J7-introduction

Processed on 2024-11-15

Date	Author	Record
2008-07-28	pc	J7 is located West to J6k200, which is the long trench made from the german team directed by Peter Pfalzner (MDOG 134 2002): this trench was done in order to connect the area C2, were are houses dated from Mittani till Akkadian period, to the temple BA, dated to ED III. Doing this were discovered part of the steps of the monumental staircase and the mudbrick surface of the temple mound. The trench to the South showed several floor surfaces going from the steps of the staircase to area C2: theese floor surfaces are dated from Mittani till Akkadian period. This also are clean from other structures. In different season of excavation was exposed most of the monumental staircase and the revetment wall, which delimites the southern part of the temple mound; to the south of the wall there is an open whide area, free of structures and delimited to the West by the palace AP, to the North by the revetment wall, to the South east by a residential area. This is the palza, an open space in front of the temple terrace. This should be free of structures, as seen in the west section of J6k200 and from different soundings. J7 is a narrow long area which has the aim to remove the accumulations covering the palza and give the opportunity to the visitors to see the monumental staircase from distance, as the ancient people saw it and experiment it. This operation requires very few supervision, therefore the same staff of J6 is in charge to supervise J7. [Input: S728PC.j]
2010-08-09	cJC	During the study portion (August) of MZ23 (2010), cJC will be working on the documentation of J7. [Input: U809CJC.j]
2010-08-09	cJC	The overall strategy for J7 was to excavate a large portion of the plaza to the west of the large trench, k200. It was intended to prove that the plaza is a large empty space that could be excavated quickly and with little documentation (sometimes refered to by gB as the "argument for the backhoe"). To this end the excavations were done in large volumetric units of 50cm or more in depth. q-lots were recorded and measurements taken but not as thoroughly as if it were an exacavation with structures and use areas. This strategy was largely successful as all the volumetric features can be divided roughly into two main depositional processes, first a brickfall and then a build up of natural accumulations. The second goal of the excavation was to create a view of the monumental temple terrace and staircase from the level of the ancients. Due to time constraints and the difficulties in removing all the dirt from the trench this goal was not completely achieved. A level close to the ancient level of the plaza was reached only in the northern-most loci (k3, k4 and k5). [Input: U809CJC.j]
2010-10-21	cJC	The last numbers used in J7 are as follows: f58, i6, k6, q71, r49, v51, w8. Subsequent excavations in J7 should begin with the next number in sequence (e.g. r50). [Input: U809CJC.j]