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The excavations at Babylon

ILLUSTRATIONS

A. S. (Agnes Sophia) Johns translation

FIG. PAGE

1. Plan of the ruins of the city of Babylon facing 1

2. Part of the outer city walls; ground-plan 3

3. Plan of the mound “Babil” 7

4. Section of a canal when newly constructed (B), and after long use (C) 8

5. View of the mound “Babil” 9

6. General view of Babylon, seen from the north-west 13

7. The Euphrates in 1911 17

8. The Euphrates, seen looking north from the Expedition House in 1907 17

9. A djird, opposite Kweiresh 20

10. Arab at work on a canal in the neighbourhood of Babylon 21

11. The hooked plough in Babylon 21

12. Doorway of the Expedition House in Kweiresh 22

13. Plan of the Kasr 23

14. Paving block of the Procession Street 25

15. Beginning of the excavations on March 26, 1899, with the pavement of the Procession Street on the east side of the Kasr 27

16. The lion of the Procession Street Coloured plate, facing 28

17. Cross-section of a lion relief (B) and of an Assyrian relief (A) 29

18. Eastern end of the mud-brick wing, at the Ishtar Gate, from the north 32

19. General view of the Ishtar Gate from the north 33

20. Gold plaque from grave in the Nabopolassar Palace 34

21. Section through the Ishtar Gate 35

22. Grooved expansion joints at the Ishtar Gate 36

23. View of the Ishtar Gate from the west 37

24. The two eastern towers of the Ishtar Gate 39

25. Enamelled reliefs at the Ishtar Gate, beginning of excavations, April 1, 1902 40

26. The bull of the Ishtar Gate Coloured plate, facing 43

27. A bull, not enamelled 43

28. Inscription from the Ishtar Gate 44

xiv29. Enamelled wall length of the Ishtar Gate Coloured plate, facing 45

30. The enamelled piece of wall 45

31. The sirrush of the Ishtar Gate Coloured plate, facing 47

32. A sirrush, not enamelled 47

33. Leg of a sirrush and of a raptorial bird 48

34. Limestone projectiles 50

35. Canal to the south of the Kasr 51

36. View of Procession Street, east of Etemenanki 53

37. Inscription referring to Procession Street 54

38. Ground-plan and section of Ninmach Temple 56

39. Bronze ferrule of doorpost, Emach 57

40. Court in Ninmach Temple 58

41. Emach cylinder inscription of Sardanapalus 60

42. Kisu inscription of Emach 61

43. Reconstruction of Southern Citadel, from the north 66

44. Complete plan of Southern Citadel 67

45. Arched doorway in Southern Citadel 69

46. Eastern part of Southern Citadel 73

47. An alabastron 74

48. Brick stamps of Nebuchadnezzar 76

49. Stamped brick of Nebuchadnezzar, omitting father’s name 77

50. Brick stamp of Evil-Merodach 78

51. Brick stamps, Nebuchadnezzar, Neriglissar, and Nabonidus 79

52. Aramaic addition on Nebuchadnezzar brick 80

53. Aramaic addition on Nebuchadnezzar brick 81

54. Excavations in Southern Citadel, from the north 83

55. The six-lined Lebanon inscription from Southern Citadel 85

56. The eight-lined standard inscription from Southern Citadel 85

57. Inscribed bricks in situ, Southern Citadel 87

58. Base of column, Southern Citadel 89

59. Vaulted Building, from the south-west 92

60. Arches of the Vaulted Building 93

61. Abutments of arches of the Vaulted Building 94

62. Section through the Vaulted Building 95

63. The central part of the Southern Citadel 101

64. Decoration of the Throne-Room Coloured plate, facing 104

65. Position marks on the enamelled bricks 105

66. Bases of late columns in court 36, Southern Citadel 109

67. Ramps between the Nebuchadnezzar and Nabopolassar Palaces 111

68. Space between the Nabopolassar Palace and Citadel wall, on the south 115

69. North wall of the Nabopolassar Palace 117

70. Statuette of Papsukal in Nabopolassar Palace 119

xv71. Wall of two-ridged bricks in Southern Citadel 120

72. Door in south wall of Southern Citadel 121

73. South wall of Nabopolassar Palace, from the west 122

74. Foundation of fortification wall north of the Southern Citadel 123

75. Drains between Southern Citadel wall and the mud wall 124

76. Western part of the Southern Citadel 126

77. Apadana of Xerxes in Persepolis 128

78. Inscription from the Persian building 129

79. Base of column from Persian building 129

80. Enamelled artificial block from Persian building Coloured plate, facing 130

81. The north-west corner of the Southern Citadel 132

82. The moat wall of Imgur-Bel, west of the Southern Citadel 133

83. Inscribed brick from the moat wall of Imgur-Bel 134

84. Trench west of the Southern Citadel, during excavation 134

85. Trench west of the Southern Citadel, completely excavated 135

86. Inscribed brick from the Sargon wall 138

87. Section through fortification walls north of the Southern Citadel 139

88. Stamped brick of Nabopolassar’s Arachtu wall 140

89. Inscribed brick of Nabopolassar’s Arachtu wall 141

90. Chiselled brick of Nabopolassar’s Arachtu wall 142

91. View of north-west corner of the Southern Citadel, with the Arachtu walls 143

92. Space between the two mud walls 149

93. Northern end of the inner city wall, from the south-east 151

94. System of the inner city walls 152

95. Drain in the inner city wall 153

96. Nimitti-Bel foundation cylinder of Sardanapalus 154

97. Drain through inner city wall 155

98. Brickwork blocks in the Principal Citadel 157

99. Inscribed paving blocks—above, Evil-Merodach; below, Nebuchadnezzar 159

100. North-east corner of Principal Citadel, from the north 161

101. The basalt lion in the Principal Citadel 162

102. The Shamash-resh-ussur stela 163

103. The Hittite stela, obverse 165

104. The Hittite stela, reverse 165

105. Pavement slab of Adad-nirari 166

106. Doorway with drain, in north wall of the Principal Citadel 171

107. Plan of the northern bastions, north-east of Kasr 172

108. Ascent to the Acropolis. Homera in the background 175

109. Stone wall of Northern Citadel, from west looking east 176

110. Stone wall of Northern Citadel with inscription 177

xvi111. Inscription on the stone wall of the Northern Citadel 178

112. Doorway with canal in stone wall 179

113. Canal in front of the Northern Citadel, on the north 180

114. Plan of Esagila and Etemenanki 184

115. East side of the peribolos of Etemenanki 185

116. Esarhaddon’s Etemenanki inscription 186

117. Sardanapalus’ Etemenanki inscription 186

118. Nebuchadnezzar’s Etemenanki inscription 187

119. Reconstruction of the peribolos, with the tower of Babylon, the temple of Esagila, the quay wall of Nabonidus, and the Euphrates bridge 188

120. Duck weight with inscription 190

121. Upper part of a stela with divine emblems 191

122. The western pier of the bridge over the Euphrates 198

123. Plan of the mound Amran 205

124. Section through Esagila 206

125. Sardanapalus’ Esagila brick 207

126. Esarhaddon’s Esagila brick 208

127. Esarhaddon’s Esagila Babylon brick 209

128. Terra-cotta figure from brick casket at Esagila 210

129. The excavation of Esagila 213

130. Tomb of Amran Ibn Ali 214

131. Later buildings on northern slope of Amran 217

132. Alabaster figure with asphalt perruque 218

133. A slipper sarcophagus 219

134. Esarhaddon’s Adad kunukku from Esagila 221

135. Marduk-nâdin-shum’s Marduk kunukku 221

136. Plan of Ishin aswad 224

137. Ground-plan of temple “Z” 225

138. Cella façade in temple “Z” 225

139. Reconstruction of temple “Z” 226

140. Figure of Papsukal from temple “Z”—front view 227

141. Figure of Papsukal from temple “Z”—back view 227

142. Plan of Epatutila 230

143. Section of Epatutila 231

144. Epatutila foundation cylinder of Nebuchadnezzar 232

145. Figure from brick casket of Epatutila, restored 232

146. Papsukal figure from principal cella postament in Epatutila 232

147. Ruins of Epatutila 233

148. Terra-cotta apes, male and female 234

149. Early horseman, glazed 235

150. Later horseman (Parthian?) 235

151. Woman in covered litter, on horseback 235

xvii152. Coloured enamelled vase Coloured plate— Frontispiece

153. Schematic diagram of the transfer of the upper levels (A, B, left) of a mound of debris to lower-lying region (A, B, on the right) 237

154. Schematic diagram of section through Babylonian house ruins, with wells 238

155. Plan of Merkes 241

156. View of street in Merkes 243

157. First dynasty tablets 245

158. Labyrinthine lines on a tablet 245

159. Drawing on a tablet 246

160. Pottery urn with tablets 247

161. Bowls 247

162. Aramaic incantation bowl 248

163. Beakers 249

164. Vases 249

165. Storage jars, on ring stands below 250

166. Large storage jars 250

167. Fragments of Greek vases 251

168. Flasks 251

169. Flat circular vases 252

170. Lamps 253

171. Glazed rhyton 255

172. Glass goblet and jug 255

173. Ancient glass 256

174. Earthenware bell 256

175. Woman on a beaker or omphalos 257

176. Earthenware boat 258

177. Earthenware boats with animal inside 258

178. Stone vessel 259

179. Basalt bowl for rubbing out grain 259

180. Ancient Babylonian rubbing-mill, in use by an Arab 260

181. Prehistoric utensils 260

182. Prehistoric implements 261

183. Swords, lance-head, and knives, in bronze 262

184. Bronze arrow-heads; prehistoric flint knife and saws 262

185. Chain of onyx beads from grave in Merkes 263

186. Grave deposits of gold, glass, and shell, from Merkes 264

187. Leg-bones, each with five anklets, from Merkes 265

188. Gold ornaments 266

189. Bronze fibulae 267

190. Rings and their seal impressions 267

191. Cylinder seals and signet with their impressions 268

192. Stone amulets 269

xviii193. Greek coins in a jar 270

194. Two vertebrae, a boar’s tusk, and three bone joints prepared as sword handles 270

195. Double-urn burial from Merkes 272

196. Trough coffin, with lid 273

197. Trough coffin, opened 273

198. Crouching burial 274

199. Brick grave from Merkes 274

200. Anthropoid sarcophagus, north-east of Kasr 275

201. Deposits from a coffin 276

202. Female figure with folded hands (Ninmach?) 278

203. Woman with folded hands, old Babylonian style 278

204. Woman and child 278

205. Woman and child, Graeco-Parthian style 279

206. Woman and child, Graeco-Parthian style 279

207. Seated woman and child 279

208. Woman with hands supporting breasts 279

209. Woman with hands supporting breasts 279

210. Woman with hands supporting breasts, Graeco-Parthian style 280

211. Woman with arms hanging down 280

212. Male figure with goblet (Anu?) 281

213. Man with folded hands 281

214. Man with folded hands, Parthian style 281

215. Bearded male figure, seated (Marduk?) 281

216. Man with flower in his hand 281

217. Woman with flower in her hand 281

218. Woman holding palm branch (?) 282

219. Woman holding palm branch (deity) 282

220. Woman holding palm branch, Greek style 282

221. Terra-cotta amulet 283

222. Musician with double flute 283

223. Lute-player 283

224. Lute-player 283

225. Woman with harp 284

226. Woman with tambourine 284

227. Woman reclining 284

228. Woman reclining 284

229. Pottery mask 284

230. Pottery mask 285

231. Greek terra-cotta 285

232. Greek terra-cotta 285

233. Greek terra-cotta 286

234. Cupid as a jar handle 286

xix235. Reconstruction of the Great House in Merkes 287

236. Ground-plan of the Great House in Merkes 288

237. Section of the Great House in Merkes 289

238. Steps to roof in village of Kweiresh 290

239. North-east corner of the Great House in Merkes 291

240. Façade of house with doorway, brick grave in front, Merkes 292

241. Ground-plan of house in Fara (Shuruppak) 293

242. Ground-plan from Telloh 294

243. Papsukal figure, from foundation casket of Ishtar temple 296

244. Ground-plan of temple of Ishtar of Agade, Merkes 297

245. Section of temple of Ishtar of Agade, Merkes 297

246. Ground-plan of Ezida, the temple of Nebo, in Borsippa 298

247. Temple of Ishtar of Agade in Merkes; view of cellafaçade 299

248. Inscription from Greek theatre 301

249. Plan of the mounds, Homera 302

250. General view of the Greek theatre 303

251. Statue pedestals in orchestra 304

252. View of proscenium pillars 305

253. Plan of Greek theatre, restored 306

254. Gypsum decorations of Greek theatre 307

255. Section through the northern mound of Homera 308

Illustration from The excavations at Babylon

Explanation of the Lettering A The mound Amran. ADK Ancient ruined village of Kweiresh. AE Ancient Euphrates bed. AK Ancient ruined canal. AN Ancient Nil canal. AS Outer city wall. B The mound Babil. DA The village of Ananeh. DD The village of Djumdjumma. DK The village of Kweiresh. DS The village of Sindjar. E Euphrates. EM E-Mach, the temple of Ninmach. EP E-Patutila, the temple of Ninib. ES E-Sagila, the temple of Marduk. ET E-Temenanki, the tower of Babylon. F Fields. FK Farm of Karabet. G Tomb of Amran Ibn Ali. GM Garden wall. H The mound Homera. IA Ishin aswad. IS Inner city wall. K The mound Kasr. M Merkes. MR Remains of walls. N The Nil canal. NB The Nil bridge. NK New canal. P Palms. S Sachn. T The Greek theatre. TI Temple of Ishtar of Agade. W Road. WBH Road from Bagdad to Hilleh. Z Temple Z of some unknown divinity. Fig. 1.—PLAN OF THE RUINS OF THE CITY OF BABYLON.

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