.bk A14
.fl O803jw.j
.fd daily journal for O729 and feature descriptions f213, f306
.ei jw
.ed O803
.rd O729
.ri jw

-wk Thirty-one reported for final scheduled day of excavation work.  Submitted evaluations to gb.

-sf All staff in field for wrap-up activities.  gm returned to the house after breakfast to process the second group of jars and cups from cache a20 in k4.

-dy Half of the resources were devoted to excavating k4, its east baulk, and a small amount of modern accumulation, f306, covering the area immediately in front of the steps leading down into the abi.  One crew cut two ramps between k24 and k23, and k23 and k22, and as well, installed temporary steps from k22 to k21.  The purpose of these is to allow visitors to access the abi from the west, just as we assume was done in ancient times during Phase 3.  In the last scheduled hour of excavation, a well-preserved seal impression (with inscription) from a door sealing, i239, was found near the bottom of the east baulk of k4.

f 213
df fc
ns Now that the north minibaulk and the east baulk of k5, the east baulk of k4 and the north baulk of k14 have been removed, it is clear that this feature, which slopes down from north to south and was at least partially contained by the southern mound of reddish accumulation, f244, in k14, was formed by the immediate use of the surface of the residue from remodeling of the AK wing of the palace during Phase 3b.  Initially there does not seem to have been any attempt to level the surface and jw's notion that a number of jars and cups rested on a floor after a temporary abandonment must be carefully re-examined. It seems equally likely that the surface was in use for an extended time and that the jars were either being repaired (several piles of bitumen were found along the north side) or that they were individually left over this large outdoor area after being broken in use and were subsequently covered by loess carried in by the wind.

f 306
df ad
ds natural accumulation recently deposited over the area directly in front of the abi in the far eastern part of k21.  Excavation ceased when we removed a modern piece of synthetic rope, similar to that used to erect tents that shade the workmen.

k 4
dy continued to excavate the east baulk of k4 using a skilled crew with large picks.  In the last hour they found a seal impression, with inscription, which was probably  a door seal, i239.
sg After photographing, relaying, and removing the object, we decided to excavate the remaining 50cm high baulk to the floor level of k3, f299, with small picks, screening the dirt for additional pieces of the sealing.  This work by a limited crew may take several more days, but can be conducted in parallel with final cleanup for photographs.

i 239
df si
ds seal impression with inscription.
ns   Later analysis by gb of the text revealed that it named a previously unknown enden of Urkesh, Ishar-napshum.  As the context was a sealed living accumulation, f278, above the material from re-modeling of the palace, we have tentatively assigned the stratum of the findspot to Phase 3b.
in 90 heads_of_figures_in_most_complete_rolling N
or E  face_of_sealing_with_impressions
P99 to mkb for immediate cleaning and processing