.bk J05
.fl S831jW.j
.fd Summary report of goals achieved and not achieved at the end of the excavation season.
.ei jW
.ed S831
.rd S830
.ri jW

-su  Before the start of the excavation season, we had hoped to explore two aspects of the northwestern section of the temple complex.  First, we wanted to investigate what the geophysical survey indicated was the northern limit of the revetment wall.  This would be accomplished as excavation unit J5.  Second we wanted to investigate what the survey indicated might be a substantial building at the northwestern edge of the plaza.  This would be accomplished as excavation unit A21.

-su Time and resources were not available bo open excavation unit A21; however, the following questions were to be investigated by J5:  1) The first question was to explain the presence of two revetment walls at the point where the wall turned from an E-W orientation to a N-S one.  2) The second question was to brobe the height of the wall in relation to the plaza.  The mehtodology was to follow the southern an western faces of the revetment wall.  Excavation to the north would expose the terminus.  Excavations along the faces would expose the height of various segments.  Excavations to the north of the south face would tell us more about the glacis associated with this part of the revetment wall.  3) We needed to be aware of the presentation aspects of the temple complex so that visitors could see the monumental architecture from the same perspective as the ancients. 5) All units were to write and process the data portions of the Urkesh Global Record during the excavation season.

-su The results for unit J5 were as follows:  1) excavtion at the northern limits of the revetment wall revealed a monumental, unfounded staircase made of large, dressed, limestone blocks.  The staircase was bordered on the north by large, uncut, limestone boulders.  It ran E-W, rising to the east in five steps to a platform roughly defined by flat stones and, in some places, a  pavement made of reddish, bricky material.

-su A probe directly to the east of a stone of the top step yielded ceramics securely dated to Phase 6 (Mittani).  2)  The situation along the southern edge of the staricase was not as clear.  This ecge had been damaged and may have been subjected to rebuilding at the end of the Mittani occupation.  In this area we did find the top of another wall of dressed stones rising from the southeast to the northwest which was under the northern extension of the revetment wall.  It was abutted by an escarpment which fell from the northeast to the soughwest.  At this point the excarpment was 2.2 meters higher than the latest one in J1, 20 meters to the east.  Although we have yet to positively link the two escarpments, the evidence strongly suggests tht the western end of the plaza as defined by the revetment wall is higher than the eastern end.  This means that the wall was not founded as deeply here.  3) We did not have time to fully explore the apparent phenomenon of two separate revetment walls turning north at the northwest corner.  There are several large blocks of of late accumulation which cover much of this area.  A probe directly to the north of each wall section showed that the western section yielded ceramics securely dated to Phase 6.  The eastern probe yielded ceramics dated to much earlier phases.  This suggests that the western section was a late additon to an earlier revetment wall that included the lower wall of well-dressed stones and the excarpment.  3) The pillars of accumulation also prevented us from fully investigating the glacis of the temple mound.  We did make a small probe along the east side of the northern part of the revetment wall, stopping when we reached baqaya-like material at the base of the lowest stone.

-su There is also a line of baqaya-like material which can be seen in section of a baulk that runs perpendicular to the face of the east section of the revetment wall.  This indiates that the glacis in this part of the temple mound is similar to that which was found in the previous excavations in J3.  4) Approximately one week of the six allotted was spent on presentation.  A new observation platform was built and sightlines were opened from it by trimming and removing baulks and protrusions.  It is now possible to see along the length of the revetment wall from the west staircase, east though the plaza excavation, to the eastern staircase and apron.  5) As of the end of the excavation season we have entered and run most of the systematic portion of the J5 UGR.  Major things yet to be completed are the graphics and stratigraphic analysis, assignments, and rationale.