.bk A20
.fl S719lr.j
.fd journal
.ed S719
.ei lR
.rd S719
.ri lR
-su last week A20 opened six loci, removed the topsoil in all the squares with the exception of k15 which was opened on S717. In all the loci, the same compact bricky layer was found, interpreted as eroded bricks melted together. Thus f18, f16, f7, f20, f17 are all contemporary with each other, forming the same brick melt, presumably sealing the Mittani occupation levels below. In k12 and k2, in the western half of the locus the brick melt does not continue and instead soft ash emerged however today brick melt was found scattered in the western side. The north section of A18 confirms our observations, with the boundaries of the brick melt becoming blurred south of k2.

-sg With the brick melt fully exposed in all the opened loci, the strategy this week is to remove the brick melt, .

k 12
dy assigned the sherd pavement f23 and removed it along with f11, stone installation. The entire western half of the locus was excavated 20cms, reaching patches of f18 compact brick melt mixed with ash. The east section was drawn and photographed, with half the section removed today.

f 11
dy removed today

f 23
ds Pottery sherds lying flat on f5, concentrated in the southwest corner spreading north. These sherds appear contemporary with f11 stones as they are the same elevation and resting on f5. These sherds possibly form the natural surface of the ancient Tell. Associated with these sherds, the matrix to the north (f5) shows tannur fragments embedded in the soil. The sherds were removed today and given to mKB for analysis to see if these date to the middle Assyrian period.

f 5
dy finished excavating this feature today as the soil underneath became softer and ashy. A new feature was assigned, f24 for the ashy accumulation.

k 2
dy excavated 10cms of f22 to level the feature. Patches of compact brick melt surfaced while excavating f22 but does not form a complete surface. These patches were left in place.

k 15
dy finished removing the topsoil in the eastern half of the locus. f26 was assigned to the material below topsoil, this is a mixture of brick melt and abandonment material which is much softer, contains more inclusions than the brick melt. Towards the western side of the locus, the brick melt is compact but changes to the east. Several stones surfaced after the topsoil was removed, f25 along with fragments of a possible andiron in poor condition. The southwest corner was excavated 5cms to expose a possible pit cut associated with f25 however nothing was noted after excavation.

f 25
ds a cluster of small to medium sized white stones located in the southwest corner of k15. The area was scraped to see if a pit cut was visible with only the western side showing a possible cut. 5cms was removed from the area to expose the cut further but nothing was noted.

k 13
dy east section drawn and photographed. Removed half of the section today to link the brickmelt in k13 to k14.