.bk J01
.fl Q916ms.j
.fd journal Q915
;.fn included Q918ms.j,Q919ms.j,Q921ms2.j,Q922ms.j,Q923ms.j,Q925ms1.j
.ed Q916
.ei mS

.rd Q915
.ri mS

-sg we continue refining the strategy for what will excavate for the rest of the season. gB has reworked the placement of the stairs coming down into J1. We will now widen the area of the corridor down the the first step. We will move to the west until k116 down to 8800. We will also excavate one meter to the west adjacent to the corridor so we can leave a portion of the pebble surface, f232 extant. We presume it does exist to the west because it does go into the unexcavated portion here. The present plan is to remove this surface in the corridor as we go down to the plaza level.

-wk we continue to absorb teams from J4 and now have 11 pickmen with almost a full team of shovels and dirt movers for all.

-mt we have been unable to run relays because the last series of control points put in by bWP have not been entered into the computer and jW cannot currently locate the sheet. bWP has left for the season and it may take some time to reconstruct the numbers. As it stands, we have no real reference points at the lower levels we are excavating. We are working from old data to determine the 8800 elevation.

-mk we have been unable to run relays because the last series of control points put in by bWP have not been entered into the computer and jW cannot currently locate the sheet. bWP has left for the season and it may take some time to reconstruct the numbers. As it stands, we have no real reference points at the lower levels we are excavating. We are working from old data to determine the 8800 elevation.

-dy we have found the corner of the wall, f72 in the NW section of J1. It is where we predicted it to be based on the geophysical survey. Although we have the corner, there are additional stones that move to the west from the corner and these may indicate some type of building also seen in the survey. We have no time to excavate further here and will cease excavation. Also continued to go down in the rest of the area as well as move further west. We have also declared k118 which is a combination of k113 and k114. We worked in the afternoon today as well. We are removing large quantities of dirt and have concentrated the majority of our effort in k118. Also continued work on sloping the baulks of the first step.

k 40
dy we have found the corner of the wall, f72. It is where we predicted it to be based on the geophysical survey. Although we have the corner, there are additional stones that move to the west from the corner and these may indicate some type of building also seen in the survey. We have no time to excavate further here and will cease excavation.

k 30
dy we have reached the level about 50cm below the top of the wall and will cease excavations. We have found the corner of the wall f72.

k 117
dy we cut a one meter square area to the west of the pebble surface k232. We are going down in this area, f231 so we can leave a portion of the pebble surface, f232 extant. We presume it does exist to the west because it does go into the unexcavated portion here. We were unable to remove any more and will leave this area for the moment.

k 118
ds we declared this locus today as a combination of k113 and k114 since we are moving k113 to the west and widening the corridor at this elevation, to 8800. We have also reached the end of the extremely hard, compact soil full of sherds and stones and have declared f233 which is below f229. This is browner and softer and has less inclusions. The lines are not straight however, and there is some mixing. We have excavated this same material last year and are driven by time constraints at this point. We are examining the accumulations, however, and they are clearly natural sedimentation and washes.

f 233
;df ad
ds this is a brown, softer accumulation which contains contains some pottery and stones but not as large a quantity as f229 which covers it. 

f 229
tc co f233
ds contains a large number of frit beads, grinding stones and other signs of human habitation but with no context so it is clearly a wash from another area.

.rd Q916
.ri mS

-dy this is the official end of excavations, but we will continue for approximately four more days after a few days work in the house. Today we dug a little and cleaned up prior to the hiatus. We have finished in the wall area and the focus will be on getting to the plaza level and working on the staircase. Began cutting the oblique slope on the eastern baulks of J1.

k 40
dy have completed excavations here and found what appears to be the corner of the wall, f72, a3. We finished removing the dirt and did some minor cleaning. 

k 30
dy did clean up because we have finished excavations here for the season.

k 117
dy straightened out the small meter square excavation from yesterday to the east of the pebble surface, f232.

k 118
dy had several pickmen working here to continue going down and also move the excavated area further to the west. f233 continues.

f 204
ds is the same accumulation as f206. Two numbers were given by mistake but we are using f204 in all documentation.

f 206
ds is the same accumulation as f204. Two numbers were given by mistake but we are using f204 in all documentation.

.rd Q919
.ri mS

-dy Katleen Deckers (kD) from the University of Tuebingen examined all the layers in J1 in an attempt to define what processes were responsible for the large areas of deposition we have. She said that we may have four types of processes at work: small gullys with wash, water borne, wind borne (aeolian) and possible floor horizons. Definitely wind borne are the higher levels such as f205, f198, f200, f175, f145 and f143. There are few inclusions because the wind cannot carry large stones or sherds. When we reach f203, or f151, f38, f171, f152, f163, f178 and f229 we have a more difficult interpretation. These features are hard, extremely compacted and full of sherds, large and small stones and contain the majority of the items we have found. The compaction of the soil seems to indicate a walking area although kD is not an expert on what trampeling would do to a surface or sherds. The huge quantity of sherds and material also tends to indicate a human occupation although we have no installations at this point. Water borne tends to be smaller in area and we do have patches of that throughout J1. The sediment is grainy and sandy. At lower elevations, f181, f184, f231, f156, and f162 it definitely wind borne but may also have been a walking surface but kept cleaner. There are pieces of charcoal and other inclusions which kD says may have been dropped. Wind borne does not preclude larger inclusions. There are still patches of water borne at this level. This preliminary analysis of the depositional processes gives a sense that the plaza, or area in front of the wall, was used for a long time with varying degrees of cleanliness. The lower levels seemed to be kept cleaner, while above there were depositions of sherds and stones. These may have been intentional walking surfaces but or just trampeling of debris. These levels are at the same elevations of near the top of the wall, near or about the 9000 level.

.rd Q921
.ri mS

-wa we have changed our work week and will now work from Monday to Saturday and we will have Sunday off.

-sf dC left today.

-lb per gB we will no longer give q-lot numbers to the pottery going into the shafat. Most of this pottery comes from more than one area and feature and therefore is not stratigraphically identifiable, although we are looking at it to insure we do not miss any small items or important pieces of pottery.

-wk we had seven workmen today, six of whom were pickmen. But they are extremely good and worked well together doing all the needed jobs.

-dy limited activity in the field today. We began excavating two stairways that will lead down to the steps and finally to the plaza level for a full view of the wall at it's original height. The first staircase is from the east in k12 and begins three meters back at ground level. The cut is 80 cm across and goes down two meters to the first step. The second step stars at the 9000 level and is cut about 40 cm west of the baulk and also goes down two meters and is 80 cm across. It is in k22. The third staircase will be built when we have excavated down to the plaza level and will start at the 8800 level and come from the south descending to face the wall. Cinder blocks will be used for the steps.

k 119
dy this locus is only the staircase in the eastern section of J1 in part of k12. This is the staircase we have built to enable visitors to descend more easily to the plaza level.

k 22
dy started excavating a staircase here today to enable visitors to descend more easily down to the plaza level. It is in the northern portion of the locus and runs west to east and down two meters, from 9000 to 8800. This shoul be finished tomorrow.

.rd Q922
.ri mS

-mt we have established several loci this season because of the unique shape of this excavation unit and the fact that we are excavating portions of areas that were excavated in MZ18 in conjunction with newer areas. We are declaring new loci to keep more concise excavation units since the features we have throughout most of the area are widespread and fairly unremarkable.

-sg Per discussion with gB we decided to focus primarily on the corridor to insure we meet the goal of getting to the plaza. The other items can be left in case we have time.

-dy finished building the second staircase at the second step and reinstated excavations. Per discussion with gB we decided to focus primarily on the corridor to insure we meet the goal of getting to the plaza. The other items can be left in case we have time. hQ remained in the field alone most of the day as we have a simple operation.

-wa we had no method for removing dirt but tomorrow Muhammad Omo will move two shafats and we will have one large one to move the dirt from a lower level with fewer people.

-wk we had only five workmen today but will have more tomorrow.

k 24
dy removed soil along the 8800 step from MZ18 to even it out and bring it in line with k118 which we will also bring down to 8800. Declared f234 which is really the same brown accumulation as f233 in k118.

k 118
dy are at 8873 at the highest point and should be at 8800 here. Instead of evening out the locus at this point, we are drawing the next step at 250cm from the baulk of the first step and proceeding to excavate in the corridor. We will go down either to 8600, the next step or until we reach the pebble floor, f232, or as we are calling it, Khabur floor since there are Khabur sherds.

k 115
ds this locus contains portions of k106 and k108 excavated in MZ18. It is south of k114 and at a lower elevation and a different feature which is why we declared a different locus.

k 116
ds this locs contains partions of k12, k13 and k108. It is the eastern portion of the second step, 8800.

k 117
ds this locus contains portions of k106, k108 and k110 excavated in MZ18.

.rd Q923
.ri mS

-sg we will now excavate f231 to the east of the corridor in k117 which is an addition to yesterday's strategy. We will also remove the last piece of k118 which is not at the 8800 level because this area is need for the last staircase down to the plaza.

-wk Ramadan begins today and some of our workmen are fasting so this will have an impact on the work flow.

-wa we moved the clocks back one hour last night and now begin work at 5am because it is light.

-dy we continued excavating in the corridor and began removing a small piece of f229 which is left in k118. 

k 117
dy continued removing f233 down to f231 in the eastern portion of this locus. We will continue following the pebble floor, f232 to the south and see if it continues

k 118
dy there is a small one by two meter square of this locus, f229 that we will bring to the 8800 level and end excavations. This is the hard, compact area full of sherds and stones so it will take some time.

.rd Q925
.ri mS

-dy continuing with a small operation focusing on the corridor. We finished k118, and will put all the workmen in the corridor, k117 tomorrow.

-wa Ramadan has started and we will end work in the field at 11:45 today. The workmen asked not to have a break for breakfast since they are not eating. Beginning tomorrow, we will work straight through from 5:00 to 11:00.

k 117
dy had two pickmen following the pebble surface, f232 to the south. It seems to continue somewhat irregularly. We recovered a definite Mitanni sherd from q878, per mKB so we are still in Mitanni deposition. This is consistent with the accumulation from last season although we are at a lower elevation. We did not have as great an area open last year.

f 232
ds still recovering definite Mitanni pottery from this accumulation so we are still in Mitanni. We do not yet have strictly Khabur, although our first thought is that f233, the sherd floor underneath f232 may be Khabur.

k 118
dy finished removing what remains of this locus. It was f229, the hard compact material full of sherds and stones.

f 229
ds this accumulation was primarily the hard compact material full of sherds and stones. In k118 we also included a few cm of transitional brown accumulation below it as f229. We have done this consistently throughout J1.

f 0
ds this is a bogus feature which we assigned to pottery gathered from the shafat dirt. We noted which features were included in each q-lot in the q-log, but since there is no way to really determine stratigraphy we will discontinue using this.