Ziggurat of Ur: Pics and Stories
killslowly
Well, following the guidelines set forth by the staff (just kidding), I was at the Ziggurat of Ur because we just invaded Iraq. I was working nearby anb could see it (the Ziggurat) in the distance, every morning.
About a month after we arrived in the region, we got a chance to grab some trucks and go visit the site. We've heard so much about it (most of the accounts were a bit innacurate) and we were stressing a bit, so they gave us a day off. Well, more like 4 hours off. So we took it.
This was around April or May of 2003 (for timeline reference). I was very impressed and humbled when I arrived. I just could not believe this structure was 4000 years old. And it was in pretty good shape. There was an effort to unhearth other structures surrounding the Ziggurat and it was in various stages of success. Of course, the place was deserted, with the exception of a man, who I later learned, was the caretaker of the place. There was also another person who was selling Sumer Cigarettes (probably the most disgusting things you will ever smoke) and we were happy because we had run out of smokes two weeks before. He was also selling Iraqi Dinars but we did not buy (hey, a dollar a pop was a bit excesive you know).
We also had a chance to examine Abraham's House and that was also a very interesting experience, but I have to confess that I had a bit of an archeological faux pas.
This is very embarrasing, but as I was walking about, looking at the site (and also keeping security), I stepped on a little wall. Of course some person or a group of people painstakingly laid the bricks, carried them there, while some other group made them a long time ago. Fast forward to 2003, when an idiot (me) steps on the wall and the whole thing comes crashing down, with me on top of it all.
Needless to say, I was very saddened that I destroyed some historical/cultural site. This still bothers me until now.
About a month after we arrived in the region, we got a chance to grab some trucks and go visit the site. We've heard so much about it (most of the accounts were a bit innacurate) and we were stressing a bit, so they gave us a day off. Well, more like 4 hours off. So we took it.
This was around April or May of 2003 (for timeline reference). I was very impressed and humbled when I arrived. I just could not believe this structure was 4000 years old. And it was in pretty good shape. There was an effort to unhearth other structures surrounding the Ziggurat and it was in various stages of success. Of course, the place was deserted, with the exception of a man, who I later learned, was the caretaker of the place. There was also another person who was selling Sumer Cigarettes (probably the most disgusting things you will ever smoke) and we were happy because we had run out of smokes two weeks before. He was also selling Iraqi Dinars but we did not buy (hey, a dollar a pop was a bit excesive you know).
We also had a chance to examine Abraham's House and that was also a very interesting experience, but I have to confess that I had a bit of an archeological faux pas.
This is very embarrasing, but as I was walking about, looking at the site (and also keeping security), I stepped on a little wall. Of course some person or a group of people painstakingly laid the bricks, carried them there, while some other group made them a long time ago. Fast forward to 2003, when an idiot (me) steps on the wall and the whole thing comes crashing down, with me on top of it all.
Needless to say, I was very saddened that I destroyed some historical/cultural site. This still bothers me until now.