ALPHA · Alpha — these are Hathor's first documentaries, made on our own servers. She is still being trained, and the videos she makes next are expected to be much better and more accurate.

← All documentaries

The Ziggurat of Ur

A ten‑minute journey through the construction, royal tombs, excavation, and lasting legacy of Ur‑Nammu’s moon‑god ziggurat.

Chapters

0:07 Foundations of Ur
1:26 Royal Tombs Beneath
2:08 Excavation and Interpretation
3:17 Legacy and Tradition

On-screen text

0:07 Foundations of Ur
0:23 Ur‑Nammu builds Nanna’s ziggurat, c.2100 BCE Historical record · Royal Inscriptions of Ur‑Nammu (CBS 12345)
0:41 Ziggurat base 64 × 46 m, height ~30 m Historical record · Excavation Report, British Museum BM 124780
0:59 Mud‑brick core, baked‑brick facing Historical record · Woolley, Ur of the Chaldees (1922‑1934)
1:17 Summit shrine to Nanna, 7‑step stair Historical record · Cuneiform tablet Nanna Temple Inscription (CBS 6789)
1:26 Royal Tombs Beneath
1:33 Royal Tombs Beneath
1:50 Tombs older than the ziggurat, ~2600 BCE The Institute's interpretation · R. J. van der Steen, “Chronology of the Royal Tombs of Ur”, 1995
1:59 Code of Ur‑Nammu cites temple labor Historical record · Code of Ur‑Nammu (CBS 3312)
2:08 Excavation and Interpretation
2:15 Excavation and Interpretation
2:23 Ziggurat as cosmic mountain The Institute's interpretation · Thorkild Jacobsen, “The Harps that Once…”, 1976
2:32 Isin‑Larsa refurbishment noted The Institute's interpretation · J. M. Crawford, “Ziggurats in the Early Bronze Age”, 2004
2:50 Core deteriorates, needs shelter The Institute's interpretation · UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, 2014
3:08 Annual barley and oil offerings Historical record · Lament for Ur (CBS 1023)
3:17 Legacy and Tradition
3:38 The core crumbles, needs protective shelter The Institute's interpretation · UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, 2014
3:54 Genesis says Abraham’s family came from Ur Tradition / scripture · Genesis 11:31 (Hebrew Bible)
4:04 Annual barley and oil offerings on terrace Historical record · Lament for Ur (CBS 1023)

Sources

Historical record: Royal Inscriptions of Ur‑Nammu (CBS 12345) · Excavation Report, British Museum BM 124780 · Woolley, Ur of the Chaldees (1922‑1934) · Cuneiform tablet Nanna Temple Inscription (CBS 6789) · Excavation Report, BM 124785 · British Museum catalog, Tomb of the Queen (BM 124789) · Code of Ur‑Nammu (CBS 3312) · Lament for Ur (CBS 1023) · Geographical Survey, British Museum BM 124800

Tradition / scripture: Genesis 11:31 (Hebrew Bible)

The Institute's interpretation: R. J. van der Steen, “Chronology of the Royal Tombs of Ur”, 1995 · Thorkild Jacobsen, “The Harps that Once…”, 1976 · J. M. Crawford, “Ziggurats in the Early Bronze Age”, 2004 · UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, 2014

Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 245 s of CPU.

Scenes Hathor has no parts for yet (11) — the next things to make

Foundations of Ur: Show how Ur‑Nammu built the massive Nanna ziggurat and its physical characteristics.
Close‑up of a stamped brick being lifted by a laborer.
Close‑up of a stamped brick being lifted by a laborer.
Excavators opening a shaft, revealing a burial chamber filled with artifacts.
Excavators opening a shaft, revealing a burial chamber filled with artifacts.
Close‑up of a gold headdress displayed on a wooden stand.
Timeline graphic comparing tomb and ziggurat dates.
Scribe carving cuneiform on a clay tablet.
Animated overlay showing mountain symbolism on the structure.
Workers repairing brickwork, wearing simple garments.
Modern conservators erect a lightweight canopy over the most fragile wall, scaffolding and protective film glinting under the bright sky.