Unit Book J5 (Version 1a)

J5 Synthetic View / Overviews.Stratigraphy. Emplacement

Introduction

James L. Walker – June 2025

[I have added “extract-TOC” in “TOC” (at the tlop of the .MD file), so that the links are on the left in a third sidebar]

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Principles

For an introdution to the basic principles of emplacement see the Grammar.

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Horizontal surfaces

There were 19 surfaces excavated comprising 7 percent of the features excavated. There are 5 pavements defined by their composition and 14 floors generally defined by the degree of compaction.

The most significant pavement was f288 [add link] which was at the lowest level of the EDIII wall system.

The biggest surprise was that a Mittani pavement, f247, directly covered an EDIII pavement, f249.

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Layering

There were 174 layers of one kind or another (accumulations, volumetric material, layers, topsoil, and laminations) comprising 59 percent of the total features excavated.

  • Accumulations were the most common either having been deposited as a result of human activity or by weathering.
  • Volumetric material has no stratigrphic significance and is often material removed en mass from baulks.

[The next three do not address J5]

-Layers are abbreviated versions of accumulations.
-Topsoil is a special surface accumulation.
-Laminations are caused by the action of water on deposits of soil.

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Amorphous amassment

There were 33 examples of features identified as amorphous amassments, (which groups deposits whose orientation is random) comprising 11 percent of the features excavated. Pit fills, a long gulley, and isolated stones constituted the corpus.

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Ordered aggregation

The second largest numger of features excavated (49 or 23%) were walls, their protective systems, and a ceremonial complex.

  • The earliest wall system was dated to the EDIII period. It consisted of high walls that highlighted the temple as well as protective escarpments and glasis.
  • There were subsequent structures built to protect the wall including a dam.
  • In the Mittani period the wall was extended to the west.
  • By the mid-Mittani period the entire EDIII temple, wall, and plaza were covered with accumulation necessittion the consruction of a new monumental staisr case and revetment wall of reduced size.

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Typea of contact

Features that are in contact form the basis for identifying strata. There are five major groups that encompass all posssibilities. [This does not address J5. It would be good to have comments about the most significant contacts, covers and abuts, as you did above for the features.]

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