Division of J2 Strata
2011 – C. Chaves Yates
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It is difficult to correlate the features across J2 due to excavation constraints and ancient damage to the area. Furthermore, it appears there is a differential use and build-up across J2. South of the apron and staircase there is one sequence associated with the use of the monumental access (see loci k4, k5, k110, and k100). To the west of the flanking wall, south of the revetment wall there is a different sequence associated with the building and maintenance of the revetment wall (primarily k13). The two sequences are very difficult to correlate as the join between the two is damaged both by the construction of the flanking wall, a later Mittani wall and by continued erosion from use and water.
It is difficult to correlate the floors associated with the construction of the monumental access. It seems likely that the different layers that have so far been identified can be attributed the differential use of the area in front of the revetment wall and the area south of the apron. Near the base of the revetment wall the floors were likely not subjected to as much (or any) traffic, opposed to the high traffic areas at the base of the staircase and apron.
The moment between the construction of the monumental access and the construction of the flanking wall appears to be very short with few, if any, conclusive features to be assigned. It is also possible that some floors were disturbed during the construction which is why it is difficult to identify any. An alternative explanation is that the hard gray surface of f319/f247 was kept clean without build-up until the construction of the flanking wall. In front of the apron there is a slightly different situation with a slight build-up of floors, including f381, f379 and f377 which accumulated on top of f392 (the presumed first floor). The equivalent features were not found in the area near the revetment wall. It is possible that the slope of the escarpment-like floor in front of the revetment wall prevented the accumulation of material in that area.
It appears that f319/f247 is a key moment in J2. It is not possible to link the two features directly because they were separated by the baulk (f219) between k13 and k14. This baulk was left in place for 4 years and when it was excavated in 2009 the area had been filled slightly with deposits and the baulk had eroded making it impossible to recreate the features from the end of 2009. When the baulk was removed it does appear that there was a continous sloping surface from the base of the revetment wall down towards the south.