.bk J04
.fl Q816sC.j
.fd daily journal Q816
.rd Q816
.ri sC

.ed Q816
.ei sC

-sf mNH stayed at home after breakfast (he was not feeling very well). At 11am, cC, aS and vN stayed at home with pC, who explained them how to make templates.

-sg Today we had a meeting in the field with gB, mKB, fAB and jO in order to discuss and plan the strategy for the work in J4. The main concern is to find a strategy which allow us to reach this excavation season's goal: to understand what happened in the area located to the E of the monumental staircase.; Concerning the area linking J2 and J4, some question are open, i.e.: did the "primary" and the "secondary" apron existed also on the E of  the monumental staircase (where k82 and k83 are located)? Was the apron close to the E? And, if not, to what was it related? And, do we have the apron in J4? At present, by looking at k82 and k83 (which are almost at the same elevation of the "secondary" apron in J2) there are no elements that indicate the presence of the "secondary" apron in these units. We all agree that in k82 and k83 something happened, and that, at least in the second millennium, this area must have been re-organized/rebuilted/reconstructed. fAB stressed this aspect, linking it with the probable rebuilding/re-arrangement of the "secondary" apron  that probably took place in the Mittani period. At present, evidence indicates that the "secondary" may have been built in this period (i.e. the top half of the stone staircase in J2). gB explained the main re-arrangement in the area occurring in this time (which are also evident in the different "organization"/discontinuity and/or accuracy of the steps between the lower and upper part of the staircase): 1) the big stone with a flat surface which sits on an accumulation on the top of the  "primary" apron; 2) the second/later phase of the wall E (running NE-SW) to the monumental staircase at the height of the primary apron; 3) the "change" in the staircase, i.e. the secondary apron itself. Therefore, it is possible that the re-arrangement in the stone staircase could have interested also the area on the E of the monumental staircase, where k82 and k83 are located. Concerning J4, we do have some clear information. These are represented by the N section of k82 and k71, in particular: a) the stones/bricky material found in the cleaning of the N section of k82. The section shows a double line of aligned stones (little in dimension) sitting on top of two lines of big stones (prob. belonging to a wall, running W-E); on the top of these little stones, a red layer is visible, which probably is what remains of a mudbrik construction. fAB underlines that this type of construction tecnique is known from the Palace; here, it has been used as a preparation for building walls in mudbrick. Therefore, this seems to indicate that in a later period/phase a structure/construction/platform was located here. The E limit of this structure/construction/platform seems to be preserved (in the section we can notice that at some point the alligned little stones end, and in that place a big calcar stone is located).

-sg CONTINUED What gB underlined, is that in somehow this "structure" is in connection with the re-arranging of the area in later times. pC stressed that, if this is the case, this "structure" would have stopped the passage -in this area- of the staircase. Unluckyly the German trench cuts this area, making thus difficult for us to know the real dimensions (and the nature) of this platform/structure/construction to the W. ; What is left, on the W side, aprox at the bottom of the German trench is a red accumulation of mudbricky material which, in the past, has been always interpreted as a "tower". jO stressed that the red layer visible in the N section of k81 could be part of the same platform/structure/construction of at least linked with it. ; b) aligned stones in k71; In k71, the German trench C2 already exposed a series of aligned stones (to which we assigned a feature number, f10; the feature is constituited by stones still in place and by a series of floating ones, the latter ones located close to the E section of the unit). Concerning their elevation, these are slight higher respect to the "secondary" apron W of the monumental staircase in J02; furthermore, they do not look as being part of a specular apron (as suggested by pP in her reconstruction). However, f10 does present a particular shape: the stones form an angle which does suggest the existence of a particular construction here. On the basis of this particular shape, gB suggested that we have to look where these stones end, since they can be linked either with a possible specular primary or "secondary" apron in this area (if existed), and more probably, with the revetment wall, which should run some m below the surface where k62 and k63 are located.; Therefore, the strategy for J4 will be the following: we will dig in k62, k63 and k74, looking for the presence/continuation in these units of a structure delimited by these "oblique" oriented stones of k71 in k62 and k63, and, secondly, to reach in these units the same elevation of k82 and k83. While doing so, we may find (in case the apron was a specular construction) the "secondary" and more probably the primary apron (it is more likely that the first phase of this construction is still preserved). It is also probable that we are going to expose the top of the revetment wall within one of these units. In fact gB underlines that, whatever happened to the primary and "secondary" apron in this area (if they existed here), the revetment wall should indeed be still in place, and it should be located aprox. were k62 and k63 are. Once we will have a better understanding if the "secondary"/primary apron did exist, and find the revetment wall, we will then dig in k82 and k83 in order to understand what happened to these structures in these unit.

-wk Today I got two new workmen: Senn Hamu (he will be working in k63) and Ibrahim Hessu (he will be working in k74)

-mk Today we removed marker 3664 (SW corner of k72)

-dy dM took two shots early in the morning, in order to have two general views of the staircase in J2, k82, the N section of k82 and of f18 in k81 (v13). However, the picture do not look as expected (the red in the N section of k82 and k81 is not visible). 

-dy Today was still left in these units, k83and k82, some dirt from yesterday's cleaning. Once the workmen finished the cleaning I moved the team to k63.

k 72
dy Today we continued digging f14 with the big pick all the unit (q31, q36). The idea of using the S baulk as a "ramp" to remove the dirt from the area worked really well. Two other floating stones appeared from today's excavation within this unit; since they look to be in the same line as f19 (the floating stone close to the W section), I decided to attribuite them the same feature number, i.e. f19.1 (r14, r15, r16, r17), f19.2 (r18, r19, r20, r21), f19.3 (r22, r23, r24, r25). I am aspecting to expose some others tomorrow, as we are reaching the same elevation of k82. f14 is characterized a very fine texture and is a bit clayish (it leaves color on fingers). We have almost reached the same elevation of the bottom of the German trench C2 in k71, therefore, by tomorrow morning (prob. before breakfast) I will move the workmen to k62. The surface that we are exposing, looks a bit different in colour (it is a bit reddish). Finished day by cleaning most of the area (in the S area there is some dirt left from today's excavation) and respective baulks.

k 73
dy Today we finished removing f13 with the big pick in the whole unit (q30). Once reached the same elevation of the German trench bottom in k71 I moved the team working to k74. We stop digging in this unit at the elevation of m4250 +16 -156. 

k 74
dy We opened this locus today. k74 is of 500mx500m and is delimited by the following markers: m4294 (NE), m3833 (SE), m3841 (SW) and m4293 (NW). We started by removing firstly the little bushes and then the topsoil f24 (q34) in all the area. The topsoil in this square turned to be particulary thick (15 cm in depth) and very rich in roots, which gave to the surface a dark brown colour. Once removed, we assigned f25 to the first 15 cm of accumulation under the topsoil (which seemes to be a natural accumulation, as we have removed during the previous days in k72 and k73). f25 presents a blocky and very compact consistence, which seemed a bit difficult to remove, it is characterized by a fine texture and by the presence of rooths; it is a bit dusty when removed. We assigned another feature number to the accumulation under f25 although there was no change in the soil matrix (in order to better keep track of the pottery that comes from this unit).

k 63
dy k63 is a new locus of 500mx500m. It is delimited by the following markers: m4303 (NE), m4304 (SE), m4243 (SW) and m4302 (NW). We started by removing firstly the little bushes and then the topsoil f22 (q32) in all the area. The topsoil in this square turned to be just few cm deep thick (aprox. 4-7cm) and was light grey in colour and as very rich in roots; once removed, the accumulation has a dark brown colour (due to the roots and organic material). f22 had a blocky structure, crumble and a bit dusty when removed. Once removed, we assigned f23 to the first 15 cm of accumulation under the topsoil (which seemes to be the same natural accumulation already excavated in units k72, k73). f23 presents characteristics similar to the topsoil f24 (crumble and soft consistence, fine texture, dusty when removed, and presence of roots). Once finished removing f23 at the end of the day. We decided that tomorrow we will assign another feature number to the accumulation under it, although there is no change in the soil matrix (in order to better keep track of the pottery that comes from this unit).