Architectural data for Unit J1

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Introduction

Below are listed a series of important architectural elements uncovered during the first five excavation seasons of the unit J1. These elements are organized in different categories, created following precise depositional and typological criteria:

(1) Structures: architectural elements that organize or limit circulation, planned and intentionally build up. For example walls or more complex structure like ^wall1 or ^str1.

(2) Installations: architectural elements that serve a single function, planned and intentionally build up with a precise organization of components. For example the different curtain walls ^curt1, ^curt2, the escarpments ^esc1 and ^esc2, or the pavements.

(3) Deposits: architectural elements distinguished by the different way they were laid down. For example the ashy accumulations ^ash1 or the J1 thick natural accumulations.

(4) Functional areas: Different architectural elements joint together and getting a particular function: ^wall1 and ^esc1 before and ^esc2 later, forming part of the big terrace complex.

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Structures

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Installations

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Deposits

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Functional areas

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Sacral Border

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Structures

The main structures found in J1 during the first 5 seasons of excavation belong to different periods.

(1)The most impressive and well known is the ED III revetment wall (^wall1), as part of the main terrace complex. The ED III Terrace Complex is constituted of the temple, the terrace itself, the glacis covering the terrace, the revetment wall, the escarpments linking terrace and plaza, and of course the monumental staircases. In J1 two of these elements have been excavated: the ED III revetment wall, exposed here for the first time, and the succession of the two escarpments (^esc1 and ^esc2). The J1 excavation, looking at the beginning for the base of ^wall1 and then for the surface of the plaza, allowed a better understanding of the link between terrace and plaza, showing the succession of revetment wall, escarpment and finally plaza.

(2)The other important J1 stone structure is ^str1, formed by two bonded walls, ^wall2 and ^wall3, possibly dating to LC3, as shown by the pottery coming from the small sounding at the base of ^wall2. This structure (^str1) seems having the same purpose of the later ED III structures. This is assumed mainly on the basis of the nature and the location of the structure itself, at the base of the ED III revetment wall. Moreover ^wall2, running almost parallel to ^wall1, matches almost exactly this later wall. Beside these clear evidences, there are many other stratigraphic elements, like the differences between accumulations to west and to east, the presence of early material to the north, below the level of the actual terrace and the correlations with the other excavation units as J5, J2 and J6 in primis, that allow us to safely assume the presence of a Late Chalcolithic mound, probably in form of a terrace.

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Installations

Different kinds of installation have been recovered in J1. They can be divided in escarpments (1), curtain walls (2) and pavements (3).

(1) The two escarpments are clearly part of a bigger construction, the monumental temple terrace.

(a)The original function of the ED III escarpment (^esc1) was to link the base of the ED III revetment wall (^wall1) with the lower level of the plaza. This was probably due also to aesthetic reasons and to the more difficulties to build a wall more than 5 meters high, lasting for a long span of time.

(b)The second escarpment (^esc2) is very different from the previous one, in fact is bigger, more irregular and it has also a different function. The main purpose of ^esc2 was to protect the base of the ED III revetment wall from the strong erosion that, at least in J1 damaged deeply the ^esc1 (in fact to the west in J5 the situation looks different). Moreover ^esc2, not being a primary part of the structure of the terrace, but a sort of later rearrangement, is built of simply dumping bricky material.

(2) The curtain walls are shallow screen walls forming a sort of boundary, more interior-spiritual than real. They in fact are really shallow (^curt2), built of a course of stone or at the most of two courses. ^curt1 is constituted of few scattered stones, forming a really wake boundary. Their purpose was to divide the people walking in the plaza, from the space of the terrace and the base of the wall, when the plaza started to be filled up in Mittani period and the escarpment was in great part covered. The ^curt3 is constituted of many big stones sitting at the base of the revetment wall (^wall1). This installation seems more a bench than a curtain wall and could, this show some kind of change in perception? Before a boundary and then a sitting place at the base of the wall, perhaps as the apron? In fact we have to say that ^curt3 is a particular case and also its date is not completely clear. The stones belonging to ^curt3 are sitting right on top of the material of the ^esc2 and so it could date to ED III.

(3) In J1 some pavements have been uncovered. ^pav1 and ^pav2 are very similar, both date to Early Mittani and are constituted of a big amount of sherds and pebbles. On top of these pavements were recovered many bones showing an intensive use of these open areas. The pavements are very different from the other natural surfaces of sherds and materials found in J1 and interpreted as natural accumulations. ^pav1 and ^pav2 are clearly organized and intentionally set out. ^pav2 is also very extended in surface from east to west, and seems forming a sort of shallow hollow to the south of ^wall3, with a slope coming from west and another from east, following the higher levels underneath. ^pav3 is dating to Ninevite 5 period and it is constituted of very small components (pebbles and sherds). It is very similar to Ninevite 5 pavements found to the east in J2.

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Deposits

Different kinds of deposits have been uncovered in J1. They are almost all coming from natural depositional processes.

(1) ^ash1 for example seems showing a later accumulation covering the eroded surface of the ^esc1, more than packing material for the ^esc2. Then it was covered by the fills for the construction of ^esc2. ^ash2 instead is part of the filling of ^esc1 and was right on top of ^wall2, used as filling dump material, like often happens (in J1 we can mention f303 and f320).

(2) The typical accumulations found in J1 are natural accumulations, and this of course is due to the kind of context we are excavating. J1 is the excavation located in the northern end of the plaza, the big open space extending to the south of the terrace, remarking its monumental aspect. The greatest amount of J1 accumulations date to Mittani period when the plaza was probably blocked to the south from some buildings and Urkesh was by then starting to lose for ever its importance. The plaza was kept clean for about 1300 years, from Ninevite 5 to Mittani period, when it started to fill up. The lower accumulations ^acc1 are semi natural and created by material washed from the surrounding areas. The accumulations covering the upper part of the revetment wall, ^acc2, are also semi natural but they still show the human presence in form of people walking in this open area and not in any other kind of activity as pit, burials or tannurs. The latest accumulations ^acc3 are extremely natural, with a much smaller amount of sherds and other materials. These last accumulations are linked with the abandonment of the site.