https://urkesh.org/MZ/A/J04/D/H/085-MZA.htm

Unit Book J4

The Eastern Top of the Main Staircase (Version 1a)

J4h85MZA

Processed on 2025-12-22

2. IDENTIFICATION

Designation

Roster Date Author Record
Definition 2010-02-12 sC Build-up of Tell [Input: U212SC2.j]
Description (summary) 2010-02-12 sC In J04 area, Phase 85-MZA is related to the upper layers, such as the topsoil and the layers below the toposil, mainly wind and water-born accumulations: these natural accumulations, contribuited to the build-up of the Tell for aproximately 1 meter in hight. The build-up of the Tell, as visibile in the long N-S section of J04 unit (cfr. v32 and related subviews), is aproximately 2 meter high in total, but only the first meter is related to Phase 85-MZA. This phase comprised of different strata that representing the different events that took place within J04 unit in this phase: s1, is related to the accumulations that build-up between different excavation seasons, and s2 is related to topsoil layers and the layers below it (including also layers related to Tell surface wash and erosion). s3 concerns the upper layers with evidence of scattered occupation, while s5 is related to natural accumulations that build-up the Tell surface below s3, and s5a is instead related to the erosion of the natural accumulations belonging to s5. Within all these accumulations, several pottery sherds and q-items were recovered (mostly within s5) toghether with isolated limestones (mainly within layers belonging to s5a). The presence of this material, however, is not related with human activity within this area of the Tell in this time period, at least for what concerns J04 unit, but rather with the erosion of the Tell surface. At present (i.e., as the results of the 2006 excavation season in J04 unit indicate) there are no evidence of activities carried out within J04 unit in Phase 85-MZA. [Input: U212SC2.j]

3. STRATIGRAPHY

Recovery/Assignment

Roster Date Author Record
Notes on recovery 2010-02-12 sC The build-up of the Tell surface, as already mentioned, is almost 2 meters high; this is clearly visibile in the long N-S section of J04 unit (cfr. v32 and related subviews). The pottery sherds recovered -while removing the accumulations that build-up the tell mound- allowed us to assigne the layers belonging to the first meter of accumulation (corresponding to stratum s5 and its substraum s5a) to Phase 85-MZA, and those found within the meter below (relative to stratum s12 and its substraum, s12a) to Phase 67-MZA. [Input: U212SC2.j]

Time Sequencing

Roster Date Author Record
Strata (included within phase) 2010-02-12 sC s1MZA [Input: U212SC2.j]
2010-02-12 sC s2MZA [Input: U212SC2.j]
2010-02-12 sC s2aMZA (Erosion of Tell) [Input: U212SC2.j]
2010-02-12 sC s3MZA [Input: U212SC2.j]
2010-02-12 sC s5MZA (Build-up of tell) [Input: U212SC2.j]
2010-02-12 sC s5aMZA (Erosion of Tell) [Input: U212SC2.j]