.bk J01 .fl T719lC.j .fd Journal ;.fn included T720lc.j,T721lc.j,T722lc2.j,T722lc.j,T725lc2.j,T726lc.j,T727lc.j,T728lc.j (U812lc) .ed T719 .ei lC .rd T718 .ri lC --i This year we continue the excavation of J01. The J1 team is composed by lC, mM, aA with a partial cooperation of rE. This season we are going to have a small excavation due to two factors: on one hand because of the nature of the stratigraphy that is complex and difficult and consequently it requires a slow and very precise excavation. On the other hand because this year is almost a study season to prepare the books for digital publication. For this reason we are going to have just 8/10 workmen. The goal of the season is to find the link between the second terrace (first half of third millennium) and the probable Chalcolithic terrace. This is all due to the recovery of a stone wall parallel to the third millennium wall, below the first escarpment, last day of excavation of MZ21. The excavation will check the nature and the date of this wall, if it is a high normal wall or just a sort of "curtain" wall, a low barrier dividing people from the sacred space of the terrace (like f188, dating to Mitanni period). The idea is to try to partially expose the wall in his length from East to West and to look for its bottom. We will start to excavate from south to north inside k127 looking first for the earlier escarpment (2800 b.C.) sloping toward south and trying to define its edge, and then for the face of the Chalcolithic wall. Great importance is assigned to the preservation of the architectural elements to show the link between the two terraces. This, of course, will influence the excavation strategy. -sg Today J01 team has had a meeting in the field with fAB to decide the initial strategy of the excavation. We decided to start removing the upper part of the eastern baulk in k127, left there from previous years excavations, to check the probable presence of the early escarpment f196 not clearly exposed, then we will remove it to have all the east section clean and most of all to have more space to expose the wall f288 in length, one of the most important goal of the season. We also decided to excavate at the beginning just inside k127 starting from south and going on toward north, to find the face of the Chalcolithic wall. From the results we gain we will decide if excavate also between the Chalcolithic wall and the base of third millennium wall, fact that could be dangerous for the stability of this last structure. Due to the complexity of the stratigraphy and to the type of the deposits we decided don't use the big pick, but just small picks and more precise tools. -dy Today we started to setup everything for the excavation that is going to start in two days. We had a meeting in the field with fAB discussing about the excavation strategy. We asked Adeed to put six new more markers we will use during the first part of the excavation. The team discussed also about the use of workmen and the best place to put chafat. .rd T719 .ri lC -dy Today we finished to set up all the stuff for the excavation in the house. In the afternoon lC went to the field with dD to take some views of the initial situation of J01, showing the backfill and all the dirt accumulated during the winter. .rd T720 .ri lC -dy Today we started the excavation for MZ22. We spent all the morning removing the backfill from last season and the dirt accumulated during the winter, most of all for the wind and the rainfall in k126, k127 and k128. After breakfast we removed the metal box over k128 and we cleaned all the area, including the upper steps of J01. Tomorrow morning we will take photos of the initial situation after the removal of backfill and we will start to excavate. -wk Today we started with 7 workmen. They were supposed to be 8, but Juan will join us the next day. During the season we will see if these workmen are enough or if we need more, also in relation to the excavation strategy and to the possible use of elevators (chafat). -sf The J01 staff this year consists of lC, mM, aGA, with a partial collaboration of rE. hQ was supposed to be part of the team, but she is working fulltime in pottery. .rd T721 .ri lC -dy Today, after the cleaning of the day before, early in the morning we took photos of the cleaned initial situation. Then we start to excavate, as planned, the small east portion of k127 left there from previous years, trying to find the surface of early escarpment. We excavated at the beginning the ashy layer f303 and then f305, an interface between the ashy layer and what below. The situation here wasn't really clear because this part has been exposed for several years. So far we didn't find a clear surface belonging to the early escarpment, but just a very compact layer sloping slightly to the south. The analysis of pottery from this feature will help us to date and so to understand its meaning. In the other side of k127, along the western section, we started to excavate f239, i.e. the second escarpment, uncovering the ash layer f241. Tomorrow we hope to remove all the ash layer f241 in order to see the slope of the early escarpment. At the beginning the excavation of f239 and f241 wasn't planned, but then, after a meeting with fAB we changed strategy. It seemed very important for a better understanding of the area, to show the link between the stone wall f259 that could be early third millennium or even Late Chalcolithic and the early escarpment f196. Next day we will continue to work on both these areas. -mk Today we removed the marker m6104. -sg Right after breakfast J01 team had a site meeting with gB and fAB. We showed them the proceedings of the excavation and we discussed about near future strategy. The main discussion was about the possible links of the stone wall f259 with the early or late escarpment. Stone wall seems to continue to the north, but we don't know how much until we don't remove the ashy layer f241. It is older then the later escarpment, now we have to check if the wall abuts the early escarpment or if it goes underneath the escarpment. In this case it could be linked with the Late Chalcolithic wall found in k128. Moreover we don't have yet the bottom of the stone wall f259 that could be close to Chalcolithic levels. Another open question is linked to the relationship between the late escarpment and the big flat stones J05f188 running almost parallel to the revetment wall f72. The second escarpment f239 seems to slope more to the south going toward east, instead toward west is cut closer to the wall (as we can easily see in both the east and west section of k127). Very important is the link of this escarpment with the big flat stones of J05f188 that are just uncovered in their upper part. Probably next days J05 team will excavate to clarify this relationship. Moreover we have also to keep in mind the possibility that the escarpment, along the revetment wall, is sloping toward east, from J05 to J01 area. Maybe also the bottom of the revetment wall f72 is higher following its path to the west and then to the north. Next days the results of excavations in these two areas will add many more important informations for a general understanding of the plaza and the terrace. k 127 dy Today we removed the remaining part of the later escarpment f239 in the western part of the locus. On the other side we started to excavate the small east step, removing the ashy layer f303 and the accumulation f305 looking for the surface of the early escarpment. However the situation is unclear, also because the area has been exposed for several years. The pottery analysis of f306 could help us to determinate if this feature belongs to the late or to the early escarpment, being below an ashy layer similar to f241. .rd T721 .ri lC f 302 ds This feature (topsoil) was declared just to record the q1211.1 found on the surface of k107, next to k127. f 303 ds Ash layer found in the eastern part of k127, in the small step left from the excavation of last season. The surface was badly preserved. The layer is compact and dark gray in color. It has some small fragments of charcoal, few sherds and bones and many reddish mud brick fragments. This layer is slightly sloping to the south, and in its southern part it seems similar to f241. There isn't a spatial link between the two features, but probably they belong to the same layer, even if f303 is not as thick as f241. At the same time they are both above a sloping surface, but at different elevations. f 304 ds Small lens of gypsum without regular shape and clear relationships with other structures. It was found inside the second escarpment f239 and, as many broken fragments of mud brick, probably it has been used just as filling material. It has many small pebbles and few sherds. Next to it a broken clay lump (i65) was found. f 305 ds This feature is a mixed layer of ash lenses and reddish fragments of mud brick. We declared this feature because something different from what above. Then the layer changed again and we gave the new number (f306) to keep cleaned the pottery of this last feature. It could be interpreted as an interface between the ashy layer f303 and the accumulation f306. f 306 ds Accumulation below f303. This accumulation is very compact and uniform with many reddish fragments of mud brick. The color changes from light brown, to orange to reddish. This is probably due to different kinds of melt mud bricks It has some small charcoals and white, probably gypsum, chunks. Not many sherds or bones were collected. Assuming that f303 is the same of f241, it could be interpreted as the early escarpment. But it appears quite different from f196 and more similar to the second escarpment. The pottery analysis will help us to date the feature and to interpret it. q 1211 nl This q-lot was created just to record q1211.1 found on the surface of J01. .rd T722 .ri lC -dy Today the excavation continued in the same areas of yesterday. f306 was removed to the level of last season excavation. Just next to the wall we left a small step appearing like something different. It is made of gray clay and there are also few middle sized stones. Tomorrow probably we will give to it a new feature number. In the western part of k127 we removed the ash layer f241 and we uncovered a badly preserved surface probably belonging to the first escarpment. Otherwise the escarpment appears well preserved in a small portion next to the wall. The relationships between the stone wall f259, the early escarpment, the ashy layer and the second escarpment are not very clear yet, so after a site meeting with gB and fAB we decided to expand the excavation to the west. Because of this plan's change probably we will get more workmen tomorrow. We removed also a stone (i67) belonging to f188 to have a clear west section, very important for the stratigraphy. The stone wall f259 was cleaned from two floating stones left on top of it from the previous season. f 196 sg Today in the daily site meeting gB, fAB and J01 staff discussed about the strategy for the future excavation in the light of the last results. The main question regards f196, the early escarpment that seems to rise against the wall to the West. So next days we will start to enlarge to the West J01 excavation to expose the early escarpment. It could be helpful to understand the general situation of the bottom of the revetment wall and the plaza to the west. -sg In the light of last results, after the daily site meeting with gB and fAB, the J01 beginning plans have been in part changed. After the removal of f241 on top of the early escarpment many questions are arisen. First the surface of the escarpment is badly preserved and this is probably due to flowing waters. In fact the escarpment is well preserved next to the revetment wall, where plastic material as pure clay and baqaia are used to avoid the seepage of water, but to the south where it is sloping sharply there is a shallow hollow. This fact probably compromised a good understanding of the relationships with the other features like f259 and f279. We decided to leave the feature f196 as we found because we could risk to cut into Chalcolithic levels. Another important element is that the early escarpment is sharply arising next to the wall, going to the west. For this reason we will excavated to the west (contrary the beginning plans) in order to expose the ancient escarpment and to check its relationship with the big flat stones of J05f188. This excavation should help to understand the general situation of the terrace and the plaza in its west edge where it is supposed to arise. J05 excavation is oriented exactly to solve this open question and this is even more interesting in the light of last results. .rd T723 .ri lC -dy Today in k127 we just cleaned and brushed the surface looking for more mud bricks belonging to f296, after the removal of f306. We excavated just in the upper step, k129 set upped today by Adeed. We considered the first 5 cms as topsoil f308, because the area has been exposed for at least four years. Then we started to remove f310, a natural multi-layer accumulation similar to other layers found more or less at the same elevation, all over the J01 area in the previous seasons. -sg Today right before breakfast short site meeting between fAB, gB, lC and aGA. gB suggested to remove f309, probably the first escarpment or something associated to Chalcolithic levels, to collect pottery to date it. For now we left it waiting to finish excavating in k129. We discussed also about the cut that seems to cut f309 running from east to the west. fAB showed that probably a sloping surface is connected to the cut and this seems a good area to start to excavate looking for the Chalcolithic wall f288. k 127 dy Today we just cleaned the northern part of the locus looking for mud bricks belonging to f296. Because of a change of strategy we stopped for now to excavate in k127 and we moved in the upper step to the west, new k129, to expose the later escarpment and to check the relationships between the row of flat limestone slabs J05f188 and the escarpments. .rd T725 .ri lC -dy Today we took photos of k127 and we continued to excavated in k129. We removed f310 a natural accumulation constituted of different layers of sandy and clayish soil. Inside it there was a lens of reddish material f311, similar to baqaya, very badly preserved that we removed today. Below the accumulation f310 we found a new feature, similar in composition to f310 but more compact and grayish in color. At the very end of the day in the north-western corner of k129 we started to find a sherds and pebbles pavement that tomorrow we will continue to uncover. f 310 ds Natural accumulation constituted of several different layers. It alternates layers with really fine sands probably formed by the wind and layers with very compact sandy brown soil accumulated by the rain waters. It is in general very compact and the chunks came off usually following the sand layers. It doesn't have many sherds. It is probably the same of f212, and perhaps of f233. .rd T726 .ri lC -dy Today we finished to remove f312 uncovering a layer with many flat sherds and bones f313, maybe a pavement or most likely an accumulation. dM took photos of the big stones f314 components (1-4) in relationship with the Mitanni curtain wall f188, excavated five seasons ago, but also in relationship with f315, the second escarpment f239 and the West section of k129. Then we removed the big stones f314.1 and 314.2 and became clear that f314.1 was a big stone basin up side down (also i68) and f314.2 a probable big door socket (also i69). We removed the accumulation f316 below the two stones where we took also a soil sample (q1224.1) because it seemed to be some burnt seeds. And then we removed also accumulation f310 uncovering accumulation f313. -sg Site meeting with gB and fAB discussing about the stratigraphy and strategy for next days. f313, but most of all f315 seems really similar to f232, a Mitanni pavement excavated in 2006. We decided to remove also the stones f314.3 and f314.4 because accumulation f313 is clearly going under those. Before we want to take photos also with the other stones to the west in J5k100. So jW will excavate the accumulation in J5k100 to reach the same level of f313 and f315 that is a good stratigraphic sealing for the features below. The goal for the next days is to check the relationships between the accumulation f315 and the later escarpment but also to follow its slope to the south. It is not excluded that next days, having more workmen we will excavate both in k129 and k127. f 313 ds Accumulation with many sherds, small pebbles and bones (a cow horn, some jaws, a possible dog head recognizable). This accumulation seems to be less dense to the south. It is probably a second moment of the same accumulation f313 and f315, and anyway it is clear that they belong to the same time period. f 315 ds Layer with many sherds, small sized stones, pebbles and bones, just below f313, interpreted as a second moment of the same accumulation. To the north of k129, next to the stones J5f188 and below the stones of f314 it seems very compact. It could be also a pavement C, and it is in fact very similar to f232. Going to the south the number of sherds, bones and pebble decreases. .rd T727 .ri lC -dy Today we started taking pictures of k129 but we excavated just in k127. We got three more workmen so, after a short meeting with fAB, we started to remove f299 uncovering a clear surface sloping sharply to the east. f296 and f294 were scraped to see if there were more mud brick lines, but it came out that probably these two features are the same. We took a photo (v360) to show this and in any case we will keep the features separated. After site meeting with gB and fAB we continued to excavate f294 in order to expose the sloping surface or the ash and then go to the north removing f296, but we didn't have enough time today. Tomorrow probably we will start to excavate again in k129. -sg Daily site meeting with gB and fAB discussing strategy. gB proposed to expand to the south k128 but we have already started to remove f 294 so the strategy changed a little. Digging in a wide area seems easier to understand the complicated stratigraphy we have in this level. Next days we will continue to go down in all the southern half of k127 to turn after to the north looking for the face of the Chalcolithic wall f288. k 129 dy Today we didn't excavate in this locus because we have to take a good picture of the big stones lying next to the exposed later escarpment. These stones were in part still covered in J05k100 but tomorrow in the early morning we will be able to take pictures and then to remove the stones f314.3 and f314.4. k 127 dy Today we excavated just in this locus. We removed part of f299 and then we started to excavate f294 looking for the sloping surface found below f299. We didn't finish to remove f294 in its entire surface and probably we will finish tomorrow. Today Adeed put new corner markers for k127 reducing its dimensions for strategy reasons, to have a nice south section. f 299 ds Bricky accumulation with small ashy lenses. This feature is soft probably because it has been exposed for a season. It is reddish to brown in color and it is due to its mud brick texture. Just few sherds were recovered. dy Today we removed part of this feature. Its southern half wasn't removed because it goes in the baulk. It is different from f294 most of all for the colour, but texture and components are really similar. f 294 ds Layer with many fragments of mud brick. No complete mud bricks were recovered and the fragments are 5 to 15 cms in dimensions and yellow to red in colour. The feature has some small ashes lenses, accumulations of pure clay and fragments of baqaya. It is very compact and incoherent at the same time but it is almost the same all over the area we are excavating. Probably all these broken and dump materials have been used to built the later escarpment because f294 is interpreted as the bottom, perhaps the preparation for the ED III escarpment f239. Its texture is the same going deeper but the colour is slightly changing from a reddish yellow to a yellow tending to gray. dy Today we started to remove f294 that after a strong brushed seems to be the same of f296. We excavated this feature with small pick paying attention to keep all the pottery sherds and objects, very important for dating. Going deeper it is slightly changing in colour, with a greyish soil still full of mud brick fragments. At the end of the day we found a thin ashy layer and tomorrow we will check the relationship between f294, the thin ash layer (probably not the same of f278) and the sloping surface f317. wm clay co light brown c# 7.5YR6/4 hd >4.5 tx bricky .rd T728 .ri lC -dy We continued to remove f294 to the south baulk of k127. Then we moved to the north and we started to excavate f296 that seems much similar to f294. Probably both are still part of the second escarpment. In f296 we found many clay lumps and some sure sealing impressions (i71 and i72). At the end of the day we cleaned the entire excavated portion and we took photos of the surface highlighting the numerous fragments of mud brick. k 127 dy Today we finished to excavate f294 and we started to remove f296 to the north, until f309 probably the earlier escarpment cut in antiquity. At the end of the day we took a photo of the excavated area highlighting the numerous fragments of mud brick. k 129 dy Today we planned to remove the big stones f314.3 and 314.4, but in fact we removed just f314.3 because the other stone was too heavy to be carried up. In the afternoon some workmen supervised by Mohammed Omo will try to break it in some pieces. So tomorrow we will expose the floor all over k129 and then we will try to go down looking for the slope of the second escarpment. f 296 ds Layer with many broken red mud bricks. The top part is very granular and reddish in color. Many lines were detected last year, but actually it is an unorganized mass of broken mud bricks used as a fill for the construction of the second escarpment. Going down the feature is greyer in colour, but the texture is still the same. Many sherds and burnt bones were uncovered. It is very similar to f294. wm clay co pale red c# 7.5YR6/4 tx bricky, sandy f 294 nr On contrary of what said at the end of last season we think that probably f296 is the same of f294 and both belong to the construction of the second escarpment. First the texture of the features is the same, and it is very similar to f239, second to a first look to the pottery mKB asserts that f294 and f296 are identical to f239 and date clearly to ED III.