Ziggarats

3. A small holy place or structure, often located on a ziggurat’s summit for offerings and rituals.
6. The base layers and groundwork that support the heavy weight of the ziggurat.
8. The group of religious leaders who performed rituals and cared for the temple.
10. A raised platform or base on which a statue or shrine might stand at the summit.
13. Sun‑dried or kiln‑fired bricks made of mud and straw used as the primary building material.
14. Stone or brick steps built into or attached to the ziggurat to provide access upward.
16. Gifts (food, incense, valuables) presented to a deity during worship or ritual.
17. A projecting support built against walls to strengthen and stabilize the structure.
19. A sovereign city that functions as an independent political unit in ancient Mesopotamia.
20. A culture’s understanding of the universe; ziggurats symbolized a link between earth and the heavens.
22. A powerful Mesopotamian city known for large religious and architectural projects.

1. Each stepped level or platform of a ziggurat that creates its tiered shape.
2. A stepped, pyramid‑like temple tower built in ancient Mesopotamia as a raised platform for a shrine.
4. A set of formal actions performed for religious purposes, often conducted at ziggurat shrines.
5. The inner mass of a ziggurat, usually made of mudbrick and rubble for structural bulk.
7. A later Mesopotamian period (e.g., Nebuchadnezzar II) when large ziggurats and temples were restored or built.
9. One of the earliest Mesopotamian civilizations; early ziggurats were built in Sumerian cities.
11. The study of past human cultures through excavation and analysis of material remains, including ziggurat ruins.
12. The outer layer of stronger bricks or dressed stone applied to protect and decorate the core.
13. The ancient region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers where ziggurats were built.
15. mundi A symbolic “world axis” or connection point between earth and sky often represented by sacred structures like ziggurats.
18. A sacred building where people worshipped deities; ziggurats supported a temple at the top.
19. The inner chamber of a temple or shrine where a deity’s statue could be housed.
21. A sloped pathway or stairway used to ascend the terraces to the top shrine.