.bk J1 .fl S813rE.j .fd daily journal ;.fn included S814re1.j,S814re.j,S816re.j,S817re.j,S818re.j,S819re.j,S820re.j,S821re.j, S823re.j,S827re.j,S828re.j,S906re2.j (U812lc). .ed S813 .ei rE .rd S813 .ri rE k 126 dy Today we finished removing f263, and f274 which is the earliest circle sherds in the bottom of the hearth. k 127 dy We removed the last part left from f272, to reach f239. Then we started removing f239. We removed small piece left from f265 in the west part of k127. .rd S818 .ri rE f 268 ds We found it first at bottom of f264, then we found out that it's going underneath f273. This feature is a pavement floor consists of many sherds laying in a flat way with small pebbles, and bone fragments. It's covering part of k126, from the east to the west, presumably it continues in both sections. It has clear ninevite V sherds embedded in it. ar We found out that f268 goes all the way to the west section, but is not extended in the whole locus k126. Althogh it looks like a path way, the wrong slope in the direction makes clear that it is in fact not a path but could be some kind of boundary of the escarpment. f 273 ds it's a hard accumulation under f265, contains some sherds and pebbles. it covers the whole area in k126, and slopes to the south west. While removing f273 we found small pieces of baqaya and a pit of ash f275. .rd S814 .ri rE k 126 dy We followed the continuation of f268 to the west, by removing f273. Then we found out that f268 goes all the way to the west section, but is not extended in the whole locus k126. k 127 dy To the west of k127 we have f259. Next to this feature we have some pebbles f279, so we removed the rest of f273 to figure out the function of these pebbles. f 239 ar After removing f272, and the parts that we left from f265 and f273, we found out that f239 goes underneath all these features, through out a very sharp slope to the south west. .rd S816 .ri rE k 126 dy We removed f273 from the whole area. We found under f273 to the south f280 which is grey accumulation, presumably continuing in the south section. To the north west of f280 we found f276, which is sloping to the south underneath f280. Due to the sloping configuration of the area, we have several features in k126, namely f280, f276, f268 and f239. -sg tomorrow we will continue removing f239. .rd S817 .ri rE k 127 dy today we are still removing f239, and trying to follow the slope of the ash in the west part of k127. -eq Due to the little amount of dirt we have, gB suggested to move the two shaffats to J7. .rd S818 .ri rE -dy we are still removing f239, and trying to follow the slope of the ash in the west part of k127. .rd S819 .ri rE k 127 dy Today we started removing f278, to follow the early escarpment f196. Then we found out that f196 slopes to the south under f278, and makes like a step a little bit far to the south matching so to say f239. f 278 ds This feature is an ash accumulation covering f196. It contains some pieces of mudbricks and pebbles with a few sherds and bones. This feature abouts f259 the wall wich goes south north. this wall f259 and the stone to the south f261 make like a boundary of the ash f278. It looks like f278 goes underneath f239 to the east. ar Is the same feature as f241 the ash accumulation above the early escarpment f196. We gave it a new feature number to be sure that the sherds are not mixed from the years before. f 241 ar We assigned a new feature number to f241 which is the ash accumulation above the early escarpment f196, to be sure that the sherds are not mixed from the years before. .rd S820 .ri rE k 127 dy We are still removing f278, and following f196. k 126 dy We are trying to make k126 at the one level by removing steps from f239. -sg Before the end of the day, we had a meeting in J1 with gB and fAB to discuss the present state of the unit, due to the short excavation time we have left. After exposing different strategies, we agreed that the best conclusion for the area in the last week of the excavation is to make a trench in the western parts of k126 and k127, going from the wall to the south section having width of 1.40cm. In this way we can easily follow the slope of f196 to the south, because the elevation in the south west corner of k126 is 8541, which is 40cm higher then the platform of the palace, where gb expects to find the plaza. We have to remove f261 to be sure that it's a boundary of the ash f278. We have to remove also f269. In addition, we let hB take the measurements of the whole area to check is not trapezoidal, and to establish the correct lines of the trench parallel to the east section. -sy we removed m4728 and m4729, because they were loose. .rd S821 .ri rE -dy today we made a trench in the western parts of k126 and k127, going from the wall to the south section having width of 1.40cm. hB did all the needed measurements and made a sketch to the whole unit including the new trench. We cleared f259 by cleaning the ash f278, and uncovered f279, which is group of pebbles under f278. We are not sure yet about the function of f259, because it's clear now that it's a wall, maybe a revetment wall that abouts f72, to separate between two different areas, or it could be a wall to support f72. f 261 ar After removing f278, we found out that f261 is a boundary of the ash from the south side. f261 sits in the bottom of f278. f 259 ar We thought first that this feature was a line of stones, but after removing f278 we figured out that it's a wall going north south. It looks also as aboundary of the ash from the west side. The emplacement of this feature suggests that it is earlier than the late escarpment f239. In this case f259 has been built at the same time of the early escarpment and the wall f72. For a better understanding of f259 further excavations in the north area of k127 are needed. .rd S823 .ri rE -dy Today we removed f268 from the trench in order to follow the slope of the early escarpment f196. Underneath f268 we found a continuation of f278. To the south of the trench we have f280, which covers f278. So we started removing f280. Although f280 is at a lower elevation compared to the other features, it is clear that it is more recent because of the sloping configuration of the area. .rd S827 .ei rE k 128 dy Today we removed the rest of f286 which is a the hard red a ccumulation. under f286 we found f289 which is a harder accumulation mixed with red and ash material with white dots inside. The ash pit goes deep and cuts all the features. We found more stones belong to f288. under f289 the accumulation became hareder and darker, we gave it new feature number f290. -dy We are still excavating the small trench k128, which we made next to the base of the wall, to better understand phase 0 deposition. We will keep digging this trench till the end of the excavation, two days left, to get as much as we can from the sherds. In k115, we are still digging the sement staircase, and we assign the features the same numbers as in the baulk, because it's the same continuation. and we scrubbed the sections in the unit which is important for the site presentation. We sifted the whole dirt from the features in k128, and we took the ash from f287 as a sample to analyze. -wk One of my pickmen moved to J5 to follow the late escarpment f239 there. k 126 dy To the south west of k126, we tried to follow f185 to the south, which is a very hard accumulation looks like the early escarpment f196, But it stops. We don't know if it's a cut or it makes a step. It's difficult to clarify the situation of f285 this year, due to the small trench we are digging, the slope of the features and we don't have enouph time to dig more. To the south of f285 we found f281 under f280, which is a reddish hard material. To the south of f281 we found f291. Both f281 and f291 will be excavating in further excavation. .rd S828 .ei rE k 128 dy we removed f290, which is a hard accumulation under f289. Then the surprise was that we found two big limestones under f290, which are the continuation of f288. The shape of the stones and the direction refer that it's wall. But due to the small trench k128 that we opened, it's difficult to know exectly the function of these stones. -dy Today was the last day of the excavation. At the last hour of the excavation, we found in k128 the continuation of f288; three big limestones formed a line, looks like a wall. The direction of this line is east west. The same direction of f72. It could be the fourth millinium wall, due to the analysing of the pottery in the features above it, Which are all LC sherds as mKB report. The sement staircase didn't finish yet. The workmen will resume the work in the study period in September. k 115 dy we didn't finish the sement staircase. The workmen will resume the work in the study period in September. f 288 ds This feature consists of group of stones in k128, having east-west orientation, that is, they are parallel to the wall f72. The shape of the stones look like a wall, but we are not very sure that it's a wall due to the small trench that we opened. It could be the fourth millinium wall, due to the analysing of the pottery in the features above it, Which are all LC sherds as mKB reports. Further excavation will clarify the function of f288. .rd S906 .ri rE -dy Today after intensive cleaning before taking a good picture to the whole area. We found in k127 on the surface next to the small trench in k128 mud brick lines, having east-west orientation. We gave it a new feature number f296. We can see that the situation of the mud bricks not in a good shape, and in a bad situation with a few sherds and stones, because it left exposed for several years. Except in the southern line, because we uncovered it this year under f239. To the south of k127 under f239, we found many pieces of mud bricks and baqaya. The workmen pointed it to define it. To the southern edge of f239, where we have the ancient cut we found line of mud bricks f297, but the size and the shape of mud bricks are not the same. gB suggested that it could be the foundation to support the late escarpment f239. Could be also f296 is the foundation of the early escarpment f196. He also suggested that maybe the ancient people dug through the early features, while biulding the late escarpment. So this will explain to us why the early features abut the late feature f239. f 292 ds Hard and red accumulation under f280, it contains white dots. It goes north underneath f293. We will figure out in further excavation. f 293 ds Grayish accumulation we found it underneath f280, it goes underneath f285. This year we stopped the excavation here. f 294 ds We gave the bottom of f239 a new feature number, because we found many unorganized mud bricks and baqaya pieces. It could be the foundation of f239. We will figure out in further excavation. f 295 ds Baqaya piece forms a square shape. It's located exactly on the edge of f239 and abuts f297. We will figure out in further excavation. f 296 ds We found this feature after intensive cleaning to the area. It's mud brick pieces form several lines, having east-west orientation, but not in organised way. The size of the mud brick pieces are not the same. They are located to the south of k127 next to the base of the wall under the early escarpment f196, and f239 covers the southern part of it due to the slope of the area. This area we excavated 3 years ago. gB suggested that f296 could be the foundation of the early escarpment f196. It could be also a floor or something related to the early line of stones we found in the small trench k128. f 297 ds Mud bricks organized in line, east west oriented. We just see a little portion of it, presumably continues in the east section. They are not the same size. Could be also the foundation of f239 as f294. We will fugir out in the next year excavation.