.bk A6 .fl G718RK.J .fd partial excavation diary of rk,jo & jm from G711 on .ei rK .ed G718 .rd G711 .ri rK f 150 ds layer below sod, in the N baulk of k217. Thickness: @E 40cm, @W 15cm, very loosely packed grey. .ri jM f 150 c# Pinkish gray, 6/2 7.5 YR .ri rK ds corresponds to the layer on the E that overlay the band of ash on the E baulk f 116 tc ov f117 tc co f150 f 117 tc ov f111 f 150 ds @W = f104; @E = above 1st ash layer (may have been included in the sod layer during MZ 7) tc co f151 f 151 ds This is the ash layer, 50 cm W from the E baulk, along the N baulk of k218. Its depth gradually changed from 15cm at E to 0 at W. f 152 ds Red packed layer below f151; corresponds roughly to f102 and its equivalent from the previous season (f26?). dy This feature contained rocks and bricks, tannur (?) parts. Part of f151 expected to have been removed remained at the top level of f152. tc co f153 f 153 ds Extends from the E to approx. midway of locus. Approx 10 cm below this corresponds to f108. This should perhaps approx. to f104 (?) tc co f154 f 154 ds More grey than f153; loosely packed-on the E; on the W, more compact and lumpy. dy Four workmen were assigned to excavate this feature; The 2 on the E shared sherd lots and likewise the two on the W. co Grayish brown c# 5/2 10 YR pr Two sherds were separately collected as q-lot items. Also, sherds which appeared to be part of the same pot were bagged separately. f 155 co light brown c# 6/3 7.5 YR co clearly more reddish than f154. ds This began 280 cm from the E baulk; in the middle of this was an area with ash. f 156 tc ov f126 ds Extended 180 cm from W baulk. It extended from the top a depth of 30 cms, to the top of the brick in f126. .ri jO .rd G710 f 119 ds The bricks of the step are plastered from the top. The sizes of the brick are as follows: lg 49, w2 30, ht 9.0; lg 29, w2 30, ht 9. ar The step is plastered at the top but no plastering appears at the N or S sides. We have found a comparable layers of floor ac to be higher on the N side of the doorway than the S. This still needs further validation. However, if the floor level S of doorway a14 was lower, the bricks of f119 would have formed a step up. In such a case we would expect plaster both on the top and on the S. face of f119. An indication of curving of the plaster toward this face may suggest its having existed at some time. Since the door would have been on this side of the doorway, closing against the steps could have affected their condition. k 169 sg We will have one workman removing f119 in order to be able to dig through the floor ac (f110 and 101). k 217 sg four workmen will dig f118 carefully until they reach the top of the brick wall (f78). They will be divided into 2 groups: one will dig on the N side of. the locus and the other on the S side. Sherds etc. will be collected as separate lots from each side. f 119 dy after cleaning the W side of f119, on the top of what was left for making a section we found a third brick that belongs to the step f119. f 125 ds A line of three bricks lie in the exact position of f119 separated from it by about 8cm of floor ac f110. The two bricks at the sides are red bricks the one in the middle is dark gray. Measurements: 30x30, 36x30 and 30x11. The last one is not a correct measurement of brick size because part of the brick has not been exposed. Each brick is 8-10 cm high. .ri rK .rd G713 -sg Work resumed in all 3 loci today although in k217 just one pickman has been assigned to expose the N face of the wall, f78. Then this is done sufficiently to establish the limits, we will confine the excavation to the S side of the wall. The construction + ac on f78 remains as an 80 x 140 pedestal and will be removed. The S. side of f78 will be excavated as a single floor with the k218 area once k218 is brought down to its level. In k168, the excavation continues as removal of the top 1/3 of the ac f128. f 157 ds ash pit in N baulk of k218 f 155 ds Going down we found more hard packed red dirt, probably associated with an abandonment phase. v 57 pr polaroid template was not taken. f 141 ds pit and its ac as seen in section on the E face of the partially cut pedestal over f78 (see v57). f 105 ds is being completely removed i 73 ds this sherd was made an item because it seemed to be good sample of Halaf ware. i 75 nr already broken in place. Since its long face presented itself more or less vertically, had to exercise significant care to prevent the pieces from falling off. Largest face faces E; angle to the YZ plane 20 deg. to left; angle to XY plane, 10 deg backwards. We sifted the dirrt excavated from the volume surrounding i75. Recovered partial clay lump/sealing and a small sherd. f 107 ds bricks with dirt intervening; also has rodent holes in it. f 101 el In view of the growing puzzle about the foundation levels of the stone walls at different parts of the building and the relative elevation of f101 and A1f113, some elevations were compared (by gb,jo & rk) using the surveyor's level. The following numbers represent relative elevations. Measured at: 1. door socket impression, f121, 150.5cm; 2. top of brick layers, f125, in the doorway a14, 108cm; 3. bottom of A1f113 near N wall, 118cm; near the S edge, 125cm. This shows that the top of f121 is 24-32 cm lower than the bottom of A1f113, and the top of f125 is 0-7 cm lower. f 111 ar The bottom of f111 could have been a floor of some sort. The only major evidence for this is the emplacement of isolated bricks, all flat at 3 different spots in the locus, at this level. Also, the pit f29, appears to have had its top at about this level. .rd G714 f 126 dy Most of this assemblage has been removed. Underneath the slanted flat rock, in addition to other unworked stones, was a stone with a depression in its center, resembling a door socket or mortar. .rd G719 f 126 dy It was noted on going over notes from MZ7 season that the long slab of rock that was found at an angle in the locus and described previously this season was in fact not it its original position. It had been found lying flat over the ac and rocks that form this feature. It had been moved by the excavator because of the danger of its falling down on top of workmen in the loci below (to the N & W) since it was lying at the top, close to the W end of the baulk. .rd G714 f 112 ds was almost entirely brick. Very little of sherd etc. recoverd from this, which was the bottom layer of the pedestal on top of f78. f 159 ds disturbed layer; looser and more reddish dirt than in f158 which is at the same level to the E. It extended from the middle of the EW border of the locus as a semicircle, almost to the W limit of the locus. i 78 ds clay object from f29; large hollow bead (?)