A16-daily

Processed on 2025-12-06

Date	Author	Record
2002-09-22	fAB	Today we are continuing to remove the phase 4 red in the entire area f313, f314, and f318. The northern side is mostly exposed to the stones but the western side contains a thicker layer of red material at a higher elevation and will take a few more days to remove it. We have decided to only remove 10 centimeters at a time in case we find structures or seal impressions, however we are under the assumption that this red material is red wall fall of the palace and contains no structures or features below. The red material should sit directly on top of the stone pavement a12. [Input: -MX12-99.j]
2002-09-23	fAB	We continued to expose the stone courtyard by removing the last 10-20 cm of red on top of the pavement. The sections were drawn, photographed, and partially excavated. The pit f250 continues to go down and is currently 1 meter below the stone pavement. [Input: -MX12-99.j]
2001-06-07	lR	We have 12 workmen under the supervision of mOmo working on the removal of the berm and backfill from last season; removal of these actually started on L606 afternoon through L607, with pause on L608 because it is Friday and will continue on Saturday (L609). [Input: L630LR.j]
2001-06-09	MISSING	Today we finished removing the backfill in k1 and k5, and exposed the mud bricks/structure (a1) from last season. In k6 most of the backfill has been removed except for the western side and should be finished early tomorrow. We met with gB to discuss the strategy for excavating A16. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-06-10	fAB	Work continues to focus on cleaning k1 and k6, cleaning section, and more than half of the workmen are still busy removing the berm. We hope it is finished tomorrow by breakfast. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-06-10	lR	fAB, lR, cC, and sB at the site today-continued to remove backfill in K6, we met briefly with gB this morning to discuss the plan for today. We removed the grasses ontop of the unexcavated squares and along the baulks for safety reasons. The baulks of the excavated squares were also cleaned off with plans to draw sections. gB discussed the argument as to whether we should relate the two structures found in k5 and k6; since they are in line with each other yet have different wall thickness and different elevations. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-06-21	sB	Discussed with gB the strategy for k5. The plastered floor, f51, is not found everywhere, i.e. not found yet in the south part of the room, but may still be there. It was decided to remove most of the section, leaving a ledge of 40cm against the North wall that is f7. In the section as well as the floor there are still a lot of bricks from the ^bf which is a4. gB thinks that the floor, f51, in k5 is contemporary; or at least at the same level as f29 (floor) in k6. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-06-25	lR	Today we continued excavating the brickfall found in k2 and k3. In k2 we cut a trench running North-South in the middle of the k to determine the depth of the brickfall. The trench was 35cm below the rest of the k on the East and West sides when ashy pockets started appearing. This could be the mixture of the end of the brickfall with an ashy accumulation or just ashy pockets in the brickfall and the brickfallcontinues down. We stopped at this level and excavated the remainder of the k. In the section in k1 the brickfall measures approximately 170cm in thickness and in k2 it is almost at the bottom of this approximation. The workmen noticed that the brickfall was changing into larger components in the Easatern side. It is possible that this could be the wall found in k6 that is f8. Travis and I took the elevation of the bricky mass and it is 7cm above m2556; which makes it a little higher than the wall(f8) but not much. This seems odd to me since it appears that we are higher in k2 than m2665; but that is what the elevation calculated; double checked. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-06-26	fAB	Today we focused all of our efforts on removing 3 baulks: k1e, k2e, and k3e. First photos were taken, sections drawn, and only about 8am were we able to begin excavating. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-06-26	lR	We are taking down the west baulk of k2 and k3; so k1, k2, k3, k4 will be one area with out baulks. We have removed the markers on the baulk. They are removing them(the baulks) in layers first the topsoil and after the brickfall. More men are working in k4 since it is higher. The east sections were all photographed this morning. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-07-03	tR	This morning we reviewed with gB the strategy for A16. We are finished removing baulks and are now ready to start going down. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-06-09	tR	Today is our first day of excavation, so we spent most of the day clearing away backfill and the berm. We temporarily strung squares k2 and k3, as bWP will only be able to string our squares tomorrow in the early morning. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-06-10	lR	fAB, lR, cC, and sb at the site today and continued to remove backfill in k6. We met briefly with gB this morning to discuss the strategy for today. We removed the grasses on top of the unexcavated squares and along the baulks for safety reasons. The baulks of the excavated squares were also cleaned off with plans to draw the sections. gB discussed the argument as to whether we should relate the two structures found in k5 and k6; since they are in line with each other yet have different wall thickness and different elevations. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-06-10	lR	We began excavating f3 in k5 on the eastern side of a1. This feature contains ashy material mixed with pieces of reddish clay. The sherds encountered were in an oblique position, which suggests that it is an accumulation. Approximately 8-10cm was excavated. We opened up k2 today-the workmen have leveled off the NE section since the Tell has a slope in order to eventually make the whole k one level. We did not collect the pottery from the first 10-15cm since it would most likely be washed out of context. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-06-11	lR	Today we opened up k3 and the workmen are leveling the square. In k5 cC and abk continued excavating the NE section of a1, f3 going 35cm down at the NE corner and are continuing at another 10cm down since they have not reached a floor or any change in soil type it is still f3 and the same q lot for pottery. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-06-12	lR	Today we continued to remove the topsoil from k2 and found brickfall underneath which we labeled as f15. One big pick run was done; then we stopped for the day in that locus. In k7, bricks were noticed on the surface and a cleaning was done which exposed three walls and a circular jar located in a doorway, niche, or pit. We are not sure of the wall's (f18) width since we are unable to find the edge in the north; the brickfall makes it difficult to see this. On the southern face of the wall (f18) it is very smooth and appears plastered. A basalt grinding stone was also found next to the wall and is still in place. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-06-12	sB	Today we started to level the surface that was left quite irregular yesterday. cC was moved to k7 with lR, I am working with another aRK. The Khabur jar i2 is still in place and is very large. The upper part is already at the lab being restored. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-06-13	sB	Today gB had an excavation lesson in k5 and k6 until 9am. We excavated in k5 to try to find the floor where the jar (i2) should be sitting on, leveled the layer from yesterday, and went down another 10cm. There is another whole Khabur jar in the North corner i4, which we noticed today. We also found some human teeth and bone this morning, and appear that a1 is a burial. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-06-17	fAB	After three days of backfill removal we are finally returning to the upper squares of A16. Today we are digging only in k3 and k4; removing topsoil to arrive at the brickfall, which is the last sign of occupation in the lower portion of A16. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-06-20	fAB	Excavations today are concentrated in the following areas: k5, k8, k2, k3, and k4. In k5 we are following the floor f51, to determine its relationship to a3 and to the East we are digging the baulk to find the corner of a3. In k8 we are continuing to articulate the brickfall. In k2 and k3 we are digging trenches along the North baulk of the squares to determine brickfall thickness. In k4 we seem to have found a wall, f52, but it is not linked to anything we have found yet, so we continue to work around it. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-06-20	fAB	we talked with gB about elevations in the AA area: A16 k5 is approximately 8680, A13 stone-paved surface is approximately 8500 and AK floor is approximately 8250. This means that we have 180cm of soil between k5 and the stone pavement. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-07-02	tR	We continue to excavate baulks k6 N and E, k7 N and E, and k3 E. gB stopped by to check on our progress and give us some suggestions as to how we should proceed in our excavation of the box structure which is aggregate a6, subsuming f72, f73, f74, and f75. Afterwards we began to expose what appears to be a small retaining wall of sorts, which we called f80 in k4. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-07-18	lR	Yesterday we finished removing the north baulk of k6 which exposed f10 (wall) in its entirety. The round doorsocket that was found along the northern baulk in k6 is now completely exposed revealing two similar stones in a line next to each other. These three stones run north to south, are touching each other and all have rounded depressions at the center. The stone furthest to the south is the most round with the other two of a more elongated shape. To the immediate west of the stones are two rows of bricks. The first row which abuts the stones has a clay basin embedded between the wall f10, the stones, and a brick to the north and a brick to the west. This clay basin is compacted, reddish brown in color has elevated sides and a smooth inside curving out. There are only sides on the north and south ends. The row which includes this clay basin is completed with two bricks, stopping at the same width as the stones. The next row west of this row has three mudbricks and also has the same width. We made two features: one for the set of bricks that are next to the three stones, this feature is f143, and f138 for the three door sockets. f143 abuts f10 the wall and is located north of the wall. [Input: L722LR.j]
2001-07-19	lR	Today we are removing the bricks of k5 with a strategy to remove them layer by layer to see the layout and construction of the walls that compose a1. This strategy will enable us to see if the walls are bonded with each other and understand the use of these walls since. aBK and gZ have drawn a sketch that shows this layout in four different steps. In k105 the workmen are contininuing to go down on the north side of a3 in the triangular section between the north baulk of k105 and f18 (the wall of a3). The wall continues to go down. In a9, Nicola has drawn the burial inside with the bones to scale since we are removing the bones later today at 4pm. Today we also took a large amount of relays from the new walls that have come out in recent days, a total of 20 were done today and we should be finished with most of the relays for A16 phase 5b and c structures. In k3, between a6 and the east baulk of k3, we continued to excavate in this rectangular area. A group of bricks were noted on the south west area which appear to belong with a6. In k1 and k2, the remainder of the accumulation from the east baulk of k5 has been removed bringing this area at the same elevation as k6. A floor was found in a6, f140 and is 150 cm below the top of the walls. A plumbbob was dropped at the top to see the width of the vault at the base and it was measured that the base is 60 cm vaulted in from the top bricks. In k5 it appears that f5 is now tow walls since one wall appears to be bonded with the larger wall f4 and not bonded with the adjacent paralles wall. In k105, a sherd pavement was found at the end of a3 eastern end which appears to link up with the other sherd pavement running north to south west of f75. In k107 the wall (f?) appears to end since we see gray layers underneath the reddish bricks. Underneath these gray layers we have another set of bricks that jet out from the wall above. These bricks are have a brick in width and are 6 running the same angle as the previous wall, the elevation for the new wall is 8817 -98. [Input: L722LR.j]
2001-07-21	lR	In k105 we continued to remove the accumulation north of a3. Several medium sized stones have been uncovered, a small group of 4-5 stones located directly next to f18 next to the end of the wall and the beginning of the compact mud continuation. Directly east of the stones is a small concentration of dark ash, soft which abuts the stones and the wall f18. In a9 the tomb, the east wall currently has five courses of bricks in view with the bricks positioned so that the lower bricks jet out suggesting that the tomb is vaulted. The line of bricks continue on the east side then form a little outer area where a doorway is located in the east next to a 6. The north wall of this doorway is plastered. [Input: L722LR.j]
2001-07-22	lR	We began excavating the pit seen in the north section of A12. We excavated a 150 cm by 100 cm trench in the center of k6. The interface between the floor from a2 and the beginning of the pit fill was very thin and we immediately began excavating dark gray soft ashy fill. The pit fill contains charcoal inclusions along with pieces of red clay. Organic materials are also present in the soil which include straw-like impressions and white thin roots. The fill is uniform in texture. In k5 we removed the bricks of f4 until the red bricks seen in the east side of f4. We were under the assumption that below these bricks was fill since no clear mortor lines were shown but after the top red bricks were removed it became evident from the top that there were bricks below, gray bricks. These bricks seem to be of a different construction phase than the top bricks belonging to phase b. In k2, we removed 10-15 centimeters in the whole locus which consisted of alternating layers of gray and pink. It it possible that a wall may connect f132 and the stones f118 together in k2. [Input: L722LR.j]
2001-07-23	lR	We extended the trench from yesterday by 50 cm to the west and is located at the center of a2. The floor accumulation at the top is clearly visible which is only 3-5cm in thickness and shows that the pit is directly underneath the floor of a2. 90 cm below the top of the trench we came accross a change in color, more reddish compact material and made it into a new feature (f156). Within this layer several large pieces of pottery were found lying flat with a long bone at the side. We thought that this might be a burial but after inspecting the bone closer, it appears to be too large to be human and no other bones were found associated with it. We removed the bone and the pottery pieces were kept together incase they are from the same jar. After scraping the red layer, a thin line of plaster was seen and we decided to quickly excavate this area to see what this line may be. The pottery from this pit contains many diagnostic sherds, some painted and incised. In k107 and k1, we continued to remove the top sherd pavement that covered the entire area and discovered another sherd and pebble floor approx 8 cm below the top sherd pavement that abuts the bricks that protrude in k107, f158. In k2, Ahkmed excavated the fill of the cut and cleaned the east baulk to see the face of the wall associated with the vaulted structure a6. [Input: L722LR.j]
2001-07-26	lR	Today we are continuing to remove the two pits seen in A12 North section. In k6, the section has been cleaned and scraped and we can see the interface between house accumulation from a2 and the begginning of the pit which forms a nice clear line. The house accumulation is a reddish brown color which extends about 20cm below the bricks with a thin band of bright orange-red clay under this approx 3cm thick. This band extends through the north baulk into k2 area which leads us to belive that this is the same pit. Under this thin band is a unified gray which we have refered to it as pit fill. In k2, yesterday at the end of the day we defined the area with the large amount of pottery as a seperate pit, a kind of sherd pit since all the pottery was isolated in an area. Currently this pit is located within the south west corner but yesterday it extended throughout the k but was excavated so the pottery from this feature is mixed with the feature above it. The sherd pit is f170 and was completely excavated today. We made a new feature for the accumulation around this pit and it is most likely the same matrix as the fill ontop. It is strange that such a large number of sherds come from this area (which is the smallest) in comparison to k6 if they are the same pit. [Input: L728LR.j]
2001-07-26	lR	In k5 we see a pottery lense which is quite thick in section and this might have been the same case in k2. In k5 we are still excavating the pit and are coming down on the sherd lense which we are using black garbage bags since there is too much pottery. A large stone was left pedestooled in the western area of the locus a few centemiters above the pottery lense. This stone is large and will probably take a while to remove. In the east section of k5 reddish brown bricks are visible but they are too scattered to form a wall, but something seperates the two pits (k6, k5) and is is located within the baulk. In k5, we are removing another 15cm in a reddish brown soil throughout the area. In the eastern side 50cm from the East baulk a change of color is evident. This side is gray and becomes black in the South-East corner. Evidence of some kind of burning was taking place in this area. A large amount of purple and green slag chunks were found yesterday in the North-West area next to the wall f??. The soil was a whittish gray in color with burnt pottery and slag, very soft. It extended 5-10 cm down and underneath was a chunky red layer with blocky peices of clay. [Input: L728LR.j]
2001-07-28	lR	Excavating k1, k2, k5, k6 with dirt continuing to be removed during the afternoon and on Friday. We have alot of dirt accumulating in A12 pavement since both A15 and A16 are throwing are dirt into this area. We are excavating more dirt than we can remove and are trying to devise a faster way to remove this dirt. In k6, we noticed at the end of the day on Thursday that more red was appearing in the western section. We had noticed ealier that the fill material was mixed with small peices of reddish clay. Now the material is completely red clay and after scraping the section, we notices distinct clear brick lines, red bricks with a brown morter. A plaster line is also visible in section. The bricks do not hold together but resembles moist clay, making it difficult to find the faces. It is not until we cut back the section that we could see these brick lines. These bricks are running North-South, East of the West baulk. In the western area a tannur was found. The eastern area contains ash and is probably still pit fill while the weastern area is reddish. In k6 north section the accumulation from a2 is seen very nicely which forms a bowl. The gray underdeath forms bands of lighter gray sloping west to east with the western portion higher. Alternating layers of gray are seen, lightgray, dark, light, dark forming a bowl shape towards the east. If this is a pit, then it is quite large for it must extend the same lenght to the east making the pit almost 10 meters in diameter. [Input: L728LR.j]
2001-07-29	lR	We are drawing the baulks in all the four loci currently being excavated since we plan on removing the baulks tomorrow. In k6, they are still continuing to remove the gray material to the East, and are coming down on red. This is probably the end of the pit as we start a new layer seen in A12 section, a red layer. We met with gB today to discuss phases, and he suggested that the fill we are excavating in k6, k5, and k2 is not a pit but large hallows created by depretions in the palace that conditioned the topography which then was used as dumps: so they weren't cut, but natural in a sense that they occured naturally after the palace collapsed. These hallows provided a ground for dumping which was filled up with Phase 5a material but in the lower end of the hallow we find Phase 4 material underneath. This level may be the strata to which the tannur and the accumulation around it belong to. fAB metioned that the tannur may be related to the tannur found in A12 which was ontop of the palace wall. In k2 we cleaned all the sections to see the pit fill which shows a series of layers of gray, a sterile silty fine powder lense, and granular sandy pink lense with pottery and pebbles which reminds me of material which has been exposed to water for long periods of time where the heavier material, pebbles pottery and granular material sinks to the bottom and the sitly fine powder lense forms at the top. [Input: L728LR.j]
2001-07-29	lR	photograph and draw all baulks, remove k6 north baulk, k5 east and north baulk. Remove stones in k1. [Input: L728LR.j]
2001-07-28	lR	Excavating k1,k2,k5,k6 and we have increased dirt removal to include afternoons and Fridays so we can continue excavating in these areas. We have a lot of dirt accumulating on the stone pavement since both A15 and A16 are piling the dirt from the large pits into this area. We are excavating more than we can remove and are trying to devise a faster way to extract this dirt. [Input: L728LR.j]