| Description (summary) |
2026-03-04 |
pC |
A monumental stepped stone structure with 21 steps, rising 5.20 m in height. It is parallelogram shaped and inclined to the west by 20cm. The height of the steps in the lower half corresponds to the height of the steps in the ^stair2, whereas in the upper half the steps are higher. The first two steps at the top are missing. Below the upper steps is visible the mudbrick glacis BT^glacis1. lower portion (step 1-7): 7.80 m wide and 4 m long, the tread depth is between 60 to 80 cm, the riser height is between 20-30 cm: it is therefore quite steep. The steps are set more or less parallel to each other and are built up of 8-10 large flat angular stones with plane surfaces, parallelepiped in form. Mud mortar fills the joints, which are quite irregular, depending on the form of the stones. If the joints are too large, small stones are set to fill the empty space, especially underneath the stone. Each stone is partly overlapped by the stone of the higher step. The stones of the steps are regular in dimensions, except for the sides: to the western side, where ^wall4 flanks the steps, there are some irregularities. Upper portion (step 8-21): built of 6 to 12 large, medium and small sized angular stones with plain surfaces, but for many of the steps, stones are missing (steps 10, 18, 19, 20, 21) and in several cases the stones are moved from their original position, so that the front edge of all steps is irregular. The western side of steps 16 to 21 is built as a wall 20-50 cm high, 1 to 2 stones wide for about 1 m in width and 7 m in length (continues to the north under accumulations). The wall slopes up, since it is built on top of a slope with a gradient toward the south. The structure is clearly laid on top of an accumulation, which lies on top of a mudbrick B6f4. The western side has a clear edge, whereas the eastern portion is irregular and leans against the mudbrick BT^glacis1. The wall has the function of flank wall for ^apron1 and BT^glacis1. [Input: ZK304pC.j] |
| List of components |
2026-03-04 |
pC |
Step 1-2: the first 1.50 m of the first western two steps consists of a patch of medium and small sized stones, which are not in line with the rest of the step but in line with the edge of the western flank ^wall4. Step 2-4 ^wall4 overlaps the first western stones. Steps 3-7: regular. Step 6-7: The first western stones are smaller than the other stones. The eastern side also presents few irregularities: the first eastern stones of steps 4-7 are smaller than the rest of the stones of the same step. Step 8-9: the first four western stones are covered by an accumulation which covered in the second millennium the lower portion of the staircase. On top of this accumulation and a few medium-sized stones is located a large block, 1.50 x 1.10 x 0.45 m in dimensions. Step 10: In the eastern side 1 or 2 stones are missing, so that instead of stones, is found only soil and several small stones, probably a substructure for the larger missing blocks. Step 11-13: in the middle portion the stones have sunk by a few centimeters. Step 13-15: the western side of these steps is laid on top of ^wall6. Step 12-21: at the eastern edge stones are located at a higher elevation with respect to ^stair2. Here seems that the level where the stones of ^apron1 are laid is, in this portion, higher than the level stones of ^stair2 are laid. The eastern stones of ^apron1 (steps 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21) overlay the steps of ^stair2 (steps 18, 19, 21, 22, 23). Step 14-21: the steps width range between 8 m and 5 m, as the steps progressively narrow as they proceed north. The steps are irregular: the tread depth ranges between 50-60 cm and the height varies from 20-35 cm. Step 17-21: On the eastern side stones of the steps 19-21 are missing. [Input: ZK304pC.j] |