.bk A12 .fl K726jl.j .fd journal and log entries, K726 .ei jl .ed K726 .rd K726 .ri smp f 350 26 is m5018 0 237 step 351 27 a .ri lr i 122 344 26 768 si possible ^si 123 344 26 768 ma .ri jl 124 351 27 779 fg 125 351 27 779 bd shell bead q 763 p 349 26 strip to even ledge in center - 20cm wide m5018 0 265 10 764 pb 347 27 E part of locus m2338 0 223 15 .ri smp 765 p 349 26 same location as q763 m5018 0 265 10 766 pb 349 26 SE quadrant of k26 m5018 0 265 10 767 pb 349 26 NW quadrant of k26 m5018 0 265 10 768 pb 344 26 ^aa against N stone wall, E corner 769 pb 349 26 SE quadrant of k26 m5018 0 265 10 770 p 349 26 NW quadrant of k26 m5018 0 265 10 771 pb 351 27 E part of locus m2338 0 238 15 772 p 349 26 NW quadrant of locus m5018 0 265 10 773 p 344 26 ^aa against N stone wall, E corner m5018 0 265 10 774 p 349 26 SE quadrant of locus m5018 0 265 10 775 p 349 26 SE quadrant of locus m5018 0 265 10 776 pb 349 26 NW quadrant of locus m5018 0 265 10 777 p 349 26 NW quadrant of locus m5018 0 265 10 778 pb 351 27 W side of locus m2338 0 252 15 779 pbi 351 27 W side of locus m2338 0 252 15 780 p 349 26 picking in N wall mortar 781 p 349 26 picking in W wall mortar 771.51 sm soil sample 769.51 sp shell 769.2 ca cl unknown ^ca 764.51 sm soil sample 770.1 fg part of ^fg 768.1 ca clay lump lot 765.1 ca cl unknown ^ca 769.1 ca unknown ^ca 779.1 ca cl perforated disk 776.52 sm soil sample 776.51 cs carbon sample 776.1 ca cl unknown ^ca .ri jl v 130 OV va32 vk26,27 130a m OV va32 vk26,27 131 OE vk26 vf326,348,349,350,353,354,355 131a t S vf349 vk26 131b c S vf349 vk26 closeup of sherd layer in section 131c t W vk26 vf349,348,350 stone step 131d c OV vk26 vf348,349,350 stone step 131e t E vk26 vf349 stones and bricks 131f c E vk26 vf349 stones and bricks 132 N vk26 vf349 sherd and stone apron 132a OS vk27 vf351 vi124 133 OS vk27 vf351 vi124 -dy Yesterday, we photographed and dug through f348, after deciding that f348 was indeed not a plaster floor. It seemed to be a compact layer of ^aa over f349, a sherd floor/layer. This new sherd floor is very important, since (as a deliberate surface) it chronologically seals this part of the structure. Also, the incredible quantity of sherds (it is almost as if they were stacked on top of each other) will hopefully give us an accurate date. Working on the possibility that the sherd floor was the first floor (although gb commented how a sherd floor would be very incongruous in the stone structure), we dug only in the N half, looking for a subfloor or maybe a stone floor beneath. To our surprise, in the NE corner, we found an odd apron of smaller stones and the tops of possibly cut bricks, and a line of stones curving in line with the mud ledge, but about 10cm away. This is very confusing, since the curving line of stones affirms our interpretation of the mud ledge (and our leaving it intact), but the cut bricks suggest that we have possibly found something previous to the stone structure, into which it cut. Unfortunately, it is unclear whether the wall stones continue down. This gives us two possible interpretations: one, the sherd floor was the first floor, and we have found the bricks of a previous structure which was cut by the apsidal structure, or two, the sherd floor is later, and the first floor covers the curved stone wall, which was obviously placed deliberately, and the latter is unprovable until we see if the wall continues down. In k27, the layer of large bones suddenly disappeared and the ^aa became sterile, to the point that we are now using the large pick. f 349 ds This is a sherd floor under f348. It is very thick; sherds are stacked almost directly on top of each other for at least 10cm. Since it was deliberately placed, it should form a chronological seal for this locus. f 348 tc co f349 tc ab f326 f 350 ds This is the stone step sitting on top of the sherd floor f349. It seems to be a later addition, at the same time as the sherd floor. It is uneven and set in front of the doorway. tc re f349 f 351 ds This is the ^aa below f347 in k27. Substantially, it seems the same as the lowest layers of f347: sterile. v 130 ph This view shows the presumed architecture below the sherd floor f349 in k26. The main view, from above, looks E as the whole locus. v130a is a tight shot of the section of the sherd floor, including the step f350, and v130b is a closeup of just this section. v130c looks W at the step to shows its relationship to the doorway, and v130d is an overhead to show its shape. v130e and v130f are a tight shot and a closeup, respectively, of the bricks and stones in the NE corner. f 349 ds This layer is full of stones and sherds, but little bone. In the NW corner, there are patches of white material, perhaps a large pocket. This is similar to f338, but the ^aa seem harder than before. It is probably calcium carbonate. f 349 nd It is very confusing, but it seems as if the sherd floor material continues into the packing between the stones of the wall. If so, then, the circle of stones which we have below the sherd floor was an earlier structure, with a similar shape and purpose, which was overbuilt by the stone structure. Since the floor f349 suggests that the structure is Phase 3 post-palace use, then the brown packing on the N under AF would have already been put in. Before that, it is conceivable that the actual ground level at the time of the earlier building's construction was much lower and did not need to be sunk so far underground. i 124 df fg in 10 degrees down to SE or head to SE ro 60 degrees on left side