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 |
Files
| Object | U Number | Museum Number (UPM Date Reg Number) | Museum Number (BM Registration Number) | Museum Number (UPM B-number) | Description (Catalog Card) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 942A | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A-N] 14 fragments of tablets from T.W/ N.W. See U943-4. Placed in Packing Case F. |
| 943 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Small fragments. Placed in one cigarette tin. See U942 |
| 944 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay fragment. With seal impression, traces of 1 line inscription and a single figure. Placed in IN/No. 8. | |
| 945 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Persian period tablet. Corners broken. 12 + 12 lines. Dated in 8th year of Dar-mus-Darius. |
| 946 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Persian period tablet. Edges and corners broken. Date broken. 12 + 11 lines. |
| 954 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay Vase. Reddish clay with drab engobbage. Wheelmade. Broken. Type LXXXVII. Not yet used in Vol.'s II, IV, VII, or IX. |
| 955A | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A-I] 9 fragments of tablets. Placed in Packing Case F. |
| 956 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay fragment. With seal impressions showing animals and animal-men fighting. See U.955. |
| 957 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay fragment. Seal impression, showing standing figures. | |
| 958A | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A-G] 7 fragments of tablets. Placed in Packing Case F. |
| 959 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay fragment with seal impression, showing animal figures and a tree. | |
| 960 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Complete tablet, one corner broken, 6 + 5 lines and seal impressions. Two dates 5th year of Bur-Sin I. See U.958. |
| 961 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Large tablet. With text in the Semitic language. From T.W.S chamber. Placed alone in separate numbered box. |
| 969 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragment of tablet. Obverse only book keeping entried. IN/No.2 |
| 970A | (none) | (none) | (none) | (A) Tablet. Broken. Persian period, concerning dates. Dated 5th year of Ar(taxerxes) (B) Small fragment from edge, tip. Joins. |
| 971 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragment of tablet. Accounts. Persian period. IN/No.2 | |
| 976 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Clay Bowl. Drab clay, wheelmade, broken. Type IC. |
| 1002A | (none) | (none) | (none) | [A-C] Fragments of clay bowls. With rounded panels stamped with palm decorations. Greenish-drab clay, wheelmade. |
| 6456 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Terracotta tortoise. B. [drawing 1:2] |
| 7669 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Terracotta figurine. Head missing. Nude female. One hand on each prest in high relief. [drawing 1:1] Neo-Babylonian |
| 7679 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Cylinder seal. Steatite. Black. Very slightly concave. Two naked heroes attacking a rampant lion. One grasps lion by the tail. |
| 7684 | (none) | 1928,1009.336 | (none) | Chain. Bronze. Circular links. Fragment. 3 portions. | |
| 7685 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Pin. Bone. Yellowish. Cock's head? [drawing 1:1] |
| 7808 | (none) | (none) | (none) | Fragments of tablet Box containing numerous fragments (not marked) of similar appearance of several baked tablets. REJECTED. |
| 8840A | 52-30-45 | (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. |
| Media | Media Title | Title | Label | Author | Omeka Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ur Excavations V: The Ziggurat and its Surroundings | Ur Excavations V: The Ziggurat and its Surroundings | 1939 | 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 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) |
- 3 Media
Sibling Locations
AH Site | AH - 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 - TTC - XNCF - Ziggurat Terrace | ZT