; File processed on 2025-11-27

; B7--sm
-inc	2010-09-27_U912PC.J	pC	Some conclusions can be made after the end of excavations in B7. We decided to dig only for one week because we wanted to understand what is f1 and f2 and leave the exposing of all the structure for next season. Digging to the east of f1 we saw that the wall does not continue to the east. Instead digging to the west we discovered that wall f1 is a stepped structure with a nice staircase f19. The staircase leads with 4 steps from west to the east: while we did not found structures to the east, it still remain unclear the function of the staircase. Several hypothesis were rised during the excavation. What seems clear is that f1 and f19 is a building previous to Temple BA: 1) It is lower than the temple and practically goes under the southern wall of temple BA (it would be contemporary if temple BA has high stone foundations and in this way f1 would abut the souhern wall of the temple), 2) f1 and f19 is a staircase and therefore it leads from a lower level than the temple 3) f1 has a different orientation than temple BA. It was noticed the similarity between the western stone wall going against the northern western corner of the temple and wall f1, which could go against the south eastern corner of the temple (gB). If this is the case, Temple BA is built on top of a high stone platform, similar to Steinbau 1 in Tell Chuera. f1 and f19 could belong to a monumental stone building (a temple? an altar? a staircase similar to the monumental staircase in J2?).
-inc	2010-09-27_U912PC.J	pC	Other conclusions can be made for wall f2 and glacis f10: Wall f2 is built on top of glacis f10. During the last period of use was a path leading from east to west (during mittani?). Unclear is the date and the function of the building of this structure. It comes after glacis f10, but we do not know for how long it continues toward west and if it changes direction.

; B7-daily
-inc	2010-09-13_U912PC2.J	pC	First day of excavation in B7. We started digging with 2 workmen (1 pickmen and a showel). We dig only in k100. Removed first 40 cm of toposoil f3 and brick crumble f4
-inc	2010-09-14_U912PC2.J	pC	Today we cleaned the Trench k200 which was excavated in 2000. Since it was exposed for 10 years and was never backfilled we found a lot of earth collapsed into the trench, which we named f6. we started excavating in k101
-inc	2010-09-15_U912PC2.J	pC	Today we continued excavating in k101, exposing floor f9. We continued also removing topsoil f6 in k200 in the southern portion of k200, east of k101, exposing mudbricks f10. There are still a lot of plastic bags in f6. Today during the meeting with fAB, gB and mKB, we were thinking of what could be wall f2 and fAB had the idea that it could be a path leading to the temple BA. pC thinks that it could be a terracing wall.
-inc	2010-09-16_U912PC2.J	pC	During the meeting with fAB, gB and mKB we decided to continue digging in B7 for another day. We want to expose all f10 in k101 and see if staircase f19 continues down

; B7-introduction
-inc	2010-09-12_U912PC.J	pC	B7 is the area between temple BA and the plaza with the stone monumental structures area JP. In B7, a trench was excavated in season 2001, running north east-south west: this was the connection of the excavation of the temple BA (1982) and the excavation in area C2 (1999-2001). It was found a mudbrick glacis sloping up toward north, coating the mound. This was found for a length of 24 meters, beginning directly north of the last step of the monumental staircase in J2 and continuing up to a stone wall running east west (B6 Inst4) f2. North of wall f2 there is another stone wall with an orientation north east-south west (B6 Inst. 24) f1. The western limit of this wall was found in season 2001: on the west there is a floor (B6 Inst 23) at the elevation of 9670, whereas the top of  wall f1 is at 9680. There is no edge of the wall on the eastern side, therefore in season 2010 we decided to open a locus k100 to see the width of wall f1. Several possibilities were brought up during a meeting with gB, mKB, fAB and pC before starting the excavation: a)Is it a wall of a building? In this case the wall exposed f1 should be the western wall, and excavating to the east we would expect a wall running perpendicular to it, or at least the floor of the building. This is not deeper than half a meter under the topsoil, while floor B6 Inst 23 on the west is at 9680 and the temple floor BA is at 9700. If it is a building it could be something similar to Tell Chuera Steinbau 3 and Steinbau 2. b)Is it a boundary wall for the temple terrace? in this case we have the continuation of the revetment wall (J6f218) which in J6 runs toward north. We did not followed all the wall from J6 to the area B7 and BA, but gB presumes that there should be a boundary between the temple area together with the temple terrace and the buildings to the east of the temple (they were excavated in 1982 together with the temple and should be service buildings for the temple). For this reasons we decided to lay locus k100 on the southern half of wall f1, including wall f2, to see the width of wall f1 and the continuation of wall f2

; B7-strategy
-inc	2010-09-12_U912PC.J	pC	On Sunday 12 2010 it was decided with gB, mKB, fAB and pC to dig in B7. The excavation for this year will concern only a small 5x2 meters locus k100. This is located in B7 (Excavation 2001 A73 T10), were there is a stone wall (B6 Inst. 24) f1 running north-south for approximately a length of 5 m and 80 cm in width. The exposed portion shows a clear edge of the wall on the west, were the excavation in 2001 found a floor (B6 Inst 23). While this area was excavated only in a 2 meters wide trench in 2001, was decided to reopen the area. The location of the locus was decided among several options. We decided to lay k100 following the orientation of T10 (k200), which is parallel to wall f1. We will start with a small locus 2 meters wide and 5 meters long with a north east- south west orientation (it follows not the excavation grid, but only the trench). We decided that we will draw the northern, eastern and southern section of k100.
-inc	2010-09-16_U912PC.J	pC	Today we decided to dig in k101 until we reach the mudbrick glacis f10 and then stop here. The aim in this locus is to find if there is an edge og glacis f10. In k200 instead pC whants to see if f19 is a staircase. gB thinks that f1 is a stepped wall and f19 is a small service staircase contemporary to temple BA. He thinks that the difference in elevation between the temple floor and the staircase f19 is not a problem, while here the mound should go down. pC thinks that this is not possible and staircase f19 and f1 belong to a building previous of temple BA. For this reasons we decided to dig more only in front of f1 and to see if f19 is a staircase and how much it goes down.
-inc	2010-09-16_U912PC2.J	pC	f19 seems to be a staircase while the first 2 steps are shown. Also seems that f1 is the northern continuation of the staircase. We decided to make a small sounding to the west of f19 and go down untill we reach at least another step, to be sure that f19 and f1 is not a wall but a staircase