Tales of the Great Ziggurat Trivia Quiz

Answer: Ur

The city of Ur was originally settled during the Ubaidian period in approximately 3800 BC, and was taken over by the Sumerians approximately three hundred years later. By the 2600s BC, Ur was listed on Sumerian accounts as a city-state ruled by Mesh-Ane-pada. Originally built as a coastal city on the Euphrates river, today the city is inland due to the shifting of the river.

Answer: Third Dynasty of Ur

Following the Akkadian dynasty of Sargon's grandson, Naramsin, the Third Dynasty of Ur, commonly called Ur III, was established in the 2100s BC. During this time a code of laws was published, which may be the oldest known law code in history. The dynasty fell after an Elamite invasion, and was eventually taken over by the Amorites, who made Babylon their capital.

Answer: Temple

Although one has never been found, the great Greek traveler, Herodotus, stated that at the top of the ziggurat was a shrine that was dedicated to the city's deity. It served as the home of the deity, and the stairways enabled it to ascend or descend as necessary.

Answer: Priest

In a society where religion governed every aspect of life, the priest was the only person allowed to enter a ziggurat. Most commonly, in fact, the leaders of government were called "En" or "Ensi", which translates to a modern title of "priest king". Very powerful members of society, the "priest kings" had charge of the government, religion, and even controlled the best farmland, which they believed belonged to the gods.

Answer: Ur-Nammu

Ur-Nammu ruled for eighteen years, and is credited with devising a law code, conquering a number of cities, and building ziggurats! He died in battle against the Gutians, and was succeeded by his son, Shulgi.

Answer: Nanna, the moon god

The ancient Mesopotamians were henotheistic, meaning that while they worshipped many gods, there was one that was most important. Each city-state or empire had its own guardian deity, which was anthropomorphic, or human, in character and appearance. Also called "Sin", the moon god was considered to be the leader of the pantheon in some areas of ancient Mesopotamia.

Answer: Clay

The ancient Greek geographer, Hecataeus, said "The civilization of Mesopotamia is built on clay". Since there was a definite lack of building materials in ancient Mesopotamia, clay was really the only choice. Even though it may not have been the best material for a structure as large as a ziggurat, the ancients learned that they could use arches and columns to strengthen their buildings.

In addition, firing the clay bricks in a kiln made them more durable. While the core of the ziggurat was made of sun-baked clay bricks, the outside was made with fired clay bricks.

Answer: Homes of ordinary citizens

The design of the ziggurat made it relatively easy to guard the structure against the prying eyes of the non-priests. Living quarters and even bathrooms for the "priest kings" were built into the structure of the ziggurat. Because the best farmland belonged to the gods, the produce from that land was stored at the ziggurat. Animal sacrifices were made there, as well as food for the gods to eat during the time they came to earth.

The rest of the city was built around the ziggurat complex.

Answer: Sir Leonard Woolley

Although early explorations of the site were made by other British archaeologists, Sir Leonard Woolley made the best-known discoveries. Sir Leonard was not a trained archaeologist, but he worked to a methodical pattern, which led to his being considered one of the first "modern" archaeologists. Nominated by Arthur Evans to work at a site called Corbridge in England in 1906, Sir Leonard eventually worked with the famous T. E. Lawrence at Carchemish, which bordered Turkey and Syria. Sir Leonard began working in Mesopotamia in 1922, and was knighted for his services in 1935.

The site was visited by Agatha Christie, who used it as the background for her book, "Murder in Mesopotamia".

Answer: Iraq

The civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia were built in the area that is known as Iraq today. During the rule of Saddam Hussein, the facade of the lower level and monumental staircase were rebuilt. Unfortunately, the building was damaged by bullet holes during the First Gulf War.