The stations on the itinerary

The itinerary as narrative
Mechanics of website presentation
The current status of signage at the site
Introductory cluster: welcome panels
First cluster: the Temple and the Temple Terrace
Second cluster: the Palace of Tupkish and the abi
Third cluster: the later periods

The itinerary as narrative

The itinerary undergirds the narrative. Hence the stations (of which the complete list is given here, with all the relative panels) punctuate physically the conceptual unfolding of the narrative.
There are fifteen stops or stations, each having a different number and type of panels. The website gives a copy of each panel, with a brief introduction that seeks to place each set in its full physical context. Admittedly, this is a poor surrogate for the actual confrontation on the ground, since the panels refer very specifically to the features in front of which they are placed. What is given here will thus have to serve primarily as a preparation for an actual visit, or as an aid to recall to mind a visit already made.

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Mechanics of website presentation

     A complete list of all panels is given in the form of a full thumbnail display of all panels.      Otherwise, two types of links are provided.
     (1) On this page, one will find for each cluster a link to the full text of all the panels in that particular cluster. Except for the introductory cluster, these are long files.
     (2) Under each of the individual fourteen stops or stations (e.g., the first one on "Facing the centuries"), one will find a link to the full text of the panels (signpost, "panorama" or reading stand) for that articular stop. These are obviously shorter files. The pages pertaining to the individual stops also give, besides a link to the full text of the panels, a brief paragraph that refers to the situation on the ground, a view of the general location of each panel, and a close-up of the panel as displayed.
     The translation of all panels into Arabic is by Rasha Endari with the assistance of Yasmine Mahmoud and Lojain Hatahet.

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The current status of signage at the site

     The material presented on the website is exactly as it was at the physical site of Tell Mozan at the end of the 2009 season. This means two things.
     First, it is not fully up-to-date with regard to all the details that have emerged from the latest excavations. The reason is simply that most of my effort during the season went into the broader organization of site presentation (including conservation), so that in the end there was not enough time for a full update. It is hoped that in future years the signage will match fully the latest results of the excavations.
     Second, it is conceivable that visitors to the site may not find all signs in the conditions in which we left them. While I am working on maintenance issues, it will be a while before everything is in place so that damages may be repaired in a timely manner.

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Introductory cluster: welcome panels

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Out of the normal pattern, this cluster includes two welcoming stands (one at the entrance of the Outer City, the other at the base of the High Mound), and a reading stand by the entrance to the Expedition House. There is no signpost associated with this cluster.

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First cluster: the Temple and the Temple Terrace

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1. Facing the centuries (signpost and setup)
     The clash of centuries (reading stand)
     The ancient perception (reading stand)
     Depositional history (single panel)
     Back at the beginning (reading stand)
2. A bird's eye view – Temple "panorama" (signpost and setup)
     A look through time (plates)
     The perception of space (plates)
3. Facing the transcendence (signpost and setup)
     The southern edge (reading stand)
     Sacred and profane (reading stand)
4. The great ascent (signpost and setup)
     The mountain in the city (reading stand)
     The beginning of the end (reading stand)
5. The Temple of the Lion (signpost and setup)
     The lions of Tish-atal (reading stand)
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Second cluster: the Palace of Tupkish and the abi

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6. Projecting the Palace – Palace "panorama" (signpost and setup)
     A life once lived (plates)
     The two gates (plates)
     Reconstructing the past (plates)
     The past is for the future (plates)
     Supplemental (plates)
7. Descent to the Netherworld (signpost and setup)
     Inside the depths (reading stand)
     The corbelled vault (single panel)
8. The service wing of the Palace (signpost and setup)
     Entering through a breach in the wall (single panel)
     The royal wardrobe (?) (reading stand)
     The Palace kitchen (reading stand)
     The Palace as seat of power (reading stand)
     Finding objects (reading stand)
     A control room (single panel)
     A study in foundations (single panel)
9. Reception suite of the Palace (signpost and setup)
     The protocol of the sealed doors (reading stand)
     The reception courtyard (reading stand)
     An architect at work (reading stand)
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Third cluster: the later periods

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10. The Palace asleep (signpost and setup)
     From Palace to settlement (reading stand)
11. The great Mittani shift (signpost and setup)
     The western staircase (reading stand)
12. The last stand in the service of the gods (signpost and setup)
     The twilight of Urkesh (reading stand)
13. The broader limits (signpost and setup)
     The four horizons (reading stand)
14. The research center (signpost and setup)
     (signpost only)
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