https://urkesh.org/MZ/A/J05/D/F/0254.htm

Unit Book J5

The Mittani Staircase - Version 1a

J5f254

Processed on 2024-10-13

1. OVERVIEW

Roster Date Author Record
Included in other label 2009-09-14 jW a709 (installation) [Input: T914JW.j]
2022-09-21 jW a23 (installation) [Input: ZG821jW2.j]
Category !! !! installation
Best definition 2009-08-11 sE stone installation [Input: T901SE.j]
Summary 2012-12-16 jW Settling basin of river pebbles in k105 below accumulation f253, above stone f257 and accumulation f279, and abutting the bricks of f245 and f255. [Input: WZ16JW.j]
Best image 2009-08-23 jN v200 [Input: T823JN.j]

2. IDENTIFICATION

Designation

Roster Date Author Record
Description (summary) 2009-08-11 jW A floor comprised of fist-sized river pebbles that is bounded on the south by wall a11 in k105. The top three steps of f205 are laid atop this surface and it extends north into the north baulk. We found some of the pebbles in the middle of bricks f255, which indicates that at one time a flood of water breached the top of f255. We probably cut the southeast corner of this surface when we excavated stairs, f205, to find the fourth "step," f257. [Input: T811JW.j]
Notes on designation 2011-09-04 jW When we first discovered a pebble surface adjacent to the stone stairway, a12, we defined it as a pavement (pv). Further excavation and analysis showed that it was in fact a mass of pebbles behind dam, a11. They were contained by the dam to the south and the stairway or the revetment wall, f41, to the east. Although we have not yet excavated there, the dam had to have been anchored to the west by another wall, which would have provided the western containment for the pebble mass. Although we can only speculate as to the function of the pebbles, it seems likely that they functioned as either a filter or settling basin. For these reasons we have re-defined it as a stone installation (st-is). [Input: V904JW.j]

3. STRATIGRAPHY

Recovery/Assignment

Roster Date Author Record
Substantive contradictions 2009-08-13 jW We continued to remove the pebbles of this feature. What had originally appeared to be a single layer pavement is much deeper in many places than one would expect of a floor. It now appears as if it may have been pebble-rich fill to level and stabilize a surface below, which sloped away to the southwest from the Mittani period revetment wall, f41. [Input: T813JW.j]
Evolution 2009-08-15 jW For the last several days we have removed stones from this feature. fAB noted that it is too thick to be a pavement and it is not a sewage drainage because it is not contained by walls. [Input: T815JW.j]

Volumetric Localization

Roster Date Author Record
Locus 2009-08-11 sE k105 [Input: T901SE.j]
Relays (applicable to elements) 2009-08-12 sE r1428 (##### ##### - ##### / Relay location: NE corner) [Input: T812sE.r]
2009-08-12 sE r1429 (##### ##### - ##### / Relay location: SE corner) [Input: T812sE.r]
2009-08-12 sE r1430 (##### ##### - ##### / Relay location: SW corner) [Input: T812sE.r]
2009-08-12 sE r1431 (##### ##### - ##### / Relay location: NW corner) [Input: T812sE.r]
M#/elev @top 2009-08-11 sE m6172 [Input: T901SE.j]
M#/elev @bottom 2009-08-11 sE 8841 [Input: T901SE.j]

Contact Association

Roster Date Author Record
Type of contact: latest events 2012-12-31 jW f257 (stone installation) abuts f254 (stone installation) [Input: WZ31JW.j]
2012-12-31 jW f246 (pavement, type c) covers f254 (stone installation) [Input: WZ31JW.j]
2012-12-31 jW f253 (accumulation D) covers f254 (stone installation) [Input: WZ31JW.j]
Type of contact: contemporary events/movable items 2009-08-13 eA i59 (figurine) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T820SE2.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398.1 (clay artifact) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398.2 (wheel) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398.3 (figurine) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398.4 (blade) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398.5 (kiln waster) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-12 !! q405.1 (wheel) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-15 !! q422.1 (grinding stone) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-15 !! q422.2 (grinding stone) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-15 !! q422.3 (grinding stone) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-15 !! q422.4 (grinding stone) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-15 !! q422.5 (grinding stone) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-16 !! q428.1 (clay artifact) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-16 !! q428.2 (grinding stone) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-16 !! q428.3 (debitage) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-16 !! q428.4 (debitage) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-16 !! q428.5 (figurine) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-11 jN q398 (bones, pottery) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-12 jN q405 (items) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-13 jN q410 (bones, pottery) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-15 eA q422 (bones, pottery) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-16 jN q428 (bones, pottery) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p1 (base) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p2 (other shape sherd) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p3 (jar) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p4 (strainer) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p5 (strainer) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p6 (base) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p7 (base) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p8 (base) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p9 (jar) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p10 (jar) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p11 (handle) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p12 (jar) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p13 (jar) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p14 (jar) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p15 (jar) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p16 (bowl) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p17 (base) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p18 (rim) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p19 (jar) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p20 (bowl) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p21 (jar) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-11 !! q398-p22 (jar) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-13 !! q410-p1 (jar) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-13 !! q410-p2 (rim) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-13 !! q410-p3 (bowl) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-13 !! q410-p4 (base) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-13 !! q410-p70 (body sherd) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-13 !! q410-p71 (body sherd) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-13 !! q410-p72 (body sherd) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-13 !! q410-p73 (body sherd) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-13 !! q410-p74 (body sherd) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-15 !! q422-p1 (base) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-15 !! q422-p2 (bowl) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-16 !! q428-p1 (bowl) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-16 !! q428-p2 (jar) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-16 !! q428-p3 (jar) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-16 !! q428-p4 (bowl) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-16 !! q428-p5 (bowl) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-16 !! q428-p6 (base) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-16 !! q428-p7 (base) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-16 !! q428-p8 (bowl) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
2009-08-16 !! q428-p9 (base) sits in f254 (stone installation) [Input: T819SE1.j]
Type of contact: earliest events 2012-12-31 jW f254 (stone installation) abuts f245 (wall) [Input: WZ31JW.j]
2012-12-31 jW f254 (stone installation) abuts f255 (wall) [Input: WZ31JW.j]
2012-12-31 jW f254 (stone installation) abuts f277 (stone installation) [Input: WZ31JW.j]
2012-12-31 jW f254 (stone installation) covers f279 (accumulation C) [Input: WZ31JW.j]
Ceramic typological distribution !! !! frequencies of ceramic vessels and sherds included within feature

Time Sequencing

Roster Date Author Record
Stratum (to which element belongs) 2012-10-16 jW s180aJ5B [Input: WX16JW.j]
Phase (to which element belongs) 2012-10-16 !! h7fJ5B [Input: WX16JW.j]

4. TYPOLOGY

Morphology

Roster Date Author Record
Ware or Material, species 2009-08-11 sE soil [Input: T901SE.j]
Texture, surface finish 2009-08-11 sE includes many medium-size pebbles [Input: T901SE.j]

6. REFERENCE

Analogical Record

Roster Date Author Record
View/drawing of features
v191
2009-08-11 eA [Input: T819JN.j]
v192
2009-08-12 jN [Input: T819JN.j]
v192a
2009-08-12 jN [Input: T819JN.j]
v194
2009-08-13 jN [Input: T819JN.j]
v200
2009-08-17 jN [Input: T819JN.j]
v200a
2009-08-17 jN [Input: T819JN.j]
v200c
2009-08-17 jN [Input: T819JN.j]
v202
2009-08-18 jN [Input: T819JN.j]
v202a
2009-08-18 jN [Input: T819JN.j]
v206
2009-08-24 jN [Input: T830JN.j]
v208b
2009-08-25 jN [Input: T830JN.j]
v215a
2009-08-30 jN [Input: T901JN.j]
v215b
2009-08-30 jN [Input: T901JN.j]
v217a
2009-08-30 jN [Input: T901JN.j]