring beads, 1 worked barrel bead with white pattern, flattened tabloid with gold suspender. Lapis. Large double conoids, small double conoids, fluted ball beads, double conoid with gold suspender for 2 strings.
9703	(none)	(none)	B17591	Lead? and copper specimens Misshapen lumps
8600A	(none)	(none)	B17559	[A-C] Silver rings Three Each made of 2 1/2 spiral coils of silver wire
8600B	(none)	(none)	B17559	[A-C] Silver rings. Three. Each made of 2 1/2 spiral coils of silver wire.
8600C	(none)	(none)	B17559	[A-C] Silver rings. Three. Each made of 2 1/2 spiral coils of silver wire.
8605A	(none)	(none)	B17554	[A] Silver wire. Finely twisted 2-ply wire and [B] fragments of a silver tube(?)
8599	(none)	(none)	B17553	Silver bracelet. Plain silver wire circlet.
9324	(none)	(none)	B17551	Copper rein-ring From the pole of a chariot: cf.the representation on the limestone relief U.8557 [drawing]
9777A	(none)	(none)	B17550	[A-B] Spindles A pair Silver spindles with lapis whorls both very slender
7973	(none)	(none)	B17547	Copper bowl or cauldron. In very bad condition. Type LVI.
(none)	(none)	(none)	B17546	Unknown
8597	(none)	(none)	B17543	Copper bowl Straight-sided with long trough spout Type 11
8631B	(none)	(none)	B17542	Copper vessels. [A-D] A set of 4 spouted bowls, one inside the other. Type 11. Over these has been inverted a copper strainer [E] Type _. The last much broken.
8631A	(none)	(none)	B17541	Copper vessels. [A-D] A set of 4 spouted bowls, one inside the other. Type 11. Over these has been inverted a copper strainer [E] Type _. The last much broken.
8631C	(none)	(none)	B17541	Copper vessels. [A-D] A set of 4 spouted bowls, one inside the other. Type 11. Over these has been inverted a copper strainer [E] Type _. The last much broken.
8631D	(none)	(none)	B17541	Copper vessels. [A-D] A set of 4 spouted bowls, one inside the other. Type 11. Over these has been inverted a copper strainer [E] Type _. The last much broken.
9336C	(none)	(none)	B17528C	[A-C] Copper harpoons (?) With single barbs and hollow sockets. Near the base of the sockets are the marks of a binding which presumably secured the head to the shaft. [drawing]