Installations in unit J4

Yasmine Mahmoud – July 2023

Synopsis
Discussion

Synopsis

f38	floor type b in k64. Surface laid with few pebbles and sherds	v23
f154	floor type b in k73. Surface laid with sherds	v74
^bin1	f93 bin installation of the Mittani period (^a2).	v61
f156	stone installation in the north section of k100.	v63
f112	tannur in k72.	v73
f152	tannur in k73	v74
f163	tannur in k74.	v73c
f165	tannur in k80.	v68
f85 f86	cut and fill in k84.	v55
f136 f137	cut and fill in k136 and k100.	v72
^Glacis4	f127, f77 Glacis layer in k72 and k82.	v74 v53
^Glacis3	f150, f158 Glacis layer in k72 and k82.	v75 v85

Discussion

Floors

Not many floors were found in J4. The only layers that were intentionally laid (besides the Glacis) are f38, f143 and f154, where the last two are labeled a pavement type c since it is laid with sherds. f38 was labeled floor type d by the excavator as it is naturally compacted.

Bin installation

Semicircular bin installation f93 is the only one found in J4. The bin’s function is not very clear. A tannur f112, is very close to it resting on one of the bin’s borders, f161 and f162, however, no other structures or installations are close to it. The bin was empty, and the only assumption that we can make is that it might have been used for storage, especially that the area in question was no longer in use at that period (late Mittani).

stone installation

The line stone installation f156 in k100 cannot be identified as a wall, and it is not clear what is its function. It was uncovered in an accumulation layer not associated with any structures.

Tannurs

Four tannurs were found in J4, three of which belong to Mittani horizon and one to a modern layer. f112, a complete tannur, is part of a2 the bin installation and it is on the same elevation as tannur f152. These two tannurs might have been part of the same installation especially that f112 is associated with a bin. However, there are no signs to indicate a heavy use of the space. The other two tannurs are not related to other structure.

Glacis

Two different layers of glacis have been identified in J4. The first is f127 in k72 that turned out to be the same as f77 in k82. This glacis layer was laid down in early Mittani period, characterized as a re-building phase where a series of glacis layer were laid on the mound right above ancient wall J2f129. The second glacis layer in J4, f150 (same as f158 and f160) dates to an older period, early Akkadian, and constitute a part of J6 ^Glacis3 (J6 f164), made to protect a stone wall located on the west, J02f129. This layer of early Akkadian glacis is located right below Mittani levels.