.bk J01
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.fd Journal
;.fn included T816lc.j,T817lc2.j,T817lc.j,T818lc.j,T819lc.j (U814lc)
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a 8
df Stone structure
G11 f259
G11 f288
ds Some kind of structure constituted of two big stone walls f259 and f288 dating to Late Chalcolithic period. Wall f259 is running north to south and it is bonded with wall f288. Both the walls are damaged either by natural water erosion or by later human cuts. The function of the structure forming a sort of L, is not clear yet. It could be part of a structure linked to a Late Chalcolithic mound, as boundary for the plaza to the east, but also used to divert waters coming from the west, and surrounding the mound. It is not excluded that this structure could be part of a public or private building, but further excavations are required because this year we won't have time to expose it in its entirety.

-dy Today we finished to remove f347 in k127, uncovering a new layer f350, an orange accumulation full of charcoal fragments, pieces of burnt bones and small white chunks. Also this feature was in part excavated in order to look for the bottom of wall f288 that is continuing to the east, but also it is deeper. Next to a8 we are still removing f345 that seems to have also ashy lenses. One of these lenses was thicker and, because there was a clear semicircular edge I thought it could be a pit. But looking for the edge we saw that is a true layer so we assigned a new number f354. Removing this layer, more collapsed stones were uncovered. These stones seem sitting in f347, and there are at least two levels of collapsed stones. In k129 we removed f343 (pebbles alignment) and the accumulation f346 uncovering floor f351, that was soon removed to follow the baqaya f353 going down.

k 129
dy Today we removed f343 (pebbles alignment) and the accumulation f346 uncovering floor f351, that was soon removed to follow the baqaya f353 going down, along the western face of wall f259.

k 127
dy Today we finished to remove f347, uncovering a new layer f350, a orange accumulation full of charcoal fragments, pieces of burnt bones and small white chunks. Also this feature was in part excavated in order to look for the bottom of wall f288, that is continuing to the east, but also it's going deeper. Next to a8 we are still removing f345 that seems to have also ashy lenses. One of these lenses was thicker and, because there was a clear semicircular edge I thought it could be a pit. But looking for the edge we saw that is a true layer so we assigned a new number f354. Removing this layer, more collapsed stones were uncovered. These stones seem sitting in f347, and there are at least two levels of collapsed stones.

-wk Today Juan Hassan left J01 to work as pick man in J06.

f 350
ds Accumulation with traces of burnt, small fragments of bones, white chunks and some clayish brown patches. Removing it appears similar to f347 that was above. It seems a natural accumulation linked perhaps to the abandonment of the structure a8 and the orange traces are probably small fragments of broken mud bricks completely melted, also because the soil is very wet.

f 345
ds Accumulation found below f340. This accumulation presents a compact surface reddish-orange in color with many small pebbles and white chunks, and with some fragments of broken mud bricks. At first it was proposed that it could be a sort of Late Chalcolithic escarpment but it is too flat and irregular to this function. It is probably a sort of accumulation linked to a8. Removing it we found some thin ashy lenses. Next to the walls f259 and f288 it shows, as f340, traces of brown pure clay, probably coming from water seepages along the faces of the stones.

-sm This third week of excavation has pushed us close to the goals of the beginning of the season. Walls f259 and f288 as proposed a couple of weeks ago are related, and in fact are bonded. So also wall f259 is clearly dating to Late Chalcolithic period. The two walls create a kind of L shaped structure, a8. We uncovered wall f288 removing the filling of esc1 that seems showing, for now, almost all LC sherds. This could be explained, as gB and fAB suggest, with a reuse of LC material belonging to a previous mound. The idea is that the LC mound was probably cut in the lower part of the slope and the material reused to make bricks or to create the escarpment. It could also be that the ED people just add a small layer of clay creating the surface of the early escarpment. Wall f259 presents damage to its northern corner and it is probably due to water coming from the West. Below f345 many stones are visible, and we think that all those could belong to the collapse of the two walls. The goals for the next week are to reach the bottom of the wall f288 to see its height and to uncover the western face of wall f259 to see its construction.

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-dy In k129, we are continuing the small probe sounding. The two patches of baqaya f342 and f353 were removed to see the western face of wall f259, that seems built of just one row of stones. Moreover the thick layer of baqaya f353 doesn't abut the face of the wall. Also the floor f352 was in part removed, but leaving a small witness to the west. In k127 we assigned a new number to a thick ash layer below f345, that seems running from east to south-west also abutting the face of wall f259. It was uncovered removing a part of f345 still in place in the southern half of the locus. Looking for the bottom of wall f288 we removed accumulation f350 and the accumulation f355, showing a harder surface, orange in color, similar to that one of f350. Just few centimeters below we found three orange mud brick in line running north to south and going under the base of wall f288. The wall is stopping and we took pictures showing it. We stopped here because the goal is reached and because the situation starts to be too complex to be excavated in a such small area. Next to the bricks f356 we found also i75, i.e. two complete obsidian blades, a flint flake and a clay wheel.

k 129
dy Here we are continuing the small probe sounding. The two patches of baqaya f342 and f353 were removed to see the western face of wall f259, that seems built of just one row of stones. Moreover the thick layer of baqaya f353 doesn't abut the face of the wall. Also the floor f352 was in part removed, but leaving a small witness to the west.

k 127
dy In k127 we assigned a new number to a thick ash layer below f345, that seems running from east to south-west also abutting  the face of wall f259. It was uncovered removing a part of f345 still in place in the southern half of the locus. Looking for the bottom of wall f288 we removed accumulation f350 and the accumulation f355, showing a harder surface, orange in color, similar to that one of f350. Just few centimeters below we found three orange mud brick in line running north to south and going under the base of wall f288. The wall is stopping and we took pictures showing it. We stopped here because the goal is reached and because the situation starts to be too complex to be excavated in a such small area. Next to the bricks f356 we found also i75, i.e. two complete obsidian blades, a flint flake and a clay wheel.

-sg Today we found the base of wall f288, so the first important goal is reached. We decided to stop here also because the situation is really complex with the bricks f356 running north to south and many other fragments to the west, perhaps belonging to other kinds of structures. The last three days we will concentrate the efforts in removing the accumulations and probably also the numerous collapsed stones to uncover the face of a8. In k127 we are still going deeper in the small sounding, and we will continue until a good part of the western face of wall f259 is exposed.

f 352
ds Floor with some traces of laminations. It is very compact with a hard surface, and during its removal, it came out in small flakes, showing that probably has been exposed for a long time to the waters and sun. It is sloping to the south with two different angles, slightly to the north and sharply to the south. It is clearly abutting wall f259.

f 353
ds Patch of baqaya. It was next to the wall f259 but it wasn't abutting it. Anyway its function could be to protect the wall from the water coming from the west, as the upper layer of baqaya f342. It is quite thick and it seems to fill a shallow hollow. No much pottery has been recovered.

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-dy In k127 we continued to excavate in front of walls f259 and f288 to expose their faces. We assigned a new feature number f358 to an accumulation, found in part below f345 and below the ashy accumulation f354 that is extending to the south next to the face of wall f259. Once removed completely the ashy layer we started to remove this accumulation uncovering other medium sized collapsed stones. To the north, almost in the middle of the excavated area we uncovered a layer of small pebbles embedded in a brown accumulation with few sherds. This layer is not so compact, but enough distinctive to assign a new number, f359. Next to the end of the day we cleaned all the collapsed stones f336 and f349 to take pictures next day. In k129 we continued to remove the floor f351 uncovering many different layers of floor surfaces formed by natural agents. We didn't continue to work here after breakfast because one workman left for private problems.

k 127
dy Today we continued to excavate in front of walls f259 and f288 to expose their faces. We assigned a new feature number f358 to an accumulation found in part below f345 and below the ashy accumulation f354 that is extending to the south next to the face of wall f259. Once removed completely the ashy layer we started to remove this accumulation uncovering other medium sized collapsed stones. To the north, almost in the middle of the excavated area we uncovered a layer of small pebbles embedded in a brown accumulation with few sherds. This layer is not so compact, but enough distinctive to assign a new number, f359. Next to the end of the day we cleaned all the collapsed stones f336 and f349 to take pictures next day.

k 129
dy In k129 we continued to remove the floor f351 uncovering many different layers of floor surfaces formed by natural agents. We didn't continue to work here after breakfast because one workman left for private problems.

-sg Site meeting with fAB. We decided for these last two days to remove the collapsed stones f336 and f349, checking carefully that they are not belonging to any structure. We will remove at first the upper floating stones f352 and then the lower ones. So we will expose a wider area of LC levels and this will allow us to uncover more surface of the faces of a8. We decided also to remove the floating stones f339 and the accumulations filling the break f344 inside the wall f259. So we will have a nice west section showing the sequence of late escarpment and what below to it, most of all the lower accumulations already excavated in the southern small sounding and sloping to the south. This will also show if the stone wall f288 is continuing to the west or stops in the corner with wall f259.

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f 325
ds Pavement built of medium to small sized pebbles (4-12 cms) and many sherds, lying almost flat, embedded in a very compact brown soil. The pavement doesn't have an homogenous surface. In some areas it has many small sherds, in other many more pebbles. It is quite thick toward east and west with different layers of sherds and pebbles. Unlike the upper pavements this doesn't have so many bones. It is sloping slightly to the south.

f 326
ds Floating stone perhaps belonging to the alignment f188, the Mittani curtain wall. It seems to be deeper than all the other stones belonging to the curtain wall.

f 327
ds Hard accumulation brown to dark gray in color, on top of the floor f317. This accumulation is very compact and constituted of the same material as the underneath sloping floor, from which it is separated by a clear surface. The accumulation is composed by a clayish soil full of small charcoal fragments and white (gypsum?) chunks. It looks like an accumulation of material hardly compacted by water. No mud bricks fragments recovered.

f 328
ds Four big stones. Three of these (f328.1, f328.2 and f328.4) were forming a sort of alignment north to south. Just a thin accumulation of soil was below the stones, dividing them from pavement f325. This sort of alignment seems working as boundary, or maybe to divert water coming from the west during the Mittani period. The line could continue to the south but more excavation is required. The big stone f328.1 because of its inclination could also be fallen from the stones next to the revetment wall.

f 329
ds Soft accumulation of brown to orange soil. It shows some orange mud brick fragments and some pebbles. It isn't homogeneous, with some ashy patches. It could be the first Late Chalcolithic level below the ED III cut and filling to the north next to wall f288.

f 330
ds This feature was assigned to remove the east baulk of k129. It includes f315, f319, f322, f323, f325.

f 331
ds Big isolated stone, probably floating or belonging to f188, Mittani curtain wall. It is in line also with stones of f314.

f 332
ds Small installation of sherds and pebbles inside f327. Some sherds are lying flat, other are vertical. It doesn't seem a kind of structure or pavement but just a compact patch with a higher concentration of sherds and pebbles, probably formed by natural accumulation.

f 333
ds Floating stone next to another floating stone f334. This stone is to the south to other stones f314, almost at the same level but too far to be part of the alignment. Moreover all the levels underneath are sloping, so this stone is much above the pavement f325, on which the other stones f314 are almost resting on.

f 334
ds Floating stone south of the stone alignment f314. Probably this stone doesn't belong to the alignment, because it is higher in level and much above the sloping pavement f325, on which the other stones are almost resting on.

f 335
ds Stone and sherd installation similar to f332, but more extended in surface. It is not very compact. The sherds are almost flat, following the slight slope of the accumulation below, to the east and to the south. The sherds are big in size and all quite thick. It seems likely, just a patch with a major concentration of sherds and pebbles, created by natural accumulation.

f 336
ds Collapsed stones, likely from walls f259 and f288. It is just the first level of stones, probably showing a collapse happened in different moments. It forms a sort of alignment running north to south, parallel to wall f259, about one meter far from it. The stone are medium to big in size and some lay flat, other are slightly inclined to the east.
ar Could these stones be something different from a collapse? Unfortunatly we can't date exactly the collapse of the eastern part (and if it's natural or a volontary manmade action) of ^str1, because of the later cuts. So could these stones be stored for the construction of the revetment wall? It seems that the accumulations below are still dating to the EDIII as shown by the sounding in k130. It is an interesting question, but so far we didn't get a clear answer, and the hypothesis of the collapse remains the most plausible.

f 339
ds Group of irregular stones, medium to big in size. The stones are on top of the cut f344 and next to the wall f288, but they are clearly not belonging to these walls. These stones are perhaps part of the accumulations to the west of wall f259 but more likely are part of the structure of early escarpment f196. The stones are embedded in a bricky material similar to the filling of ^esc1, and the surface of the escarpment was here eroded from waters that uncovered the stones.

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-dy Today we started removing two stones f361.1 and f362.2. These were two big floating stones, perhaps showing a second moment of the collapse of the walls f259 and f288 shown by the stones f336 and f349. Then we removed the accumulation f359 with small pebbles and numerous stone flakes maybe coming from the collapse of the big stones. More stones of the walls f259 and f288 were exposed. And it seems that the stones forming the lower part of both walls are quite big and regular in shape. In the small sounding of k129 we finished removing f352 uncovering another natural compacted floor f364. Then we started removing the compact red to brown in color accumulation f363 to the north finding more pebbles of f343. Once removed those pebbles and checked that the stones of f339 were floating, or at least not belonging either to wall f259 nor f288, and just resting on top of f343 we removed them, except for f339.5, a big stone clearly embedded in the early escarpment. The ash f341, probably dating to Late Chalcolithic was just on top of these stones.

k 127
dy Today we started removing two stones f361.1 and f362.2. These were two big floating stones, perhaps showing a second moment of the collapse of the walls f259 and f288 shown by the stones f336 and f349. Then we removed the accumulation f359 with small pebbles and numerous stone flakes maybe coming from the collapse of the big stones. More stones of the walls f259 and f288 were exposed. And it seems that the stones forming the lower part of both walls are quite big and regular in shape.

k 129
dy In the small sounding we finished to remove f352 uncovering another natural compacted floor f364. Then we started to remove the compact red to brown in color accumulation f363 to the north finding more pebbles of f343. Once removed those pebbles and checked that the stones of f339 were floating, or at least not belonging neither to wall f259 nor f288, and just resting on top of f343 we removed them, except for f339.5, a big stone clearly embedded in the early escarpment. The ash f341, probably dating to Late Chalcolithic was just on top of these stones.

-sg Small meeting today to highlight the goals for this season. We are almost done, and the only change in the strategy was to not remove the collapsed stones f336 and f349, first because it is a big job, being the stones numerous and quite big in size. Second because the stones show clearly the collapse of the walls f259 and f288, in at least two different moments. Some Units will excavate also this afternoon, but we don't need this extra time. Tomorrow, the last day of excavation, we will finish the northern sounding in k129 and we will clean all the area and the stones both of the structure a8 and of the collapse.

-wk Today we had just two pick men, but this won't compromise our proceeding, because we are almost done for the excavation of this year.

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-dy Last day of excavation. Today we cleaned all the k127 area, removing the last few cms of f359 to the north and removing few cms of f362. Then we cleaned all the collapsed stones and highlighted the stones of walls f288 and f259. Major excavations were carried on in k131, where we finished removing f363 uncovering baqaya f353 going to the north. Once removed the baqaya we found a soft natural accumulation f365 covering three other features: f352 a floor continuing to the south, f366 another soft natural accumulation and f367. We started removing f366 and f367 that seem to be a later filling in a sort of channel excavated by flowing waters. This damage that is labeled as f344 in the wall f259 continues to the west and cuts the floor f352 and the hard accumulations below.

k 127
dy Today, last day of excavation, we cleaned all the k127 area, removing the last few cms of f359 to the north and removing few cms of f362. Then we cleaned all the collapsed stones and highlighted the stones of walls f288 and f259.

k 131
dy Major excavations were carried on in k131, where we finished removing f363 uncovering baqaya f353 going to the north. Once removed the baqaya we found a soft natural accumulation f365 covering three other features: f352 a floor continuing to the south, f366 another soft natural accumulation and f367. We started removing f366 and f367 that seem to be a later filling in a sort of channel excavated by flowing waters. This damage that is labeled as f344 in the wall f259 continues to the west and cuts the floor f352 and the hard accumulations below.

k 130
ds Small sounding irregular in shape because of the presence of many stones carried inside k127. It measures about 140 cms north to south and and 170 east to west. The sounding was excavated to reach the bottom of wall f288, really important to understand the function and the structural elements of a8.
nl This locus was declared at the end of the excavation to show more clearly a group of feature related to each other and excavated in this small sounding.

k 131
ds Small sounding of irregular shape excavated in between k127 and k129. It measures about 140 cms north to south and 170 cms east to west. The sounding was excavated to show the western face of wall f259 and the likely high presence of Chalcolithic levels to the west. Then it was expanded to the north looking for the corner between walls f259 and f288 and the possibly causes of damage f344 inside wall f259.
nl This locus was declared at the end of excavation to show more clearly a group of related feature a9.

a 9
ds Succession of natural floors and natural accumulations against which the inclined wall f259 was built. These layers are all abutting the stone wall f259, that we assume built to retain accumulation from the west. These features present more and more Late Chalcolithic sherds going deeper, but probably they are still Ninivite 5 in date. This makes sense because we are still high and probably the wall was used and visible for a long time, probably until Mittani period. Moreover these materials are washed from the west.
G11 f338
G11 f353
G11 f346
G11 f351
G11 f352
G11 f364

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a 8
ar The function of this structure is not clear yet. It has a L shape and a this level of excavation we don't know how much the wall f288 is continuing to the east. Moreover it is likely that the wall f259 is also continuing toward south, perhaps at a lower level and further excavation is required. First of all the two walls, even being bonded, could have different functions, the western wall f259 probably was a sort of coating wall retaining the accumulations from the west and probably the waters flowing. The northern wall f288 can have the same function or perhaps working as retaining wall for a possible Chalcolithic terrace. We know that there was erosion and much water coming from west that caused the break f344 in wall f259. The northern wall was in part cut in ED III period, but because to the east it is very poorly preserved (just a row of stones) probably was already broken in antiquity for some reasons. Unfortunately for now it is impossible to check the kind of accumulations to the north of wall f288, both behind the preserved and the eroded portion, to see eventually the differences in features typology. Another question regards to its construction, because it seems that at the bottom the two walls, and most of all f259, have very big and almost squared stones, quite different from the upper rows. It could be linked to the fact that they belong to the foundations or they could show two different construction periods.

f 337
ds Thin accumulation below pavement f325. It is very hard and shows the prints of the sherds and pebbles belonging to the pavement above. It is composed of clayish soil with baqaya patches, very compacted from the use of the pavement. The soil is brown in color, and clearly natural in origin. It is about 5 cms thick.

f 338
ds Floor slightly sloping to the south. Its surface is very hard and shows signs of long exposition. The surface is gray, but the floor is made of orange very compacted clay. This surface is the first of a series of natural sloping surfaces to the south. 
I11 A first pottery analysis seems showing a Ninivite 5 date for this feature, but just few sherds were recovered.

f 340
ds Accumulation or probably fill. We assigned this number to distinguish the pottery from the surface to the core of esc1. This can be interpreted as the core of the early escarpment and there isn't a clear distinction between the material used for f196 and f340. This because we suppose that the esc1 was built with material found around dating to LC, probably adding just a clay surface with contemporary sherds.

f 341
ds Thin ash layer found all along the western preserved portion of wall f288. This ash layer was also covering in part the stones of f339. It doesn't have to be confused with the ash f241, recovered in its vicinity, but in between the two escarpments and for this reason so much later. Because in this area the surface of ^esc1 was eroded, the two ashy layers were almost adjoining.

f 342
ds Small band of baqaya found next to the western face of wall f259. This baqaya is really thin and about 15 cms wide. It is abutting the wall and probably it was protecting it from the water coming from West. This could also be part of the more compact baqaya f353 found just a little deeper.

f 343
ds Alignment of pebbles running north to South. These pebbles were just below the surface of pebble and sherd pavement f325, so at first we though they could belong to it. But this alignment is very straight and continues also to the north below esc2 so it is something much earlier then the pavement f325 (Mittani). It is interpreted as a kind of boundary, in some way linked to baqaya f342 and to the wall f259, that are almost parallel.

f 344
ds Cut of wall f259 probably produced by the waters coming from west that excavated this sort of window between the stones of wall f259. This cut continues to the north and it is filled by soft accumulations as f366, f367 and in part by the core of esc1.

f 345
ds Hard surface composed by bricky material, full of white chunks. This layer is abutting a8 and is going almost flat to the south, where it was cut from the ED III people in order to built the ^esc2, or from the erosion. It has a sharp edge. It is probably one of the last accumulations linked to the use of structure a8, before the construction of ^esc1, that is right above it.

f 346
ds Natural sandy accumulation found below the sloping floor f338. It is soft and brown in color with just few sherds. It is interpreted as one of the different natural accumulations found in between the numerous sloping natural floor as f351 and f352 to the west of the stone wall f259.