.bk J03
.fl Q302jW.j
.fd Feature descriptions for J03 features (f1-f30)
.fn Edited by jW on Q302 and Q413.
.ei jw
.ed Q302
.rd P806
.ri gM

f 1
ds Topsoil covering the entire surface of k12.  Dark brown in color with nodules near surface.  Hard with matted roots, surface grass and shrubs.  Pottery ubiquitous, and non-diagnostic.  Contained 24 rim sherds, 288 body sherds, and 2 base sherds.

f 2
ds Natural accumulation under topsoil, f1, in the entire locus of k12, with varying textures, ranging from powder to large clods, depending on impact of water.  For the most part, soft.  Some shrub roots in SE corner.  Contains one large stone, possibly cut, with the top surface level and roughly in line with the wall top and about the same elevation as the top of the apron in J2. Field examination of pottery showed that almost all sherds were non-diagnostic.  

f 3
ds Tannur in the middle of the west baulk of k12.  During the removal of f2 the upper border of a tannur became visible, both on the horizontal surface and in section. During the day, P803, rE kept removing the soil around the structure to investigate the conditions and the extension in terms of depth of the object. Its north and east side don't seem to be so hardly damaged, instead the south side has collapsed and is missing. The upper part of the tannur shows several fragments that are only resting on the lower structure. On the north side traces of finger shaping of the clay are visible in three parallel stripes. After having reached a certain depth and seing that the bottom of the artifact still wasn't visible, several pictures were taken, with the intention of continuing the excavation of the whole square, so that the tannur could be removed completely, hopefully not piece by piece. If its structure is still resistent, it could be interesting to remove it with its fill, so that the entire sampling would be analysed by vS.

f 4
ds Highly compacted surface, less than one meter in diameter, situated on the west side of k12.  It's an area harder than the surrounding accumulation, f2, and has some little stones forming an arch. It's delimitated by stones, f5 in the SW corner of k12, and f6 in the center of k12. It could be some kind of usage surface, but only excavating it will we have a better image of it.

f 5
ds Large stone (r20-24) situated in the SW corner of k12. Its elevation is higher than the apron and wall stones, probably it had no connection with none of the two structures. It could have fallen from the upper part of the tell, or maybe transported for some kind of later usage (later than the wall use), seen that its elevation suggests that the wall was no longer visible when it was put in that position.

f 6
ds Smaller stone situated almost in the center of k12, still not completely visible because of the temporary shifting of the excavation in k11 and k101; in fact only its upper face is visible, and this fact tells us that its elevation is lower than the one of f5. But seen that it hasn't been excavated yet we can just make suppositions. Maybe in connection with the apron?

f 7
ds Topsoil in the north baulk of k11, being removed to expand k12 southward to include all of the monumental terrace wall, f11.  The soil features of k12 are stratigraphically linked to  k11.  Seeing that the area is the same, the topsoil of the baulk has similar characteristics to those of f1. Hard texture, roots. Also removed with big pick.

f 8
ds Natural accumulation under topsoil, f7, in the north baulk of k11.  This feature also has the same characters of f2; powdery consistency, and large clods when struck by the pick.

f 9
ds Natural accumulation in new locus k101.  This feature appears jointly in both k12 and N baulk of k11 (under f8), and thus has become a feature of the new locus k101, where the apron and the wall stones have been discovered. The texture is always the same, seen that it's the result of a natural accumulation. The feature is still partly in place, because it covers entirely the following features, f10 (apron stones), f11 (wall stones), f12 (row of little stones to the S of k101). The soil color is similar to those of the upper layers, so maybe it's the result of the continuous action of the water and of the exogenous elements, that brought following amounts of material that compacted in the area forming several layers.

f 10
ds Large and smaller stones that seem leaning one on the other forming some kind of step that goes down towards the south in the northeast quadrant of k101.  The stones seem to abruptly end on the western side, seeing that there are no more stones on the same level of the upper and lower ones. On P806 the workmen and rE kept discovering more stones on the south side of the locus. Instead facing the north section of k101 there are two large stones, which elevation is higher than those of f10. In between there seem to be smaller stones to the same level of f10, so maybe the apron doesn't end with the group in NE corner (see the SE corner at the end of the main apron in J02).

f 11
ds Large stones situated all along k101 from E to W, on the south side of f10; after having discovered the first of them the idea was that this group of stones belong to the retaining wall of the temple terrace, seeing that they seem to be far from the upper apron stones and to a lower level. On P806 during the excavation, more stones became visible, and it seems that on the south side of f11 there's a gap that follows the EW width of the locus (maybe that could be the gap between the end of the apron and the beginning of the wall, as seen in J02?) The massive perimeter wall of the BA temple mound, in locus k101, was constructed in at least two phases.  The first, believed to have been constructed in the third millennium consists of large, rough, stones laid with a mud and small stone mortar.  The second, believed to have been constructed in the second millennium consists of large stones, cut into blocks, and laid atop packing, f42, which seems to have been spread over the third millennium wall.  The part of the south face which we see consists of two courses of stones with a stone and mud mortar fill.  The stones appear to be about 25cm thick, and seem to be laid form a smoother weather surface than the larger, rough stones behind them to the north.

f 12
ds Row of smaller stones on the S side of k101; the level is higher than that of f11, and during the excavation a probable ashy layer was discovered at the bottom of it, together with some burnt clay pcs(maybe a fire place was installed after the wall was no longer visible).Until now the real nature of this feature isn't sure seen that there could be more stones under the unexcavated portion of k11.

f 13
ds Natural accumulation situated in the southern side of k101 (approximately corresponding to k11); to the north it covered the southern stones of the terrace wall. Its texture is similar to those of the other features above it, similar colour, similar hardness.

.rd P808
.ri rE

f 14
ds Big stone in the middle of k101; it's part of a group of floating stones, that were situated at a higher level than the apron and the wall stones. Removed on P809.

f 15
ds Big stone in the middle of k101; it's part of a group of floating stones, that were situated at a higher level than the apron and the wall stones. Removed on P809.

f 16
ds Big stone in the middle of k101; it's part of a group of floating stones, that were situated at a higher level than the apron and the wall stones. Removed on P809.

f 17
ds One of the floating stones in the middle of k101, near f14, f15 and f16; it's at a higher level than the apron and the wall stones (separated by a layer of natural accumulation). Removed on P809.

f 18
ds One of the floating stones in the middle of k101, near f14, f15 and f16; it's at a higher level than the apron and the wall stones (separated by a layer of natural accumulation). Removed on P809.

f 19
ds One of the floating stones in the middle of k101, near f14, f15 and f16; it's at a higher level than the apron and the wall stones (separated by a layer of natural accumulation). Removed on P809.

f 20
ds Large limestone block in the NW corner of k12, just to the SE of limestone block f21. Removed on P813.

f 21
ds Huge stone in the NW corner of k12, part of a group of stones that sit at a much higher level than the apron and the wall stones, ~ 70 cm below surface of topsoil. It sits in f2. Removed on P815.

f 22
ds Small stone in the center of k12, to the south of tannur f3; it sits in f2, and it's situated at a much higher level than the apron and the wall stones. Still to be removed, only the upper side is visible.

.rd P809
.ri rE

f 23
ds Stone situated in the middle of k12, sitting in f2. Removed P809.

f 24
ds Stone situated in the middle of k12, sitting in f2. Removed P809.

f 25
ds Small spot of harder soil in south part of k12 with texture similar to f4 in k12. Removed P809.

f 26
ds Huge floating stone in NE corner of k101, under N section. Its level is higher than the apron and the wall stones. Still to be removed.

f 27
ds Big floating stone under N section of k101. Its level is higher than the apron and the wall stones.Removed on P810.

.rd P810
.ri rE

f 28
ds Thin layer situated between a group of little floating stones, f12, and the southern stones of the terrace wall. Removed P810.

f 29
ds Huge floating stone situated in k101, near the E section. Its level is higher than the apron and the wall stones.Removed on P810.

f 30
ds Natural accumlation in a reduced portion of the southern part of k101.   The workmen have began the excavation of a smaller square in the southern side of the main square; the new area was defined by strings (~4x3 m); softer texture (powdry) and presence of small clods. Already visible a huge stone in the NW corner of the square and smaller stones under the N baulk.