.bk J1 .fl S720lW.j .fd feature description ;.fn included S721dylw.j,S714fdlw.j,S714dylw.j,S722lw.j,S723lwdy.j,S724lw.j,S726lw.j,S727lw.j, S728lw.j,S804fdlw.j (U812lc). .ed S720 .ei lW .rd S720 .ri lW f 251 ds f251 is the topsoil of the accumulations. This topsoil is light brown grey in color and consists of many sherds of mixed pottery. This accumulation is very hard >4.5. f 252 ds This feature has very hard soil with a few roots in it. It is also a grayish color and it breaks off in medium to large chunks. Some bone fragments were found in it. f 253 ds Natural accumulation compact and consisting of brown soil with many pottery shards and bubbles of kiln waste. f 254 ds Lamination layer that is pale brown in color. Also it is very hard and chunky but does crumble into sand (>4.5). .rd S721 .ri lW -dy gB said to clean the area and after cleaning to put a series of strings up on the east section every half meter horizontaly and put markers on the strings every half meter for a picture, the picture will be taken tomorrow morning. This picture will show the accumulation stratigraphy. Also caution tape needs to be put in front of the wall area to avoid possible injuries. fAB said to look at all the sections and compare them from all sides to see if the stratigraphy continues in all the locus. We took down two markers, m4684 and m4727. bPW is trying to locate the old points from last season. k 123 dy Today we started removing f231 and we made the section level to be ready for the photos. -wk The workmen had a meeting at 1200 so work ended an hour early. -sg gB said that the strategy last year was to dig down but now it is to expand and to re-establish the physical grid. gB said also to have the workmen work in two areas at the same time so that the work will go quickly. Also to cut the sections back and clean it, also to straighten the ledge area on the east side. .rd S714 .ri mM f 252 ds very hard soil, few roots in it grayish color, comes out in medium to large chunks, some bones in it. .rd S714 .ri lW -dy The south side needed a new loci k120. bPW put four control points, 4726,4727,4728,4729, so that the step in the south section could be taken out. The workers set up the elevators first thing in the morning, two were required. Some bones found where the cement stair was, this small baulk is still being removed. The down step in the south section is 1/4 of the way removed and will be finished tomorrow. The q items were collected from the south wall that has been taken down. -sg Discussed with fAB regarding expanding the section. It was decided that the south wall would be expanded to within 25cm of the ledge behind it to get to the Akkadian level underneath. The east wall will be looked into later in the season, so far it is being discussed regarding moving it back so that the presentation of the site will be better. fAB also mentioned that perhaps the south wall could be inclined as to avoid falling rocks. The east wall will be sketched soon due to the ant/bird damage that has already been done to it, and a template made as well. .rd S722 .ri lW -dy Today we found the floor f238 and cleaned it for a picture tomorrow morning. We also labeled various features by the wall so they are easily identifiable, we used colors to identify Khabur and Mittani features. dM took several pictures of the area in the early morning because we need a better understanding of the area to compare it to the views from last season. Also to compare with the pictures from last season to be sure the locus and features are in the correct place. We are starting the excavation in k122 and removing f237 which expands in the whole erea except in k103. -sy We removed m4530 from last season. -sg Tomorrow we will take relays of the stones by the wall. fAB asked us to read the notes from last season regarding the locus areas and the various features and to take notes on where sections end and begin. fAB also asked us to pay attention to where the floors were f237 and f235 to see if they were sealed between any accumulations. gB asked us to look for the seal of the floor and make a template in freehand showing this. Also to dig to the south and north of the stones by wall but leave the stones on a pedistal. gB also said to ask bpW where marker points are located, and to leave the baulk where the new marker points that bPW put up are. gB also said that he would look into putting a curtain on the wall to prevent birds from nesting in the wall and other wildlife. .rd S723 .ri lW -dy Today we removed part of f237 and found several painted sherds of pottery and some bone fragments. -sg fAB suggested that when f239 was removed to look for bricks or heavy mud. Also on the slope in the east section k123, to look for shovel marks. gB said that the rocks placed in our unit may have been a possible railing or a barrier between the Khabur and Mittani periods. Or these stones could have been a buffer zone between the plaza and the wall. .rd S724 .ri rE -dy We started the excavation in a new locus k124 by removing f237 which is the continuation in the entire area. k120 we are still removing f237 where we found many bones and the lower part of a cow and horns we are hoping to find the continuation of f238. .rd S726 .ri lW -dy We compiled a list of animal bones found in our area- pig, cow, dog, gazelle. This area may have been a dumping ground due to the ammount of animal bones we have found. The cow i51 had the tail bones, some vertebrae, and pelvis intact and bones articulated with no signs of dog bites. We found the continuation of the Khabur floor f238 underneath f237 in k120 and partly in k124. k 120 -dy We resumed removing f237 and left bones for the visitors. -sg Today fAB sugeested that we get the slope of the escarpment f196 to see how far down at the south side we would need to go to get the same floor as f240. gB also said that a staircase needs to be put in on the west side down into the main section for easier access. He also said that the ledge on the south side that was a temporary buffer zone for rocks should be taken out sometime soon. .rd S727 .ri rE -dy Today we had a meeting with gB and we went through the UGR and the stratigraphic review and the new roster. Then we went through all the units and he said about J1 he mentioned the line of stones in front of the wall which are different time periods, this line of stones makes a series of curtains which are the memory between the escarpment and the plaza, a memory of this hinge. The accumulation that grew above the escarpment began to have these lines of stones. Then he mentioned that the south wall which was found in the german trench elevation is 92 so that means it is seven meters down to reach the plaza. It is the same elevation as the bottom of the staircase in J2. .rd S728 .ri lW k 124 dy We consider the east step and under the cement staircase a new locus k124. We started removing f237 which was assigned from last season. Under this feature we found the continuation of f238 which is sloping sharply to the south west. In the north east part of k124 we found a new feature floor... -dy Today we resumed removing f237 which is continuing in all the locus, k122, k120, k124. We are uncovering f238 which is late Khabur floor which was assigned last season. This feature is sloping sharply to the south west. We made the south section level for next season with the skull and horn inside it and we need to preserve it. We removed the small baulk in the east section. We removed the markers on the baulk and added two on the section above the baulk to keep the line of the baulk. While removing the east baulk between k122 and k123 we found a possible tablet in f232 and we gave it a new item number i54, and also we may have found in the same feature a seal impression i55. -sy bPW placed new markers in the section where we removed the baulk to keep the line of the baulk. The makers are m4868 N and m4869 S. We removed the two markers m4759 and m4757. -wk Today we got new workmen. Two workmen left from our area, Ezad and Nassam, and four new workmen came. We received one new pickmen his name is Mohammad, the three other workmen are shovelmen, Yasser, Khoder, Fagie. f 232 ar After removing small part of f232 which was left from previous year, to the west of k127, we found out that f232 overlays f238 just in the northern part because of the slope of f238. .rd S804 .ri lW f 262 ds This feature is composed of coarse hard material that is yellowish brown in color. f262 also has some small pebbles and a few large sherds of pottery and small bones. I11 mKB looked at the pottery from this feature and she said that they are late Chalcolithic mixed with phase one and phase two. f 263 ds is a circle of baqaya We found it in the sloping of f239. A very coarse crumbly red and white mixture.