Unit Book J5

The Mittani Staircase - Version 1a

J5 Synthetic View / Typology / Built Environment

Architectural data for unit J5

Giorgio Buccellati – July 2008

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Introduction

After the end of the second season of excavation we began to organize and describe the results by defining features in related groups called “specific labels.” These are then sorted by the categories listed below, for which here we provide some examples:

(1) Walls are structures. There are three groups of features which each describe a wall system built at a specific time period.

(2) Water protection systems are installations and there are three of them built at different times for the same purpose.

(3) Accumulations are deposits that can be grouped according to when they were laid down.

(4) Walls and their escarpments are features that perform a particular function, that of emphasizing the majesty of the temple and separating it from other structures not used for rituals.

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Structures

^wall1 Earliest wall system found so far; tentatively dated to the Late Chalcolithic period v214
^wall2 Early Dynastic III wall extending from J2 in the east through J5 in the west.
J5f189=J5f41=J3f11=J1f72
v223
^wall3 Mittani addition atop ^w2 to preserve separation between sacred and secular areas. v224
^strc1 Mittani monumental staircase built as part the westward retrenchment v123

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Installations

^esc1 EDIII stone escarpment built to protect ^wall2 from water damage v214
^esc2 EDIII baqaya and layered escarpment built atop ^esc1 to protect ^wall2 from further water damage v195
^wps1 Early Mittani stepped stone structure built to divert flowing water away from ^wall2 v218
^wps2 Middle Mittani dam and holding pond built to control water past ^wall2. v192
^wps3 Two late Mittani stone structures built to divert flowing water away from ^wall3 v135

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Deposits

^a1 Phase 6 accumulation in k.... : coarse admixture of medium size sherds and pebbles in soft brown matrix. It differs from any other such deposit in J4 (immediately to the north) and J2 (immediately to the west. Hence I assume it reflects a persistent functional distinction in the three areas:
  • Plaza (J2): clean because sacred and privilged.
  • Service quarter (J4): service area with well defined structures and installations.
  • Residential and commercial (J6): less overall planning.
v...
^w2 EW wall bonded with ^w1 v...

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Functional areas

Sacral areas.

Long duration.

Service areas to the east (with dumps in the southeast).

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