Temenos Wall | TW

Context Title: Temenos Wall | TW     
Context Name (Excavation): TW     
Context Name (Publication): Temenos Wall     
Context Description: The excavation area abbreviation TW stands for Temenos Wall, a wall that surrounded the ziggurat terrace and its extended sacred space in the northern central portion of the city of Ur through much of its history. The wall may have begun in the Early Dynastic period, as Woolley found some indication of what he believed to be its earliest foundation. There was clearly an Ur III period version that ran south of the giparu and then further southeast to encompass the ehursag. This was the general line of the wall through the Isin-Larsa/Old Babylonian and into the Kassite period, though the Kassites made some changes in the northern portion. Finally, the Neo-Babylonians changed the wall greatly, expanding the area encompassed to the north and south and adding several gateways. The foundations of this later, quite massive, wall often destroyed earlier remains. Woolley explored parts of the temenos wall in many seasons and frequently used the TW abbreviation for the wall in any of its building periods. Other excavation area abbreviations include parts of the temenos, particularly NCF, PDW and BC. The temenos wall built by Urnamma was 6 meters thick and built of mud brick with a baked brick facing. Most of the baked brick had been removed, probably for later building. The Nebuchadnezzar and Nabonidus temenos wall had chambers within it and sported six gates into the temenos area. This area was known as e-gish-nu-gal (Woolley read this e-gish-shir-gal). At least one later interpretation conflates TW with the phrase Town Wall, but the wall surrounding Ur was always referred to as the city wall, (CLW).     
Season Number: 01: 1922-1923      
Season Number: 03: 1924-1925      
Season Number: 05: 1926-1927      
Season Number: 11: 1932-1933      
Season Number: 12: 1933-1934      

Objects: Temenos Wall | TW 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)
8840K (none) (none) (none) Tablet. In a box, not marked, and not fully examined, the following leftover unbaked, at end of season. (A)[A and H] 2 considerable fragments. (B)[B and I-L] 5 small tablets. (C) seal impression (interesting). (D) Contract with many fragments of its envelope, with seal impressions. also baked. (E) Fragment containing some proper names. (F) Half a business note also. (G) corner of archaic tablet.
8840L (none) (none) (none) Tablet. In a box, not marked, and not fully examined, the following leftover unbaked, at end of season. (A)[A and H] 2 considerable fragments. (B)[B and I-L] 5 small tablets. (C) seal impression (interesting). (D) Contract with many fragments of its envelope, with seal impressions. also baked. (E) Fragment containing some proper names. (F) Half a business note also. (G) corner of archaic tablet.
942 (none) (none) (none) (none)
955 (none) (none) (none) (none)
958 (none) (none) (none) (none)
943A (none) (none) (none) (none)
943B (none) (none) (none) (none)
943C (none) (none) (none) (none)
943D (none) (none) (none) (none)
943E (none) (none) (none) (none)
943F (none) (none) (none) (none)
943G (none) (none) (none) (none)
943H (none) (none) (none) (none)
943I (none) (none) (none) (none)
943J (none) (none) (none) (none)
943K (none) (none) (none) (none)
943L (none) (none) (none) (none)
943M (none) (none) (none) (none)
646 (none) (none) B14996 Terracotta figurine. moulded. fr. of. Complete from waist upwards, female figure, nude, hands clasped below breasts. 2 broad necklaces, hair waved heavily over ears but above covered with linen(?) headdress forming broad band over brow and bow-like loops behind. unusually fine +detailed work.
687 (none) (none) B14997 Terracotta relief. In greenish clay. A kneeling woman (headless) suckling a child.[drawing 1:1]
645 (none) (none) B15191 Terracotta figurine (fr. of) moulded. Seated on a chair, a female figure wearing a dress from neck to ankles + with full sleeves. The bodice treated in narrow pleats, the skirt in 5 flounces of close pleating, border of smocking (?) round neck. Hands clasped in front of body, head missing. The chair +drapery make a solid front: behind project two stumps to make the relief stand up. [drawing]
656 (none) (none) B15196 Terracotta relief of a lion probably only the core, moulded and intended to be covered over with a slip in which the finer detail was rendered. [drawing]
682 (none) (none) B15383 Clay cup. Type LIV =P76b [typology]. Grave not P series.
639 (none) (none) B15392 Clay jar. Reddish clay with drab engobbage. Wheelmade. Broken. [below] Type LII. RC.227. [circled] not p.
7680 (none) (none) B16893 Cylinder seal. Steatite. Black. Obliterated. Scene of worship. Votary led by the hands by minor deity towards seated presiding deity.

Media: Temenos Wall | TW Export: JSON - XML - CSV

Media Media Title Title Label Author Omeka Label
Ur Excavations VIII; The Kassite Period and the period of the Assyrian Kings Ur Excavations VIII; The Kassite Period and the period of the Assyrian Kings 1965 Woolley, Leonard (none)
Ur Excavations IX; The Neo-Babylonian and Persian Periods Ur Excavations IX; The Neo-Babylonian and Persian Periods 1962 Woolley, L. and Mallowan, Max (none)
Ur Excavations V: The Ziggurat and its Surroundings Ur Excavations V: The Ziggurat and its Surroundings 1939 Woolley Leonard (none)
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Ur > Temenos Wall | TW

References

Woolley, L. and Mallowan, Max. (1962) Ur Excavations IX; The Neo-Babylonian and Persian Periods, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Woolley Leonard. (1939) Ur Excavations V: The Ziggurat and its Surroundings, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Woolley, Leonard. (1965 ) Ur Excavations VIII; The Kassite Period and the period of the Assyrian Kings, Oxford: Oxford University Press.