; File processed on 2025-09-08

; J1--nr
-inc	2006-09-10_Q902MS.j	mS	for the most part the area we are excavating is very large and stretches across several loci. We have decided to create new loci to manage the excavation areas. We are establishing them along the lines of the east, south and west portions of the steps since these are of differing shapes because of last years excavation cuts.

; J1--sm
-inc	2009-07-31_T731LC.j	lC	The first 10 days of excavation have already added many new informations to the understanding of J01 area. At first in k127, f294 and f296 are the same and both belong to the second escarpment. Removing this feature it has been noticed that a big ancient cut f321 cuts both part of the early escarpment f309 and of the late Chalcolitic wall f288. This is probably due to a water damage of the early escarpment. In fact the escarpment f196 we uncovered this year has a surface really badly preserved, and we assume that a big amount of water was coming from the west along the revetment wall, that was protected from the water with the escarpment. So in ED III they cut all the damaged part and made a new big escarpment. Next days will be useful to confirm this idea, when we will be able to arrive at the base of the filling of the second escarpment. The excavation in k129, not planned at the beginning, shows again that Mitanni levels, i.e. accumulations and floors, just above probably layer of ED III like the stones f318 that we assume are part of the second or first escarpment that is rising up to the west, together with the level of the plaza.
-inc	2009-08-06_T808LC.j	lC	During the second week of excavation we removed all the late layers of k129. As in the other previous J01 excavation we recovered that a sequence of at least three different probably Mitanni (because the pottery has not been analyzed yet) pavements abutting directly earlier surfaces. It is not clear yet if the surface below the last pavement f325 belongs to the early or late escarpment. We have also reached the bottom of the cut/erosion happened probably after the ED II and we don't have yet a clear idea of what above. Next week we will start to remove the material of early escarpment to see the face of the wall f288 and its eventual relationship with the other stone wall f259. This should help us to have a better understanding of what was this area in the Late Chalcolithic period and what happened later.
-inc	2009-08-13_T815LC.j	lC	This third week of excavation has pushed us close to the goals of the beginning of the season. Walls f259 and f288 as proposed a couple of weeks ago are related, and in fact are bonded. So also wall f259 is clearly dating to Late Chalcolithic period. The two walls create a kind of L shaped structure, a8. We uncovered wall f288 removing the filling of esc1 that seems showing, for now, almost all LC sherds. This could be explained, as gB and fAB suggest, with a reuse of LC material belonging to a previous mound. The idea is that the LC mound was probably cut in the lower part of the slope and the material reused to make bricks or to create the escarpment. It could also be that the ED people just add a small layer of clay creating the surface of the early escarpment. Wall f259 presents damage to its northern corner and it is probably due to water coming from the West. Below f345 many stones are visible, and we think that all those could belong to the collapse of the two walls. The goals for the next week are to reach the bottom of the wall f288 to see its height and to uncover the western face of wall f259 to see its construction.
-inc	2009-08-20_T915LC.j	lC	The last five days of excavation have added more information to our understanding of J1. The small probe sounding k131 shows a sequence of natural floors and natural accumulations sloping more or less sharply to the south. They seem have mixed Late Chalcolithic and Ninevite 5 pottery. The baqaya f353 and the pebble alignment f343 seems continuing to the north and likely they were used in an attempt to divert the water coming from west, or at least to protect the western face of wall f259. This wall seems to be constituted of just a row of stones. The sloping natural floors and accumulations found in k131, going to the north, in correspondence with the break in the wall f344, are cut by strong water erosion that excavated a sort of channel. In k127 we continued to expose more and more stones belonging to the collapse f336 that seems to be formed in slightly different periods of time. We stopped at the level of the floor f348, found to the east and we didn't remove the collapse because it seems interesting for now show it to the eventual visitors, and also because we didn't' have enough time. One of the most important results of the last days is the exposure, even if in a small sounding, of the base of the possible Late Chalcolithic wall f288, that next to the east section is preserved in just a course of stones. No foundation cut is visible in section and the accumulation f355 abutting its base seems dating to LC3.
-inc	2009-09-01_T915LC.j	lC	After the official end of the excavation we resumed the work for few days. In k129 we finished to uncover the upper face of wall f288, so it is clearly visible from the kite pictures and we checked that the same wall f288 is not continuing to the west, beyond the corner with the north to south wall f259. This operation was required by the new discoveries in J5, where right at the base of the revetment wall was found a line of stone likely belonging to a wall possibly dating to Late Chalcolithic period. The wall was more or less in line with the J1 wall f259 so it was important to check an eventual relationship between them. The last three days we excavated on top of the ED III revetment wall f72 in order to make easier eventual conservation works. In fact we removed just a portion of two south projecting spurs, because right below the topsoil we exposed few badly preserved structures, likely showing a very late scattered occupation in the site. The pottery has not been analyzed yet, but the structures are probably dating to very end of Mittani or to Middle Assyrian period.
-inc	2009-09-20_T920LC.j	lC	(Part 1) The excavation in J1 was directed this year to check the nature of the stones found last year at the very end of the season in the small sounding k128 and to investigate the earlier levels, probably belonging to the Late Chalcolithic period, below the ED III structures belonging to the terrace complex. The results are very interesting. First of all the structure f288 found in the sounding is clearly a wall running in an easterly direction. Moreover this EW wall is bonded to another wall, preserved even at a higher elevation and running north to south. Since last year we were assuming on the base of the stratigraphy that these two walls could be contemporary and in fact they are. So wall f288 and f259 form an L shaped structure that we are assuming, on the base of its nature and location it could have the same purpose of the later ED III terrace complex. Unfortunately the date for this structure is not sure yet. In the small sounding k130 we reached the base of wall f288 and we removed the accumulation f355 abutting its base with pure LC3 sherds. So far just few sherds were recovered and more extended excavation is required to have a sure date. But in general it seems plausible a same function for these structures assuming the existence of a Late Chalcolithic mound and a Late Chalcolithic plaza, involving an extraordinary continuity of meaning and use for this sacral area. The situation in the northern half of J1 is complex because of the later cuts and the strong erosion that damaged in antiquity the structure at the base of the revetment wall f72. So it is very difficult to reconstruct the depositional history of this area at the base of the temple terrace.
-inc	2009-09-20_T920LC.j	lC	(Part 2) Another important result was the clear definition for the date of the escarpments. The first escarpment ^esc1 is dating to the ED III like the following ^esc2. The reconstruction of the escarpment after a short period of time is due, not to the rise of the plaza, but to the big erosion that damaged deeply the surface of ^esc1. So in order to protect the base of the wall a much higher escarpment was built using dumping bricky material, in which have been found many sealing impressions (i71, i72, i78, i79, i80). This massive erosion also created a break in the northern portion of wall f259 excavating a sort of channel f344. In k129 we checked the already recorded direct over position of Mittani pavement and accumulations on top of Ninevite 5 levels. In fact these natural Mittani accumulations abut the southern eroded surface of the ^esc1 and ^esc2 and the Mittani pebble and sherd pavement f325 is directly on top of sloping Ninevite 5 natural accumulations and floors. In k131 was excavated a small sounding to check the width of wall f259 and the stratigraphy to the west of it. These natural levels abutting the western face of wall f259 show a pottery mixed with LC and Ninevite 5 sherds. My explanation is that the wall, being a sort of retaining wall, was built against some material, but in a second moment the water erosion removed these levels and brought other mixed material forming these natural accumulations abutting the wall.

; J1-argument
-inc	2007-07-31_R724MS.j	mS	lC and mS discussed the relationship of the layers f196, f238, f240 and f239. f196 is considered the original escarpment because the material recovered has been Chalcolithic. f240 and f238, perhaps the same feature, are probably a later rebuilding of strengthening of the escarpment as they continue the slope. f189 which was excavated in MZ18 may also be part of a later rebuilding of the escarpment, and may be related to f239. v115 shows this well. We will continue to excavate to examine this relationship.

; J1-daily
-inc	2005-08-02_P802CVP.j	cvp	Today is the first day of excavation and we begin to work on the new loci k23, k22 and k13. The first element we are digging is the typological column, which is going to take basically all the trapezoidal space left of k23, except a half meter baulk left for security reasons along the N section. As it is going to be a special unit, and it is possible that in the future we wold be digging the rest of k23 (the old k9 and k10) we assigned it as locus k106. Also west of the old k9 we begin to dig the new k22, and to the south, k13. In k22 and k23 we removed the topsoil the begin to excavate the natural sediment below. In k13 we are still in the topsoil. The old loci k11 and k10-9 are cleaned and left ready for a photograph tomorrow morning.
-inc	2005-08-03_P802CVP.j	cVP	Diadin took photographs first thing in the morning. First of the old squares still untouched, and later of the new ones, showing them in the first stages of excavation. Then we proceeded to excavate the three locus opened yesterday, k22, k106 and k13, finding the same kind of earth and with no elements or features whatsoever. We just find scarce fragments of pottery, II and III millennium mixed.
-inc	2005-08-03_P802CVP.j	cVP	bWP has laid the markers of the 2 new squares we are going to open next, k24 and k32. We begin with k24 removing the topsoil. In k106 we remove the upper part of the security baulk.
-inc	2005-08-05_P802CVP.j	cVP	bWP opens a new square, k12, and also laid the marks we need in the baulk between the old loci (MZ 16) k10 and k11, because a part of it is going to be inside one of our new loci, k24, and must be dug.
-inc	2005-08-07_P802CVP.j	cvp	First hour in the morning we took photos of the loci, showing just another phase in the digging of the accumulation of the plaza. Later we also took photos of some of the sections which were being drawn.
-inc	2005-08-08_P802CVP.j	cVP	At the beginning of the day we took a photo of the E section of k32. We proceeded to dig the rest of the squares (k32, k106 and k13) without significant changes in the features until the end of the morning when we found a new layer in k106, the beginning of the same one in k13, and probably we are arriving at the same in k32.
-inc	2005-08-09_P802CVP.j	cVP	We took photos of the new features found in k13, k32 and k106, and then dug again.
-inc	2005-08-10_P810CVP.j	cvp	This morning we began to use the "elevatore" to take out the residual earth from the bottom of the squares. It causes a bit of a fuss with the workmen at times. Things settled again, the lifting of the earth seems to work quite well. In k13 we arrived at the end of the first step and in k32 we reach the level of the upper stones of the Terrace Wall.
-inc	2005-08-13_P810CVP.j	cvp	First thing in the morning we took photos of k32 without the E baulk and then proceeded to dig in the new k107. We are also digging today in k106 and k24, leaving k13 alone for a few days days, until we could reach the level of the first step in the other loci.
-inc	2005-08-14_P810CVP.j	cvp	Today we took a photo of the new feature in k32 and of the Terrace Wall as we have now all its extension in our unit (J01v74, J01v76). Then we dug in k106, k32 and k24. Some hours in the morning were dedicated to the weekly meeting with gB. Beginning in the area of the Temple, we revised the stratigraphy and different phases, then visiting the 3 units to check the stratigraphic situation in each one.
-inc	2005-08-15_P810CVP.j	cvp	First thing in the morning we photographed the section of the E baulk of k23, and then proceeded to draw the second part of the section. After the section was finished the team currently working in k24 began to dig that baulk. During gB and jO visit we discuss the state and fate of the floating stones touching the Wall near k32, that, due to its dangerous situation and peril to fall, we would like to remove. We also discussed the strategy to follow during the next days in the rest of our unit.
-inc	2005-08-16_P810CVP.j	cvp	We made photo of the piece of the Terrace Wall where the floating stones were removed (J01v79 and J01v79a).
-inc	2005-08-18_P817CVP.j	cvp	We a photo of the final situation of k107 and of the S section of k106. The team working until now in k107 is put to work in k22, to excavate the first step. We took the photo of the end of excavation in k23, with the floating stones. The team from k23 is put to excavate the k13 N baulk, after been drawn. In k24 we dug the last cms of the first step. Then we cleaned the surface for photo the next working day. Today we finish the excavation a little bit early to make a "general cleaning" in and out of the squares.
-inc	2005-08-20_P817CVP.j	cvp	We took photos of the end of the first step in k24. We worked in k24 and k13 beginning to dig the second step. In k22 they were digging the first step but, due to the difficulty to throw the dirt of the other squares in the Elevator at the same time that we are excavating here, we moved the team temporarily to k12, where they began to dig the topsoil.
-inc	2005-08-21_P817CVP.j	cVP	Today we are not working on the site, just on the office.
-inc	2005-08-22_P817CVP.j	cvp	We dig in k12, k13 and k24, going down the respective steps. Also we remove the floating stones of the "collapse-buttress". Now that we have all the outer line of the Terrace Wall in k32, k9 and k10, we want bWP to relay it complete, so vS prepare a sketch to situate the points where the relays are going to be. See sketch 36.
-inc	2005-08-23_P817CVP.j	cvp	We took photos of the area in the wall that was covered by f165, the wall fall. As we have now all the wall in our squares uncovered, we ask bWP to relay our Terrace Wall. We make a sketch for her to follow (see sketch 36). We have also move slightly the Elevatore, a little deeper so the workmen could throw the dirt more easily.
-inc	2005-08-24_P817CVP.j	cvp	Photo of the "recording of the nothingness" in k12. At 7.00 am more or less, meeting of J1 (cVP, pC and mS) to discuss the stratigraphy with gB and fAB. The loci dug today were k12, k106 and k14.
-inc	2005-08-25_P817CVP.j	cvp	We dig in k14, k106 and k108. bWP take the relays of the outer line of all the Terrace Wall that is visible in our unit. vS and pC draw the rest of the section of the k13 E baulk. The Elevatore gets broken but is quickly repaired.
-inc	2005-08-28_P828MS1.j	mS	lots of work interruptions today. Moved the elevator in the am to the north side of the unit. The bottom is at the lowest currently excavated level. This will help in the future but was disruptive today since we had not quite finished excavating the column, k106. We also used the small sifter over the funnel of the elevator for a while and this caused a slowdown. We eventually put in the larger sifter at the top of the unit. Had a meeting with all the staff and cH in J2. He discussed the types of stones we have here in Mozan, primarily limestone.
-inc	2005-08-27_P828MS1.j	mS	excavation continued in k14, k24 and k106. As we go deeper in the loci it is getting more difficult to remove the dirt even with the elevator. vS and pC are drew the east section of k106 so we can begin coming down in k24.
-inc	2005-08-29_P828MS1.j	mS	opened k109 and k110. k109 is in the western portion of the area and contains portions of k23 and k22. k110 is in the eastern section of the area and conatins portions of k14 and k24. f171 continues as the feature number in k109, f163 continues as the feature number in k110. No new developments or strategies. Took photos of floating stones in k9, f165.8, f167 and f167.1, and f185 in k110. f185 is away from the other three and definitely floating. The other three are random and floating. Although they do appear to be connected to the wall purposefully, they are more highly founded than any possible footing and were in Mitanni accumulation. We will remove these stones this week.
-inc	2005-08-31_P828MS1.j	mS	finished excavations in k108 and k109, two unremarkable loci. They are at the same elevation and we will move the focus of excavations to the east. Also removed the large floating stones, f165.8, f167 and f167.1. This is a major change and will open up k10 and the view of the wall f72 in this area. We will also have a better look in section to see the footing of the line of stones, f164
-inc	2005-09-01_P901MS.j	mS	continued excavations in k110 today and took down the east baulk to the same level as the rest of the locus. We should be able to close this locus and open a new one as the column on Saturday. We are about 10-15 cm above the old column, k106. Also spent time examining the relationship of the red packing, f189, the wall f72 and the stones of f188 and f168. Began creating the oblique baulk section in k12 and it is coming out very, very well. Moved the elevator to the west about a meter and got a new sifter which should make dirt removal go faster.
-inc	2005-09-03_P903MS.j	mS	in k110 we have finally reached the level of k106 and have declared a new locus, k111. We have also come down 2m since the last step and are cutting another step so we have moved excavations one meter to the west. k111 subsumes parts of k110, k106 and k14. We began by using f184 which is the brown accumulation in k106 because it stretched into k110. Continued with oblique baulk in k14.
-inc	2005-09-04_P904MS.j	mS	continued going down in k111 north of wall f188 in order to find the bottom of this wall. We did find the bottom, f184, the unremarkable brown accumulation runs up to this wall. To the north we removed f190 which is an accumulation under the large stones of the buildup of this wall. We scraped and straightened the section of k10 left from MZ16 It is perfectly in line with the section in the entire eastern side of the excavated area in J1. We have finished most excavation and beginning tomorrow we can focus on the sounding in front of the wall, f72. The rest of the season will be an attempt to find the bottom of the wall. Currently the wall is 2.7 above excavated level which is 8825. vS began drawing the western section of k111 which will serve as the reverse section, or eastern section, of k108.
-inc	2005-09-06_P906MS.j	mS	found the bottom of the wall, the goal of the season, after excavating only a few cm this morning. There seems to be no foundation trench but only a soft glacis. We will cease excavating in this locus and excavate one meter to the west.
-inc	2005-09-07_P907MS.j	mS	final day of excavation. vS left in the am so only pC and mS were in the field. Small crew working only to remove the layer f195 and expose the glacis, f196. This was a success and excavations ended at 1pm.
-inc	2006-08-12_Q812CVP.j	cvp	Today is the first day of excavation. dM has already taken some general pre-excavation views. As we don't have yet all the squares in place, we just begin in k3 and k12. k12 is already in place, so we begin to dig here the topsoil. As it was already dug last year, we give the topsoil the same feature number, f174. For the new locus, k3, we give a new feature number to the topsoil, f197. By Jamal counsel, we don't give a q-lot number to the bags of pottery coming from the topsoil. We just indicate ts in the tag. k3 is not set by bWP yet, so we make a fake square by ourselves so the workers could dig at least some 3,50 m inside the probable digging area. Meanwhile, we have some workers cleaning the area of last year excavation, beginning with the top of the terrace wall, but letting in place the nets and bags that are holding more securely the big stones. To enlarge the amphitheatre we are going to open a new row of 3 loci to the south, k2, k3 and k4. We also open a new locus, k2 that is going to be the western corner of the amphitheatre.
-inc	2006-08-13_Q812CVP.j	cvp	We are working in the three loci opened yesterday, k2, k3 and k112, where we are digging the deep couch of accumulation under the topsoil.
-inc	2006-08-14_Q812CVP.j	cvp	First hour in the morning dM take some pictures, from the amphitheater areas as it is this year, and from the area excavated this season. From here we take a general one, and a detailed one from each locus, k2, k3 and k112, where we are digging the deep couch of accumulation under the topsoil.
-inc	2006-08-16_Q812CVP.j	cvp	At the beginning of the day dM takes pictures of the beginning of the excavation in the new locus, k4, and two more of the actual state of locus k3. We dig in k2, k3, k4 and k112.
-inc	2006-08-17_Q817CVP.j	cvp	We draw sections N and E of k3, and the excavation has been going as usual, without opening new squares. We were going to begin today digging the new squares k31 and k41 but fAB forget to hire the workmen, so we will begin Saturday. While cleaning the sections of MZ18 in the “amphitheatre”, lC found a piece of cylinder seal in the section. We relay it and consider it an item.
-inc	2006-08-19_Q817CVP.j	cvp	Today we finally begin the work in the new loci, k31 and k41. We begin to dig in the E half of k31. We are also finishing the E baulk of k2 and we draw the exposed N section. In k112 we are going as usual and at k3 we change feature as it seems to have reach the 2 meters deep. We have taken the elevation of the surface near the marker and the total elevation is 9194, so we could consider it almost 9200. So the first step would be at a total elevation or 9000 (or 8994). We also check the total elevation of the beginning of the multi-layered feature at the section of MZ17 and it gives us a total elevation of 8995, that is to say, almost at 9000. That means that the beginning of the first step and the beginning of the next feature are going to be the same.
-inc	2006-08-20_Q817CVP.j	cvp	Today we are digging in k2, k3, k112 and k31. In k3 we reach the 9000 meters deep (centimetres more or less) and then we left at this level that would be the first step. At the end of the morning we begin to dig both N baulks of k2 and k3.
-inc	2006-08-21_Q817CVP.j	cvp	We open a new locus, the old k13, that is one of the steps of the amphitheatre.
-inc	2006-08-22_Q817CVP.j	cvp	We are excavating the accumulation under topsoil in the loci k31 (f204), k112, k13, k4, k2.
-inc	2006-08-23_Q817CVP.j	cvp	We are excavating the accumulation under topsoil in the loci k112, k13, k4, k2 (N baulk).
-inc	2006-08-24_Q824MS.j	mS	Excavations continue as usual in all areas being excavated to date.
-inc	2006-08-27_Q824MS.j	mS	Continued dirt removal in most areas. Had a meeting with gB, fAB, jO, hQ, mL and mS discussing the immediate strategy. mS suggested removing baulks and going down to the 9000 mark all across the outside step in the southern portion of J1. This should speed up the dirt removal. There was some discussion on how to proceed with the dirt removal over the wall, f72. We will possibly install a shafat to aid in dirt removal. Dirt removal seems the largest concern at this point. There is a large amount of dirt to remove in a relatively short period of time. We also took elevations throughout the area that has been excavated to almost the first step. We are within 15cm throughout. Once the rest of the area is at the same elevation, we will move with the next step.
-inc	2006-08-28_Q824MS.j	mS	Continued the removal of dirt in k3, k4, k112, and the east baulk in k31. We are just about at the 9000 point around the perimeter of the amphitheatre and laid out lines in preparation for going down to the next level. Discussed strategy with gB, jO, and J1 team on how to approach some of the precipitous baulks from last season. jW in J3 will excavate to the east of k24 so we can remove the dirt that way. The shafat was installed this afternoon and seems to be working well.
-inc	2006-08-29_Q824MS.j	mS	Continued removing dirt. Began going down in the second step in the k22. After the strategy meeting this am, we will only step down in this area. mS spent some time correlating the features of MZ18 and this season.
-inc	2006-08-30_Q824MS.j	mS	continuing the dirt removal in k14, k22 and k31. Added a second shafat to help with dirt removal but it has no electricity yet.
-inc	2006-08-31_Q824MS.j	mS	bWP laid out k30 and k40. Excavations are proceeding as expected with features continuing as expected in each area. The step from k110 or k24 from MZ18 is being excavated by J4 since it would be unsafe to excavate it as it is today. They are coming from the east.
-inc	2006-09-02_Q902MS.j	mS	Continuing to go down but have intensified the focus in the western perimeter in order to enhance the view.
-inc	2006-09-03_Q902MS.j	mS	Continuing to excavate as in the past few days but continuing the focus on opening the view. Starting to concentrate manpower in k31 and k41 where the curve of the wall f72, appears to be most probable. Also removed the shafat in k2, and have begun installing one in k31.
-inc	2006-09-04_Q902MS.j	mS	continuing to remove baulks and dirt in preparation for the Minister's visit. We also had a few workmen in the afternoon to work clearing the area around the curve of the wall.
-inc	2006-09-05_Q902MS.j	mS	The final push for clearing the view. We sent two teams to J3 because the area we are working in now is smaller and they are in need of help. We also worked in the afternoon.
-inc	2006-09-09_Q902MS.j	mS	opened excavations in k40 and k30, but only in small portions to follow the line of the wall. Also spent a lot of time working with gB to lay out the new steps. Created two new loci, k113 and k114 which accomodate areas of k3, k4, k12, k13, k14 and k24. We will divide the excavation into thirds for the moment, pieces of the steps and excavate accordingly.
-inc	2006-09-06_Q902MS.j	mS	no work in the field today besides cleaning in final preparation for the minister's visit. There will also be no work on Q907.
-inc	2006-09-10_Q902MS.j	mS	moved the shafat in the southern portion of the unit, and installed a shafat along the wall to remove dirt from the deeper levels. We now have three. Continued excavations in same areas as yesterday, but at the end of the day began in what we are naming k115 which we have measured to be the second step at this time although we are way above 8800.
-inc	2006-09-11_Q912MS.j	mS	the going is slow in k30 and k40 getting down to the wall. We decided to work this afternoon in this area. We were successful in reaching the stones.
-inc	2006-09-12_Q912MS.j	mS	the focus remains in k40, k41 and k30 in an attempt to uncover the corner of the wall. We are also putting four teams of workmen on k114 in order to go down to 8900 throughout, and more in k113. This is extremely hard packed soil full of stones and sherds and the going is extremely slow. We worked in the afternoon again. We also begin the day 15 minutes later, at 5:30, and end at 1:15.
-inc	2006-09-14_Q912MS.j	mS	continued working in all the same areas as yesterday, and worked in the afternoon. Also began to cut the slope of the first step. The cut for this will be 60cm back from the edge and go down 2 meters in 60cm.
-inc	2006-09-13_Q912MS.j	mS	continued going down in the major areas defined. We are working in the afternoon as well today and focusing on the area at the curve of the wall, f72, and the corridor in the eastern area of J1.
-inc	2006-09-15_Q916MS.j	mS	we have found the corner of the wall, f72 in the NW section of J1. It is where we predicted it to be based on the geophysical survey. Although we have the corner, there are additional stones that move to the west from the corner and these may indicate some type of building also seen in the survey. We have no time to excavate further here and will cease excavation. Also continued to go down in the rest of the area as well as move further west. We have also declared k118 which is a combination of k113 and k114. We worked in the afternoon today as well. We are removing large quantities of dirt and have concentrated the majority of our effort in k118. Also continued work on sloping the baulks of the first step.
-inc	2006-09-16_Q916MS.j	mS	this is the official end of excavations, but we will continue for approximately four more days after a few days work in the house. Today we dug a little and cleaned up prior to the hiatus. We have finished in the wall area and the focus will be on getting to the plaza level and working on the staircase. Began cutting the oblique slope on the eastern baulks of J1.
-inc	2006-09-19_Q916MS.j	mS	Katleen Deckers (kD) from the University of Tuebingen examined all the layers in J1 in an attempt to define what processes were responsible for the large areas of deposition we have. She said that we may have four types of processes at work: small gullys with wash, water borne, wind borne (aeolian) and possible floor horizons. Definitely wind borne are the higher levels such as f205, f198, f200, f175, f145 and f143. There are few inclusions because the wind cannot carry large stones or sherds. When we reach f203, or f151, f38, f171, f152, f163, f178 and f229 we have a more difficult interpretation. These features are hard, extremely compacted and full of sherds, large and small stones and contain the majority of the items we have found. The compaction of the soil seems to indicate a walking area although kD is not an expert on what trampeling would do to a surface or sherds. The huge quantity of sherds and material also tends to indicate a human occupation although we have no installations at this point. Water borne tends to be smaller in area and we do have patches of that throughout J1. The sediment is grainy and sandy. At lower elevations, f181, f184, f231, f156, and f162 it definitely wind borne but may also have been a walking surface but kept cleaner. There are pieces of charcoal and other inclusions which kD says may have been dropped. Wind borne does not preclude larger inclusions. There are still patches of water borne at this level. This preliminary analysis of the depositional processes gives a sense that the plaza, or area in front of the wall, was used for a long time with varying degrees of cleanliness. The lower levels seemed to be kept cleaner, while above there were depositions of sherds and stones. These may have been intentional walking surfaces but or just trampeling of debris. These levels are at the same elevations of near the top of the wall, near or about the 9000 level.
-inc	2006-09-21_Q916MS.j	mS	limited activity in the field today. We began excavating two stairways that will lead down to the steps and finally to the plaza level for a full view of the wall at it's original height. The first staircase is from the east in k12 and begins three meters back at ground level. The cut is 80 cm across and goes down two meters to the first step. The second step stars at the 9000 level and is cut about 40 cm west of the baulk and also goes down two meters and is 80 cm across. It is in k22. The third staircase will be built when we have excavated down to the plaza level and will start at the 8800 level and come from the south descending to face the wall. Cinder blocks will be used for the steps.
-inc	2006-09-22_Q916MS.j	mS	finished building the second staircase at the second step and reinstated excavations. Per discussion with gB we decided to focus primarily on the corridor to insure we meet the goal of getting to the plaza. The other items can be left in case we have time. hQ remained in the field alone most of the day as we have a simple operation.
-inc	2006-09-23_Q916MS.j	mS	we continued excavating in the corridor and began removing a small piece of f229 which is left in k118.
-inc	2006-09-25_Q916MS.j	mS	continuing with a small operation focusing on the corridor. We finished k118, and will put all the workmen in the corridor, k117 tomorrow.
-inc	2006-09-26_Q926MS.j	mS	continued the small operation focusing in k117.
-inc	2006-09-27_Q926MS.j	mS	continued slow today on the site. We took pictures early but gB also wanted to take pictures of f232 in the sun which did not fully cover the floor until 11am which was time to end the work. Instead we had the workmen begin work on the third staircase going down from the second step. Starts at 8800 and goes down three meters and will end at the presumed plaza level.
-inc	2006-09-29_Q926MS.j	mS	spent a lot of time working on the pebble floor, f232 setting it up to excavate precisely. Also finished working with the staircase for the time being.
-inc	2006-09-30_Q926MS.j	mS	most of the day was focused in a small area of k117 because we have uncovered more surfaces.
-inc	2006-10-02_Q926MS.j	mS	continued working in k117 which is the only excavation area we have. Discussion in the field with gB, mKB, mS and J1 staff. This is an important transition area because we have the muflow, f239 and the accumulation f240 beginning to follow the slope of the escarpment after so much strictly horizontal accumulation. We now have the Khabur which is the accumulation on the escarpment. The Khabur material seems to be contained at this point which is why we have Mitanni above. The stones, i43, i44, i45 and i46 may be memory stones of the escarpment.
-inc	2006-09-28_Q928MS.j	mS	Again the focus was in k117. We also had a stratigraphy meeting in the last part of the morning.
-inc	2006-10-03_QX03MS.j	mS	decided that today will be the final day of full excavations in J1 because we cannot realistically reach the level of the plaza in the time left. Most of the day was spent excavating f238 in k117 and cleaning sections in k103, k117 and scoring other sections to show well the horizontal layers above.
-inc	2006-10-06_QX06MS.j	mS	limited activity in the field today. lC is there alone. mKB has examined more of the pottery from this pebble surface and has determined it is Mitanni rather than stricly Khabur. We do not yet have a strictly Khabur feature or deposition.
-inc	2006-10-08_QX08MS1.j	mS	we are taking final photos today. We discovered that we removed the sherds and bones of f238 the pebble surface before taking a photo. We have only the northern section.
-inc	2007-07-24_R724MS.j	ms	we moved to another room and got a computer for cC. Just about the entire day was taken up with the move and solving software problems.
-inc	2007-07-29_R724MS.j	mS	mS continues to work in the house on the UGR. A small excavation is being conducted this season led by lC.
-inc	2007-07-31_R724MS.j	mS	cut back the east and west sections of k117 to clean off the winter erosion. We were able to see the section of f239. There is a sharp slope to the south and it and f240 covers it. Cleaning the sections took most of the day and tomorrow we will continue removing f240 to continue uncovering f239, or to see if there are other layers of accumulation underneath.
-inc	0000-00-00_R725MS.j	MISSING	mS continued working on the plots while lH and cC finished the q-items. They began going through the features and made changes to duplicate entries and made notes of problems or errors. There has been a heat wave which makes the power very sporadic causing difficulties with the computers.
-inc	2007-07-28_R731LC.j	lC	today is the first day of excavation. We started to remove the backfill put at the end of MZ19 in k103 and k117. The removing of the backfill took a lot of time because of his big dimensions, also owed to the abundant winter rainfalls. We can't work very fast because of some problems to the chafat herself and for the lack of power. We removed the most of the backfill in k103 and k117 and we postponed to the next day the general cleaning of the loci. dM took some photos before and during the removing of the backfill.
-inc	2007-07-30_R731LC.j	lC	Today we finished to clean k103 and k117, then dM took some photos of the k117 cleaned and ready for start to dig. after a meeting between mS, lC, we decide to dig f238 in k117, starting from the south section towards the stones and f240. we removed about 5-10 cm of f238 in the southern half of the k. f238 was full of sherds and stones of medium and little size, and bones less in number.in MZ19 we took out from this feature only the sherds on the surface. in some points f238 is still present and we are going to remove in the next days. in other points we uncovered two new features f243 and f244. f243 seems to be a natural accumulation sloping down, recognised in the southern half of k117. f244 is yellow/reddish, sloping down, recognised only in the eastern part of k117. it could be the same of f239 but we can be clearer only after more excavation. today we took also new relays of the stones i43, i44, i45, i46 because last year relays didn't work. at the end of the morning dM took photos of the new situation.
-inc	2007-08-01_R731LC.j	lC	Today we finished straightening the east section in k117 and k118. We also cut about 5cm from the west section because it was very badly damaged over the winter by rain. In order to have a better understanding of the stratigraphy in k103 we also cleaned and straightened the west, south and east baulks. This is a very important area and we don't understand the stratigraphy completely yet. After a quick meeting between fAB, lC and sG we decided to clean all of the J1 area, in particular the MZ20 excavation area, in preparation for tomorrow's kite photos. At the end of the morning fAB and pC came to J01, and with lC we discussed the stratigraphy of the escarpment f186 and its relation to the features above.
-inc	2007-08-02_R731LC.j	lC	Before beginning work we removed the shaffat and finished cleaning the west sections of k103 and k117 where the shaffat had been. dM came and took the photos of the area. bWP came and placed new markers so we could remove the stones (f245, f246, f247). After the new markers were added we relayed the stones and removed them. We began excavating in k10 when gB, fAB, and Martin Sheen came and gB and fAB gave him a brief introduction to the excavation. At breakfast mS left for the season. After breakfast we started to remove f189. Brief meeting with fAB regarding the strategy. While relaying f248 gB, fAB, Martin Sheen, rE and the television cameras arrived. While filming for tv, part of f232 was removed.
-inc	2007-08-03_R731LC.j	lC	Today we didn't dig because we worked in the house in entering data to update the UGR.
-inc	2007-08-09_R812CJC.j	lC	First we removed f248, taking pictures both during and after its removal. We then removed f232 remaining in the western part of k117. After the photographing the area we then began to remove f235. During the removal of f235 we found a complete animal skull, i48, associated with many other animal bones near f248. The skull was removed whole and relayed. A new feature, f250, was uncovered under f235 in the northern part of the excavated area near f189. sG and cJC drew the east section of k117.
-inc	2007-08-12_R812CJC.j	lC	After discussing with gB, it was decided to end excavations for the season. Today we finished the remaining recording, including taking photos of new feature f250 and the east section of k117. f250 and k103 and k117 were also relayed.
-inc	2008-07-06_S707RE.j	rE	yesterday we had a meeting at the tell with gB, mKB, fAB, jW, pC and rE because bPW is coming today and we need to find out where to put the control points and the markers. In J1 we need to put 7 control points in the section. On friday pictures should be taken by dM before cleaning the area to show the damage which effected the area during the winter. The plastic bag that covers the east section and the stands which explained the area the previous season are damaged.
-inc	2008-07-12_S707RE.j	rE	Today we attended a meeting with mKB to show us the pottery of the different phases. She thought this was important because we are going to be excavating features that are sloping downwards. These features may be very thin and we must be careful while we excavate not to mix up the pottery from these different features. mKB explained and showed us the differences between Phase four to Phase one. We will be looking at f195 which has the late Chalcolithic pottery. Today we had pictures taken of the damage done to the site; the stands were damaged, plastic coverings had been torn apart by the wind as well as some trash around the site.
-inc	2008-07-13_S707RE.j	rE	Today was the first day of the excavation so we started by cleaning the entire area, this took around four hours. After cleaning we took pictures of the entire area and of the cement staircase before we removed it, which was the starting point of the excavation. We took out the cement steps of the entire staircase then we started to remove the baulk directly to the right of the staircase from ground level, feature by feature. We found some body sherds of pottery and we looked at them and discarded them. gB said for everyone to stay away from the wall as much as possible as it may become unstable. He also mentioned for us to take three photos from the east, west, and south sections to see the differences between them. The east section is well protected but the other two sections are not protected and have wind damage. We should also scrub the sections so that the layers are clearly defined.
-inc	2008-07-14_S707RE.j	rE	Today we started the excavation in k120 which is the down step in the south section. bPW put four control points, 4726,4727,4728,4729. The workers set up the elevators first thing in the morning, two were required. Some bones found where the stair was, this peice of baulk which is next to the cement stair is still being removed. then we moved to k120 and started removing the topsoil f251, then f252 which is the accumulation under f251. f252 is still being excavate and should be complete by tomorrow.
-inc	2008-07-17_S707RE.j	rE	today we placed a new baulk to divide the new locus areas to assign k122 and k123. then we started digging in k122 which is the south step in the east section. We removed the pig jaw which was laying on the surface of f250 from last season, we removed it before starting excavation in this area because it was on the surface and we didn't want to step on it.
-inc	2008-07-19_S707RE.j	rE	then we moved to k120 to remove f235 and make it level with the other features.
-inc	2008-07-14_S716LW.j	rE	today we started the excavation by removing f231 which is a hard accumulation under f233. Under f231 we were expecting f232 which is the floor that was found in MZ19 season, but it did not shows in the templates (J01t0213 V19d1148 Qx05 lC, J01t0214 V19d1159 Qx05 lC). We didn't find it in k120. Instead, under f231 we found lamination layers f254 consisting of thin layers.
-inc	2008-07-21_S720LW1.j	lW	gB said to clean the area and after cleaning to put a series of strings up on the east section every half meter horizontaly and put markers on the strings every half meter for a picture, the picture will be taken tomorrow morning. This picture will show the accumulation stratigraphy. Also caution tape needs to be put in front of the wall area to avoid possible injuries. fAB said to look at all the sections and compare them from all sides to see if the stratigraphy continues in all the locus. We took down two markers, m4684 and m4727. bPW is trying to locate the old points from last season.
-inc	2008-07-14_S720LW1.j	lW	The south side needed a new loci k120. bPW put four control points, 4726,4727,4728,4729, so that the step in the south section could be taken out. The workers set up the elevators first thing in the morning, two were required. Some bones found where the cement stair was, this small baulk is still being removed. The down step in the south section is 1/4 of the way removed and will be finished tomorrow. The q items were collected from the south wall that has been taken down.
-inc	2008-07-22_S720LW1.j	lW	Today we found the floor f238 and cleaned it for a picture tomorrow morning. We also labeled various features by the wall so they are easily identifiable, we used colors to identify Khabur and Mittani features. dM took several pictures of the area in the early morning because we need a better understanding of the area to compare it to the views from last season. Also to compare with the pictures from last season to be sure the locus and features are in the correct place. We are starting the excavation in k122 and removing f237 which expands in the whole erea except in k103.
-inc	2008-07-23_S720LW1.j	lW	Today we removed part of f237 and found several painted sherds of pottery and some bone fragments.
-inc	2008-07-24_S720LW1.j	rE	We started the excavation in a new locus k124 by removing f237 which is the continuation in the entire area. k120 we are still removing f237 where we found many bones and the lower part of a cow and horns we are hoping to find the continuation of f238.
-inc	2008-07-26_S720LW1.j	lW	We compiled a list of animal bones found in our area- pig, cow, dog, gazelle. This area may have been a dumping ground due to the ammount of animal bones we have found. The cow i51 had the tail bones, some vertebrae, and pelvis intact and bones articulated with no signs of dog bites. We found the continuation of the Khabur floor f238 underneath f237 in k120 and partly in k124.
-inc	2008-07-26_S720LW1.j	lW	We resumed removing f237 and left bones for the visitors.
-inc	2008-07-27_S720LW1.j	rE	Today we had a meeting with gB and we went through the UGR and the stratigraphic review and the new roster. Then we went through all the units and he said about J1 he mentioned the line of stones in front of the wall which are different time periods, this line of stones makes a series of curtains which are the memory between the escarpment and the plaza, a memory of this hinge. The accumulation that grew above the escarpment began to have these lines of stones. Then he mentioned that the south wall which was found in the german trench elevation is 92 so that means it is seven meters down to reach the plaza. It is the same elevation as the bottom of the staircase in J2.
-inc	2008-07-28_S720LW1.j	lW	Today we resumed removing f237 which is continuing in all the locus, k122, k120, k124. We are uncovering f238 which is late Khabur floor which was assigned last season. This feature is sloping sharply to the south west. We made the south section level for next season with the skull and horn inside it and we need to preserve it. We removed the small baulk in the east section. We removed the markers on the baulk and added two on the section above the baulk to keep the line of the baulk. While removing the east baulk between k122 and k123 we found a possible tablet in f232 and we gave it a new item number i54, and also we may have found in the same feature a seal impression i55.
-inc	2008-07-20_S720RE.j	rE	today we resumed working in locus k121 removing f233, 231 and 235 then we stopped there as in k120, because we need to make the features in different locus at the same level. Two pickmen were working in k121, and the third pickman was digging at the same time k122, which is the continuation of the features in k121. So we removed f233 for today and we reached feature 231 which will be removed tomorrow.
-inc	2008-07-31_S720RE.j	rE	We resumed removing f237 from k123 and from k125. We uncovered f238 in the whole area. Then we spent the rest of day cleaning the area to be ready for the picture.
-inc	2008-08-02_S720RE.j	rE	We assigned a two new loci, k126, k127 because the area has changed, f238 covers the entire area. We started the day by taking a picture of the two new loci, the floor, and the stones on the floor. We removed six stones, f255, f256, f258, i44, i45, and i46. We took several pictures of the area before removing the stones and after also for the grid of the section we made. We then divided the area into seven sections with string and we gave each section different q lots.
-inc	2008-08-03_S720RE.j	rE	We continued removing f238 and uncover f265 which goes underneath f238, and looks like a glacis sloping to the south. But f265 does not continue all the way east, because we found in the south east of f265 a big pit fill, we gave it a new feature number f264, which is mud lamination, has ash dots, but has no pottery sherds or stones, and with a brown color, has some pieces of baqaya. We assigned f259 for the line of stones going north to south in k127 which is the first time in this area we have found this direction, normaly we find them east to west. Today we took 10 bags of dirt from f238 to analyze as fAB suggested, which is important for the Zooarchaeology and paleo-botany.
-inc	2008-08-04_S720RE.j	rE	Today we started the day by taking a picture of the area showing f239 sloping south and f261 and the step in f239. After removing f238 we found f262 which is mud with a dark color, it has ash dots in it and is in the south west corner in k126. We found a circle of baqaya in the sloping of f239, we gave the baqaya a new feature number f263.
-inc	2008-08-05_S720RE.j	rE	Today we continued removing f262 which was sloping very sharply to the south west, the pottery in this feature changed, we don't see any khabur shardes. Then we reached f265 under f262. f265 is a hard feature extremely compact sloping very sharply south west. While removing f262 we found a hearth f266, and we assigned the fill the new feature number f267. In addition, we found more baqaya pieces next to f263, which is also baqaya. They look like being underneath f265. We are still removing f264.
-inc	2008-07-20_S720RE.j	rE	today we resumed working in locus k121 removing f233, 231 and 235 then we stopped there as in k120, because we need to make the features in different locus at the same level. Two pickmen were working in k121, and the third pickman was digging at the same time k122, which is the continuation of the features in k121. So we removed f233 for today and we reached feature 231 which will be removed tomorrow.
-inc	2008-07-31_S720RE.j	rE	We resumed removing f237 from k123 and from k125. We uncovered f238 in the whole area. Then we spent the rest of day cleaning the area to be ready for the picture.
-inc	2008-08-02_S720RE.j	rE	We assigned a two new loci, k126, k127 because the area has changed, f238 covers the entire area. We started the day by taking a picture of the two new loci, the floor, and the stones on the floor. We removed six stones, f255, f256, f258, i44, i45, and i46. We took several pictures of the area before removing the stones and after also for the grid of the section we made. We then divided the area into seven sections with string and we gave each section different q lots.
-inc	2008-08-03_S720RE.j	rE	We continued removing f238 and uncover f265 which goes underneath f238, and looks like a glacis sloping to the south. But f265 does not continue all the way east, because we found in the south east of f265 a big pit fill, we gave it a new feature number f264, which is mud lamination, has ash dots, but has no pottery sherds or stones, and with a brown color, has some pieces of baqaya. We assigned f259 for the line of stones going north to south in k127 which is the first time in this area we have found this direction, normaly we find them east to west. Today we took 10 bags of dirt from f238 to analyze as fAB suggested, which is important for the Zooarchaeology and paleo-botany.
-inc	2008-08-04_S720RE.j	rE	Today we started the day by taking a picture of the area showing f239 sloping south and f261 and the step in f239. After removing f238 we found f262 which is mud with a dark color, it has ash dots in it and is in the south west corner in k126. We found a circle of baqaya in the sloping of f239, we gave the baqaya a new feature number f263.
-inc	2008-08-05_S720RE.j	rE	Today we continued removing f262 which was sloping very sharply to the south west, the pottery in this feature changed, we don't see any khabur shardes. Then we reached f265 under f262. f265 is a hard feature extremely compact sloping very sharply south west. While removing f262 we found a hearth f266, and we assigned the fill the new feature number f267. In addition, we found more baqaya pieces next to f263, which is also baqaya. They look like being underneath f265. We are still removing f264.
-inc	2008-08-09_S720RE.j	rE	Today we had meeting in the tell before breakfast, we decided to make a small trench to check if f265 goes under f239 or above it.
-inc	2008-08-12_S720RE.j	rE	Today we had a meeting with the staff. gB explained to us how to properly maintain the UGR, keep tracking on files, and to do the summary. As far as J1 is concerned, gB mentioned to all that the escarpment f239 is earlier then we thought. On the basis of mKB analysis of the sherds, the escarpment is infact to be dated to phase one. gB suggested that the escarpment f239 it maybe identified with the Akkadian word kissû, which is attested from the OB period, and probably is a loan word from Sumerian ki-sá. Then mKB explained the chronology of J1 features, by giving an overview of the statistics of the sherds in the most representative features. She clarified the depositions of Mittani features resting directly on phase one, and the lack of massive Khabur features.
-inc	2008-08-18_S813RE.j	rE	we are still removing f239, and trying to follow the slope of the ash in the west part of k127.
-inc	2008-08-21_S813RE.j	rE	today we made a trench in the western parts of k126 and k127, going from the wall to the south section having width of 1.40cm. hB did all the needed measurements and made a sketch to the whole unit including the new trench. We cleared f259 by cleaning the ash f278, and uncovered f279, which is group of pebbles under f278. We are not sure yet about the function of f259, because it's clear now that it's a wall, maybe a revetment wall that abouts f72, to separate between two different areas, or it could be a wall to support f72.
-inc	2008-08-23_S813RE.j	rE	Today we removed f268 from the trench in order to follow the slope of the early escarpment f196. Underneath f268 we found a continuation of f278. To the south of the trench we have f280, which covers f278. So we started removing f280. Although f280 is at a lower elevation compared to the other features, it is clear that it is more recent because of the sloping configuration of the area.
-inc	2008-08-27_S813RE.j	rE	We are still excavating the small trench k128, which we made next to the base of the wall, to better understand phase 0 deposition. We will keep digging this trench till the end of the excavation, two days left, to get as much as we can from the sherds. In k115, we are still digging the sement staircase, and we assign the features the same numbers as in the baulk, because it's the same continuation. and we scrubbed the sections in the unit which is important for the site presentation. We sifted the whole dirt from the features in k128, and we took the ash from f287 as a sample to analyze.
-inc	2008-08-28_S813RE.j	rE	Today was the last day of the excavation. At the last hour of the excavation, we found in k128 the continuation of f288; three big limestones formed a line, looks like a wall. The direction of this line is east west. The same direction of f72. It could be the fourth millinium wall, due to the analysing of the pottery in the features above it, Which are all LC sherds as mKB report. The sement staircase didn't finish yet. The workmen will resume the work in the study period in September.
-inc	2008-09-06_S813RE.j	rE	Today after intensive cleaning before taking a good picture to the whole area. We found in k127 on the surface next to the small trench in k128 mud brick lines, having east-west orientation. We gave it a new feature number f296. We can see that the situation of the mud bricks not in a good shape, and in a bad situation with a few sherds and stones, because it left exposed for several years. Except in the southern line, because we uncovered it this year under f239. To the south of k127 under f239, we found many pieces of mud bricks and baqaya. The workmen pointed it to define it. To the southern edge of f239, where we have the ancient cut we found line of mud bricks f297, but the size and the shape of mud bricks are not the same. gB suggested that it could be the foundation to support the late escarpment f239. Could be also f296 is the foundation of the early escarpment f196. He also suggested that maybe the ancient people dug through the early features, while biulding the late escarpment. So this will explain to us why the early features abut the late feature f239.
-inc	2009-07-18_T718LC.j	lC	Today we started to setup everything for the excavation that is going to start in two days. We had a meeting in the field with fAB discussing about the excavation strategy. We asked Adeed to put six new more markers we will use during the first part of the excavation. The team discussed also about the use of workmen and the best place to put chafat.
-inc	2009-07-19_T718LC.j	lC	Today we finished to set up all the stuff for the excavation in the house. In the afternoon lC went to the field with dD to take some views of the initial situation of J01, showing the backfill and all the dirt accumulated during the winter.
-inc	2009-07-20_T718LC.j	lC	Today we started the excavation for MZ22. We spent all the morning removing the backfill from last season and the dirt accumulated during the winter, most of all for the wind and the rainfall in k126, k127 and k128. After breakfast we removed the metal box over k128 and we cleaned all the area, including the upper steps of J01. Tomorrow morning we will take photos of the initial situation after the removal of backfill and we will start to excavate.
-inc	2009-07-21_T718LC.j	lC	Today, after the cleaning of the day before, early in the morning we took photos of the cleaned initial situation. Then we start to excavate, as planned, the small east portion of k127 left there from previous years, trying to find the surface of early escarpment. We excavated at the beginning the ashy layer f303 and then f305, an interface between the ashy layer and what below. The situation here wasn't really clear because this part has been exposed for several years. So far we didn't find a clear surface belonging to the early escarpment, but just a very compact layer sloping slightly to the south. The analysis of pottery from this feature will help us to date and so to understand its meaning. In the other side of k127, along the western section, we started to excavate f239, i.e. the second escarpment, uncovering the ash layer f241. Tomorrow we hope to remove all the ash layer f241 in order to see the slope of the early escarpment. At the beginning the excavation of f239 and f241 wasn't planned, but then, after a meeting with fAB we changed strategy. It seemed very important for a better understanding of the area, to show the link between the stone wall f259 that could be early third millennium or even Late Chalcolithic and the early escarpment f196. Next day we will continue to work on both these areas.
-inc	2009-07-22_T718LC.j	lC	Today the excavation continued in the same areas of yesterday. f306 was removed to the level of last season excavation. Just next to the wall we left a small step appearing like something different. It is made of gray clay and there are also few middle sized stones. Tomorrow probably we will give to it a new feature number. In the western part of k127 we removed the ash layer f241 and we uncovered a badly preserved surface probably belonging to the first escarpment. Otherwise the escarpment appears well preserved in a small portion next to the wall. The relationships between the stone wall f259, the early escarpment, the ashy layer and the second escarpment are not very clear yet, so after a site meeting with gB and fAB we decided to expand the excavation to the west. Because of this plan's change probably we will get more workmen tomorrow. We removed also a stone (i67) belonging to f188 to have a clear west section, very important for the stratigraphy. The stone wall f259 was cleaned from two floating stones left on top of it from the previous season.
-inc	2009-07-23_T718LC.j	lC	Today in k127 we just cleaned and brushed the surface looking for more mud bricks belonging to f296, after the removal of f306. We excavated just in the upper step, k129 set upped today by Adeed. We considered the first 5 cms as topsoil f308, because the area has been exposed for at least four years. Then we started to remove f310, a natural multi-layer accumulation similar to other layers found more or less at the same elevation, all over the J01 area in the previous seasons.
-inc	2009-07-25_T718LC.j	lC	Today we took photos of k127 and we continued to excavated in k129. We removed f310 a natural accumulation constituted of different layers of sandy and clayish soil. Inside it there was a lens of reddish material f311, similar to baqaya, very badly preserved that we removed today. Below the accumulation f310 we found a new feature, similar in composition to f310 but more compact and grayish in color. At the very end of the day in the north-western corner of k129 we started to find a sherds and pebbles pavement that tomorrow we will continue to uncover.
-inc	2009-07-26_T718LC.j	lC	Today we finished to remove f312 uncovering a layer with many flat sherds and bones f313, maybe a pavement or most likely an accumulation. dM took photos of the big stones f314 components (1-4) in relationship with the Mitanni curtain wall f188, excavated five seasons ago, but also in relationship with f315, the second escarpment f239 and the West section of k129. Then we removed the big stones f314.1 and 314.2 and became clear that f314.1 was a big stone basin up side down (also i68) and f314.2 a probable big door socket (also i69). We removed the accumulation f316 below the two stones where we took also a soil sample (q1224.1) because it seemed to be some burnt seeds. And then we removed also accumulation f310 uncovering accumulation f313.
-inc	2009-07-27_T718LC.j	lC	Today we started taking pictures of k129 but we excavated just in k127. We got three more workmen so, after a short meeting with fAB, we started to remove f299 uncovering a clear surface sloping sharply to the east. f296 and f294 were scraped to see if there were more mud brick lines, but it came out that probably these two features are the same. We took a photo (v360) to show this and in any case we will keep the features separated. After site meeting with gB and fAB we continued to excavate f294 in order to expose the sloping surface or the ash and then go to the north removing f296, but we didn't have enough time today. Tomorrow probably we will start to excavate again in k129.
-inc	2009-07-28_T718LC.j	lC	We continued to remove f294 to the south baulk of k127. Then we moved to the north and we started to excavate f296 that seems much similar to f294. Probably both are still part of the second escarpment. In f296 we found many clay lumps and some sure sealing impressions (i71 and i72). At the end of the day we cleaned the entire excavated portion and we took photos of the surface highlighting the numerous fragments of mud brick.
-inc	2009-07-29_T731LC.j	lC	Today we didn't work in the field because of a strong sand storm already at 5 A.M. So we had the first of the two UGR days that was supposed to be on Monday. We stayed at home and we worked on objects, entering data, templates and view descriptions.
-inc	2009-07-30_T731LC.j	lC	Today we cleaned all the area from the dirt brought by the sand storm. dM took pictures of the accumulation f315 in k129 after the removal of f314.4 and of k127 during the removal of f296 and f294 with all the mud brick fragments highlighted. f315 was then removed and we started to excavate also the accumulation f319 below it. In k127 part of f299 still in place on top of the sloping surface f317, was removed. We excavated also part of f296 following the cut f321 of the early escarpment f309 and f196, uncovering a small ash layer f320. This ash layer was in part abutting f317 and in part overlaying f294. We removed it because it was just a thin patch in the middle of k127.
-inc	2009-08-01_T731LC.j	lC	Today we finished to removed f319 in k129. Then dM took photos of the accumulation f322, full of sherds, pebbles and bones included the big jaw q1243.1. f322 was soon removed as part of the next accumulation f323. Removing this accumulation we started to find another pavement, in the north-western corner of k129, right next to the big stones. Tomorrow we will see if this pavement does extent to the entire surface of k129. In k127 we continued to excavate f294 but most of all f296 as the previous days. We tried to excavate a small trench north to south, but the situation is too complicated and it is necessary to link the excavation whit what next. So we excavated f296 down, almost at the same level of the lower stones (so far exposed) of the Chalcolithic wall f288. Tomorrow we will continue here, but probably more to the south removing f294 looking for the sloping surface f317.
-inc	2009-08-02_T731LC.j	lC	Today we removed accumulation f323 in k129, then dM took photos of the pavement f324. f324 was removed uncovering a new pavement f325. This was in part below f324 and in part still below f323. dM took picture of it, but then starting to excavate again the accumulation f323 we saw that the new pavement was sloping sharply to the south. So tomorrow we will take new pictures even if part of the pavement f325 has already been removed. In k127 we excavated f296 down to the level of the lower stones (seen so far) of wall f288. It seems that to the east no other stones are at the same elevation, but it is possible that the cut is still continuing deeper and deeper. The filling f296 seems starting to change and the pottery shows more Late Chalcolithic sherds. The edges of cut f321 were checked, and they appear clear to the north and to the west. We continued to remove f294 following the sloping surface f317.
-inc	2009-08-03_T731LC.j	lC	Today we finished to clean pavement f325 and dM took picture of it. Then waiting for the daily site meeting with fAB and gB, Saud was moved down to work in k127. In k127 we continued to removed f294 uncovering a new very hard layer f327. This seems similar in composition to f317 but at the same time it is distinguished from its clear surface. Part of the feature was already removed and from the section we can see a concave shape, so unlike f317 it doesn't seems to slope in one direction. Next days we will check its nature. We finished removing f296 and no more stones belonging to f288 were uncovered. Moreover the pottery now seems clearly Late Chalcolithic II, so we assigned a new feature number f329. After breakfast the big stones f328.1 and 328.2 were removed and the pavement f325 was fully exposed.
-inc	2009-08-04_T731LC.j	lC	Today we have the second UGR day. WE will work in the house, most of all on templates, objects, views and features; descriptions and types of contact included.
-inc	2009-08-05_T808LC.j	lC	Today we drawn and then we started to remove the east baulk of k129, assigning the f330 (vm) to the entire portion excavated. The excavation was later enlarged to the south notch to try arriving on top of the wall f258 in order to check its function and its date. In k127 f327 was removed, so we started to excavate the sloping surface f317, uncovering the ash layer f278. We had some problems because to the north there wasn't a clear distinction between f317 and f278. Removing the sloping surface we didn't find a soft ashy layer, but a hard compact gray surface, and it wasn't clear if it was the ashy or still the upper layer f317. Tomorrow probably we will start to excavate f278 trying to follow it, because there is the risk to remove something different to the east, if the ashy layer eventually stops before.
-inc	2009-08-06_T808LC.j	lC	Today we continued to remove f330. Then waiting that J05 finishes cleaning their area to take picture, we enlarged to the west the excavation of the small south notch in k129. So we were able to expose a wider surface of pavement f325 to better understanding its relationship with the escarpment. In k127 we started to remove f278, the ashy layer sloping to the south. Yesterday the situation wasn't clear because of the difficulty to distinguish the boundary between the ashy layer and the sloping accumulation f317. On fAB suggestion we left at the beginning a narrow strip showing the section to help us to understand any small change in color and composition in the ashy accumulation. The ashy layer was very compact and moreover scraping it, it looked yellowish in color, but removing it in chunks was clearly gray. Then we also recognized that the ash was sloping and in the eastern portion of k127 there was still part of f317, that was just a crust to the west, but much thicker to the east.
-inc	2009-08-08_T808LC.j	lC	Today we removed the small remaining portion of f330 in k127, then dM took pictures of the pavement f325 and the stone wall f259. In k127 we removed part of f317 still present to the east. We continued to remove the ashy layer f278 that is in part very compact, but it seems becoming more and more soft going down next to the bottom of the cut/erosion. The orange material of early escarpment seems cut because it slopes sharply, and some stones are visible in the vertical section. Its composition really looks the same of f309. Continuing to remove the ash we saw that its accumulation was much thicker close to the sharp slope, as it was dumped from above. At the end of the day we uncovered some medium sized stones, that could be part of the bottom of the escarpment or part of earlier structures. For now any face or clear line is visible and they seem just as collapsed stones. Right at the end of the day we started to find a slightly different surface that could be the bottom of the erosion. In fact next to the east section of k127 the accumulation is so fine and sandy, typical of pit bottom. And also the ash looks much finer and softer, and usually this is due to the water infiltrations. Tomorrow we will check better and we will decide how to proceed with the strategy.
-inc	2009-08-09_T808LC.j	lC	Today early in the morning after a general cleaning of the area dM took photos of f325 in relationship with the stones J05f225. Then we continued to remove pavement f325 that appears to be less thick in the middle of k129. The surface below is very compact but it seems different from f239. It is browner and with a really hard surface, moreover the pavement was right on top of it, without any accumulation in between. In k127 we tried to look for the bottom of the cut/erosion removing few centimeters of still ashy material f278, but the surface appears still clearly mixed. Then as planned yesterday we started to remove f196, early escarpment, in the north-western corner of k127 leaving a witness of about half a meter at the base of revetment wall because of security problems and to show the section. To the east of stones f307 the escarpment f196 still presents a well preserved sloping surface. Instead to the west what we though being the eroded surface of the escarpment was still part of the ashy accumulation above it. Removing it we found some big stones belonging probably to early structures below the escarpment that there has been completely removed by erosion, while it is still (even if poorly) preserved just a little deeper. Moreover other stones running east to west, belonging to f288 have been exposed.
-inc	2009-08-10_T808LC.j	lC	Today f307 was photographed and then removed in order to see if the stones uncovered yesterday and belonging to the stone wall f288 were going to the west. The wall is continuing but it is not clear yet the relationship of wall f288 with wall f259. Some of the stones found yesterday next to the west section of k127 seem to be just inside the escarpment but without other stones underneath. Wall f259 is continuing to the north even if at a deeper level and we don't have a link yet to f288. Right at the end of the day, continuing to remove f196 we found another big stone below the second row of stones of f288, going to the south. It could be part of the corner of the two walls and tomorrow, still removing f196 we will try to look for a connection. In k129 we just removed part of accumulation f337 found below the pavement f325. Here we tried to look for the surface of the early escarpment, but it is difficult because the layers uncovered have hard surfaces and are sloping. We are thinking to stop at this level except for a small probe sounding behind f259 to determine the eight of the LC material to the west of it.
-inc	2009-08-11_T808LC.j	lC	Today we started cleaning all the area and taking pictures of k127 (work in progress) and k129. The small northern portion of the west section of k127 was drawn and then we started to remove the planned narrow strip of f239 to see the relationship of the big stone belonging to f318 with the first escarpment. In k127 we continued to remove f196, early escarpment, but assigning a new number (f340) to its northern part to keep separate the pottery from the core and the surface of the escarpment, even if it seems all dating to Late Chalcolithic. After removed just few centimeters of f340 we found another stone of f259 showing that the two walls f259 and f288 are part of the same structure and they are bonded. Below f340 and f196 was then recovered a hard surface, with small white chunks and small pebbles. After a short meeting with gB we decided for now to leave this feature, that could be a sort of Chalcolithic escarpment, even if it seems to me too flat and not much different from f196. So we will concentrate the efforts of the last week to reach the bottom of the wall f288. We started to remove f345 in the small eastern triangular part left from the cut and the erosion, recovering more big stones, probably related to the stones of f336.
-inc	2009-08-12_T808LC.j	lC	Today we started taking pictures of walls f259 and f288 with the damage f344 to the wall f259. These views show also the link between the ash f341 on top of the wall f288 and the ash in k129 we removed today. Because the ^esc1 doesn't seem preserved here, this ash could be misunderstood with the ash f241. Removing this ash other pebbles belonging to f343 were uncovered. After the meeting with fAB we decided to remove part of the floor f338 to the west of the pebbles to check what below and to look for the face of wall f259. Removed the floor we found a soft accumulation brown in color with probably Late Chalcolithic sherds. This accumulation f346 was covering another hard surface sloping to the south and a thick patch of baqaya probably linked to the other baqaya f342 right next to the wall. In k127 we finished to remove f345 in the eastern half of the locus. At the same time we continued to remove f329 exposing more stones of wall f288 that is going deeper and other unorganized stones, probably the same of f336. Then we gave a new number f349 to a different alignment of stones, running E to W, that seems more organized. This alignment functions as some kind of boundary because to its south there is a clear surface, perhaps a floor, f348, while to the north we have the accumulations f329 and f347. We also started to remove f279 exposed since last year, and very damaged from the work next to the chafat. Right at the end of the day we uncovered other two stones of f288 going to the east.
-inc	2009-08-13_T815LC.j	lC	Today we finished to remove f347 in k127, uncovering a new layer f350, an orange accumulation full of charcoal fragments, pieces of burnt bones and small white chunks. Also this feature was in part excavated in order to look for the bottom of wall f288 that is continuing to the east, but also it is deeper. Next to a8 we are still removing f345 that seems to have also ashy lenses. One of these lenses was thicker and, because there was a clear semicircular edge I thought it could be a pit. But looking for the edge we saw that is a true layer so we assigned a new number f354. Removing this layer, more collapsed stones were uncovered. These stones seem sitting in f347, and there are at least two levels of collapsed stones. In k129 we removed f343 (pebbles alignment) and the accumulation f346 uncovering floor f351, that was soon removed to follow the baqaya f353 going down.
-inc	2009-08-15_T815LC.j	lC	In k129, we are continuing the small probe sounding. The two patches of baqaya f342 and f353 were removed to see the western face of wall f259, that seems built of just one row of stones. Moreover the thick layer of baqaya f353 doesn't abut the face of the wall. Also the floor f352 was in part removed, but leaving a small witness to the west. In k127 we assigned a new number to a thick ash layer below f345, that seems running from east to south-west also abutting the face of wall f259. It was uncovered removing a part of f345 still in place in the southern half of the locus. Looking for the bottom of wall f288 we removed accumulation f350 and the accumulation f355, showing a harder surface, orange in color, similar to that one of f350. Just few centimeters below we found three orange mud brick in line running north to south and going under the base of wall f288. The wall is stopping and we took pictures showing it. We stopped here because the goal is reached and because the situation starts to be too complex to be excavated in a such small area. Next to the bricks f356 we found also i75, i.e. two complete obsidian blades, a flint flake and a clay wheel.
-inc	2009-08-16_T815LC.j	lC	In k127 we continued to excavate in front of walls f259 and f288 to expose their faces. We assigned a new feature number f358 to an accumulation, found in part below f345 and below the ashy accumulation f354 that is extending to the south next to the face of wall f259. Once removed completely the ashy layer we started to remove this accumulation uncovering other medium sized collapsed stones. To the north, almost in the middle of the excavated area we uncovered a layer of small pebbles embedded in a brown accumulation with few sherds. This layer is not so compact, but enough distinctive to assign a new number, f359. Next to the end of the day we cleaned all the collapsed stones f336 and f349 to take pictures next day. In k129 we continued to remove the floor f351 uncovering many different layers of floor surfaces formed by natural agents. We didn't continue to work here after breakfast because one workman left for private problems.
-inc	2009-08-17_T815LC.j	lC	Today we started removing two stones f361.1 and f362.2. These were two big floating stones, perhaps showing a second moment of the collapse of the walls f259 and f288 shown by the stones f336 and f349. Then we removed the accumulation f359 with small pebbles and numerous stone flakes maybe coming from the collapse of the big stones. More stones of the walls f259 and f288 were exposed. And it seems that the stones forming the lower part of both walls are quite big and regular in shape. In the small sounding of k129 we finished removing f352 uncovering another natural compacted floor f364. Then we started removing the compact red to brown in color accumulation f363 to the north finding more pebbles of f343. Once removed those pebbles and checked that the stones of f339 were floating, or at least not belonging either to wall f259 nor f288, and just resting on top of f343 we removed them, except for f339.5, a big stone clearly embedded in the early escarpment. The ash f341, probably dating to Late Chalcolithic was just on top of these stones.
-inc	2009-08-18_T815LC.j	lC	Last day of excavation. Today we cleaned all the k127 area, removing the last few cms of f359 to the north and removing few cms of f362. Then we cleaned all the collapsed stones and highlighted the stones of walls f288 and f259. Major excavations were carried on in k131, where we finished removing f363 uncovering baqaya f353 going to the north. Once removed the baqaya we found a soft natural accumulation f365 covering three other features: f352 a floor continuing to the south, f366 another soft natural accumulation and f367. We started removing f366 and f367 that seem to be a later filling in a sort of channel excavated by flowing waters. This damage that is labeled as f344 in the wall f259 continues to the west and cuts the floor f352 and the hard accumulations below.
-inc	2009-08-30_T831LC.j	lC	Today we continued to work in k132. Once removed the topsoil f370 in the eastern spur we uncovered the hard compact surface f371, on top of which are resting some stones, f372. It is interesting to note that one of these stones is quite regular in shape and it is lying vertically on top of the surface, as other two similar stones to east. So these three stones have almost the same size and shape and rest on top of this surface, more or less at the same distance (about a meter). It seems strange that they are floating stones and it is likely they belong to some sort of installation or structure. In the western spur we continued to remove the topsoil f370 and we uncovered two big floating stones f373.1 and f373.2 More interesting are some smaller stones that seem forming two small wall portions f374 and f375. If the walls were linked the eventual corner was to the south and probably, if preserved, was excavated in the previous seasons.
-inc	2009-08-31_T831LC.j	lC	Today we finished to work in the field. In k132 we removed the southern part of the eastern spur on top of the revetment wall f72. To the west we cut just a small portion of the south western corner of k132 because we can't remove the structures found yesterday, most of all the wall f374. Because of the loss of markers in this area we surveyed the floating stones f373.1 and f373.2 with Adib help, so to remove them in the afternoon. Then we started to clean because tomorrow we want to take the final photos.
-inc	2009-08-27_T831LC.j	lC	Today we resumed the excavation after a week of UGR working, in order to check few things before the end of the season. The excavation was really small, with just two workmen. We straightened the section of the early escarpment and cut it back a little, in order to expose the upper face of wall f259. We removed the thin ashy layer f341 and then an orange compact accumulation f369, that seems to me in all similar to f363. Removing the big last stone of f339 left from the previous days we uncovered also three more pebbles belonging to f343 that is continuing to the north. Continuing to go down we uncovered and removed baqaya f353, that, as to the south, has an irregular surface. The baqaya was right above a surface sloping to the south that we cut a little removing f353. This sloping surface is clearly visible in section and could be the same of the surface f352, found to the south in k131. Cleaning the wall f288 from the soil, we uncovered another stone forming the corner of structure a8.
-inc	2009-08-29_T831LC.j	lC	Today we started to remove the accumulation on top of the revetment wall f72 in k132. This operation was required because during the winter the water was making it instable ad there was the risk it could fall down inside J1 excavation area. Moreover it was difficult to walk on top of the wall for eventual conservation works because of these two kind of spurs projecting to the south. These were left from previous excavation as baulks of old loci. We started to remove about half a meter of accumulation that we consider as topsoil f370 because it was really damaged by the long exposure to water flowing. At the end of the day we uncovered two big floating stones, that tomorrow we will remove hoping to reach the level of the harder soil clearly visible in section.

; J1-equipment
-inc	2005-08-27_P828MS1.j	mS	had a discussion with gB, fAB, pC, vS and mS on how best to remove the dirt now that we are getting lower and lower in each of the loci. We will move the elevator after work to the north section over the stones of the wall, f72.
-inc	2005-09-01_P901MS.j	mS	moved the elevator to the west about a meter and got a new sifter which should make dirt removal go faster.
-inc	2006-08-31_Q824MS.j	mS	The second shafat began to be used so we now have two. We will install a third on Saturday along the terrace to aid in dirt removal in this area.
-inc	2008-08-17_S813RE.j	rE	Due to the little amount of dirt we have, gB suggested to move the two shaffats to J7.

; J1-expedition life
-inc	2005-08-31_P828MS1.j	mS	no excavation on P830. We attended the funeral of Prof. Paolo Emilio Pecorella of Tell Barri.

; J1-introduction
-inc	2005-07-31_P731CVP.j	cvp	This year we are going to reopen unit J01, opened during the MZ16 season. In this unit part of the southwestern primary wall of the Terrace was exposed. There are basically 2 aims in this  work. First, we need to have a better view of the face of the wall, trying, if it is possible, to find the floor level of the original structure, floor that could be not flat but sloping. It seems that the original structure must be third millennium, not only for its importance but also because it must be of the same period as the Temple on top. Second, if possible, we want to check if the Terrace is really oval or polygonal, as one of the squares showed a fraction of the wall that seems to be straight, not curved, and with a sharp change of direction than the section looking south.
-inc	2006-08-09_Q809FAB.j	fab	This season we are continuing work in J01. Carmen Valdes and Mary Stancavage will be working as a team to supervise this unit, as last year. We plan to begin excavations on the 12th of August 2006, and will stop excavations around the 14th of September. J01 has two goals for this season. First, we want to evidence the wall of the temple terrace to a greater extent, particularly by providing a view of the wall as it would have been seen from the plaza level. This should prove to be an impressive sight, due to the height and construction of the wall itself, and the depth of the excavation. The second goal is to understand the curvature that the wall takes as it procedes to the West and North. Two earlier trenches show that the curvature of the wall is much sharper than what we have in J01; either the wall corners or curves much more sharply in the portion we have not excavated bewtween J01 and the two trenches.
-inc	2007-07-24_R724MS.j	mS	MZ20 is intended as a study season with no excavation and only work on the unit books to ready them for excavation. Neither mS nor cVP can spend the entire season here so the editing of J1 will be minimal at best. The work on the books is divided into modules or sections and will last three days each. Before mS arrived, the staff worked on Features, Templates and Views, Incidentals, Loci and Aggregates.
-inc	2007-07-30_R724MS.j	mS	The excavation in J1 this season will be limited to the area in front of the Terrace Wall, in k117, and perhaps in k118 where the stairs were installed in MZ19. We will continue to excavate with the intention of reaching the plaza level. The excavation is limited only in the sense that the goal is to reach the plaza which we were not able to do in MZ19. Another question we will focus on is the separation between the two areas, k117 to the south and the area to the north next to the wall,k103. There is a distinct difference and we hope to understand what f239 is and what is its relation to the escarpment. Another question is how do the pavements f238 and f240 relate and are they the same? How does f240 merge with f239?
-inc	2008-07-12_S707RE.j	rE	This year we plan to resume the excavation that has been going on for several years, J1. The last excavation ended at a very sensitive area at the base of the wall. This area is very complicated because there are many features close together but at different time periods. We are going to excavate f250 and above this feature was a Khabur feature excavated last season f240. We expect to find Phase 4 material underneath this feature. As we know from last season we found late Chalcolithic material f195 when we cut into the escarpment on the base of the wall. This was suprising and we think that underneath this third millenium mound is another fourth millenium mound. Gb described the various aspects of the excavation. Our group will be excavating the J1 area. The section that was most important was the Mittani at A20 where Laura is going to be excavating and even though we are lower than A20 we will be excavating the same material of Mittani. Between the German trench and the A20 there is no structures due to this perhaps being the main plaza area/meeting area keeping the area clear and bowl shaped. The Mittani layer was found five meters down on J1 while at A20 the Mittani layer was around two meters down. On the area J1 no structure was found but some pottery shards were found.
-inc	2009-07-18_T718LC.j	lC	This year we continue the excavation of J01. The J1 team is composed by lC, mM, aA with a partial cooperation of rE. This season we are going to have a small excavation due to two factors: on one hand because of the nature of the stratigraphy that is complex and difficult and consequently it requires a slow and very precise excavation. On the other hand because this year is almost a study season to prepare the books for digital publication. For this reason we are going to have just 8/10 workmen. The goal of the season is to find the link between the second terrace (first half of third millennium) and the probable Chalcolithic terrace. This is all due to the recovery of a stone wall parallel to the third millennium wall, below the first escarpment, last day of excavation of MZ21. The excavation will check the nature and the date of this wall, if it is a high normal wall or just a sort of "curtain" wall, a low barrier dividing people from the sacred space of the terrace (like f188, dating to Mitanni period). The idea is to try to partially expose the wall in his length from East to West and to look for its bottom. We will start to excavate from south to north inside k127 looking first for the earlier escarpment (2800 b.C.) sloping toward south and trying to define its edge, and then for the face of the Chalcolithic wall. Great importance is assigned to the preservation of the architectural elements to show the link between the two terraces. This, of course, will influence the excavation strategy.
-inc	2009-09-01_T915LC.j	lC	The final numbers for this season are: feature 377; aggregate 10; locus 132; item 80; qlot 1336; view 447; relay 1374.

; J1-labeling
-inc	2005-08-24_P817CVP.j	cvp	In this moment the loci using the Elevatore are two, k12 and k106. In the pile of dirt that is constantly thrown there, sometimes we find interesting sherds and objects, but then it is not possible to recognize from which of the two loci they come. In the present moment, even if they are two different loci, the feature dug is the same, the deep multilayered one, but a different feature number for each locus. So, by gB's suggestion, we are keeping a q lot opened for this material. We give a theoretical feature number f0 for recording purposes. So, right now it is q lot q463, with dirt coming from features f178 (k12) and f151 (k106). Today we have found a bronze pin here.
-inc	2005-08-27_P828MS1.j	mS	per gB we are collecting the sherds from the dirt that is being collected by the elevator. We are labeling it f0 and defining the q-lots in the q-log notes. This process began on P824 with the recovery of a bronze object, q463.1.
-inc	2005-09-04_P904MS.j	mS	we have been calling the wall f72 which was one of the feature numbers given to this wall in MZ16. In reality we should have been calling this a3 because all the feature numbers were subsumed under this aggregate in that season.
-inc	2006-08-30_Q824MS.j	mS	although the excavations are moving lots of dirt, we can proceed fairly quickly because we are excavating the same features as last season. We are able to follow them in the sections. The sedimentation is very uniform throughout the area with variations mainly against the wall. One point to notice is that we had created new loci in MZ18 combining several older loci because of the odd nature of the excavation. This season, the old loci numbers were utilized again and we are using the old feature numbers when possible.
-inc	2006-09-13_Q912MS.j	mS	for the pottery collected at the shafat we will use q-lot numbers starting with 999 and working down. The feature will be 0 in the log and we will note which q-lots the pottery comes from. We have been doing this for several days, particularly since we began using the shafats.
-inc	2006-09-21_Q916MS.j	mS	per gB we will no longer give q-lot numbers to the pottery going into the shafat. Most of this pottery comes from more than one area and feature and therefore is not stratigraphically identifiable, although we are looking at it to insure we do not miss any small items or important pieces of pottery.
-inc	2006-09-30_Q926MS.j	mS	the 900 series of q-lots has been used for sherds coming from the shafat with no real stratigraphic data. Since we reached 899 in q-lots, we will skip the 900 series even though we are no longer using this sequence for pottery and will move to q1000.
-inc	2006-09-28_Q928MS.j	mS	we have stayed in features for a long time because some of the accumulations are over a meter thick without much differentiation. This is not really the correct thing to do, but it has been done. Now that we are reaching Khabur levels and coming down onto the plaza we will make sure that we will change features approximately every 25 to 30 cm especially if we continue in accumulations with no differentiation.

; J1-marker
-inc	2006-08-15_Q812CVP.j	cvp	Today bWP has finally laid the markers on our two new loci, k4 and k14, finishing also the ones lacking at k2. We have also the markers run in the computer, so we can use some of them (m4284 is 9195) as a reference total elevation to situate the first step.
-inc	2006-08-16_Q812CVP.j	cvp	bWP laid the markers for our last our two loci, k31 and k41, that we hopefully will begin excavating tomorrow.
-inc	2006-09-15_Q916MS.j	mS	we have been unable to run relays because the last series of control points put in by bWP have not been entered into the computer and jW cannot currently locate the sheet. bWP has left for the season and it may take some time to reconstruct the numbers. As it stands, we have no real reference points at the lower levels we are excavating. We are working from old data to determine the 8800 elevation.
-inc	2009-07-21_T718LC.j	lC	Today we removed the marker m6104.

; J1-methods and techniques
-inc	2006-08-19_Q817CVP.j	cvp	At k3 we are now too deep to use the usual markers so we have asked bWP to put a new one at the bottom of the section, but today she has been very occupied lying the squares for the geophysical sounding, so she is going to try to put it tomorrow. Meanwhile, to check the depth of the excavation at k3 to reach the first step we have been using meters. At the end it seems that we have just dig some 7 centimetres more than the required depth but we cannot say sure until tomorrow.
-inc	2006-09-05_Q902MS.j	mS	We have been excavating very quickly and moving a lot of dirt. The material however is the same as last season which we found to be mostly natural accumulation especially at this level.
-inc	2006-09-15_Q916MS.j	mS	we have been unable to run relays because the last series of control points put in by bWP have not been entered into the computer and jW cannot currently locate the sheet. bWP has left for the season and it may take some time to reconstruct the numbers. As it stands, we have no real reference points at the lower levels we are excavating. We are working from old data to determine the 8800 elevation.
-inc	2006-09-22_Q916MS.j	mS	we have established several loci this season because of the unique shape of this excavation unit and the fact that we are excavating portions of areas that were excavated in MZ18 in conjunction with newer areas. We are declaring new loci to keep more concise excavation units since the features we have throughout most of the area are widespread and fairly unremarkable.
-inc	2007-07-24_R724MS.j	ms	mS has a concern because the programs have not been run on the J1 data since the spring and most likely will not be run before she leaves. It will be unknown whether any of the work done here is being done correctly or if there are any errors.
-inc	2007-07-30_R724MS.j	mS	We used the big pick today, with an experienced pickman, to remove the hardened layers that were exposed last season.  We will use the small pick from now on since we are excavating in an important area.

; J1-phase
-inc	2009-09-24_T924MKB.j	mKB	It is possible that the fills below the earliest escarpment are earlier than ED IIIA in J2 but not as early as the existance of late Ninevite V ceramics. Even in J2 f288 and 289 in k100 are probably late Ninevite V but we do not have as yet a clear transition between these 2 phases.
-inc	2009-09-24_T927MKB.j	mKB	It is possible that the fills below the earliest escarpment are earlier than ED IIIA in J2 but not as early as the existance of late Ninevite V ceramics. Even in J2 f288 and 289 in k100 are probably late Ninevite V but we do not have as yet a clear transition between these 2 phases.

; J1-procedures
-inc	2007-08-02_R731LC.j	cJC	Today a tv crew visited J1 after breakfast with gB, fAB and rE to observe excavations and tape part of Martin Sheen's visit.

; J1-staff
-inc	2005-08-20_P817CVP.j	cvp	Before breakfast we have had the weekly meeting, visiting the 3 units and gB explaining the progress of the work and how to continue. Tomorrow we are not going to have workers in the field because the chieff staff is going to do a trip to Deir Ez Zor. We will do work at the house.
-inc	2005-08-22_P817CVP.j	cvp	As I am going to stay at the office working with the computer with gB, today mS is going to supervise the work in the field.
-inc	2005-08-24_P817CVP.j	cvp	vS in not working today, is sick in bed.
-inc	2005-08-25_P817CVP.j	cvp	Today is my last day of excavation. Tomorrow Friday there is no work in the field. The day after tomorrow, Saturday 27th, I will just go to the field to give mS the last explanations. mS is going to take after me as a Unit Supervisor the rest of the field season.
-inc	2005-08-27_P828MS1.j	mS	cVP has left the excavation and mS has returned as #1 for the rest of the season. pC and vS will continue to work in the unit.
-inc	2005-08-29_P828MS1.j	mS	pC spent the morning after breakfast in the house working on objects. vS and mS remained in the field.
-inc	2005-08-31_P828MS1.j	mS	had Ahmad the shovelman begin using the pick to help with the extremely hard loci.
-inc	2006-08-12_Q812CVP.j	cvp	For the first two and a half weeks cVP is going to be the field supervisor of this unit, being substituted by mS around the 26th August. mL and lC are going to act as assistants.
-inc	2006-08-15_Q812CVP.j	cvp	Our unit staff has been completed with the addition of lJ and lH, in their first day at the site.
-inc	2006-08-17_Q817CVP.j	cvp	lJ was feeling sick early in the morning so she stays at home the rest of the day. ml goes with gB fifteen minutes to see the palace with some visitors. gB said it could be interesting for her as she told us she was interested also in conservation.
-inc	2006-08-19_Q817CVP.j	cvp	lJ and lH at home, sick. bWP takes lC during the first half of the morning to act as helper.
-inc	2006-08-20_Q817CVP.j	cvp	lJ at home, sick.
-inc	2006-08-23_Q817CVP.j	cvp	mS is here, visiting the unit. LH is at the house because she has hurt a knee. lC stays at the office after breakfast to draw objects.
-inc	2006-08-24_Q817CVP.j	cvp	My last day as Unit Supervisor in the field, I change places with mS, who takes charge. lH at home sick and lJ draws objects after breakfast.
-inc	2006-08-24_Q824MS.j	mS	mS arrived on Q822 and this is her second day in the field. She will begin writing the daily journals today. cVP will be leaving in two days.
-inc	2006-08-27_Q824MS.j	mS	cVP left Mozan today. We have a new staff member, Hiba Qassar, hQ, who is a Syrian student at the University of Aleppo. She will work in J1 for the rest of the season.
-inc	2006-09-02_Q902MS.j	mS	dC arrived on Q901 and will be a number 2 in J01.
-inc	2006-09-14_Q912MS.j	mS	lH was ill and stayed home.
-inc	2006-09-21_Q916MS.j	mS	dC left today.
-inc	2006-09-29_Q926MS.j	mS	mL returned to work today.
-inc	2006-09-28_Q928MS.j	mS	mL was out sick today, all others were on site today.
-inc	2007-07-23_R724MS.j	ms	mS asked for another person to help with the data entry as there is a lot to cover in a short amount of time. cC joined J1 in the afternoon.
-inc	2007-07-30_R724MS.j	mS	lC will supervise the daily excavation activities and mS will look in now and again until she leaves in three days. sG, cJC and mL will be part of the J1 team.
-inc	2009-07-20_T718LC.j	lC	The J01 staff this year consists of lC, mM, aGA, with a partial collaboration of rE. hQ was supposed to be part of the team, but she is working fulltime in pottery.

; J1-storage
-inc	2006-09-13_Q912MS.j	mS	there are so many sherds coming from the pebble, sherd layer, f229 that we will now put all the sherds in a large sanbil instead of bags. mKB will take out any diagnostic sherds and weigh the body sherds.

; J1-strata description
-inc	2006-09-28_Q928MS.j	mS	had our strata assignment meeting today with gB, mKB, fAB, mS, hQ and lC.

; J1-strategy
-inc	2005-07-31_P731CVP.j	cvp	For reasons explained elsewhere, the original strategy prepared for this season here (the use of backhoe) is cancelled, so we are going to dig it by hand. As there are no more people with experience, I am appointed to be in charge for the unit, even if I have just 1 season of experience with the recording system. That is why gB and fAB are going to be always at hand to help and counsel. The rest of my field team would be vS, jS and pC. The trenches are not going to follow the old direction, it is going to be changed in order to match with the general grid of the J area. To have a complete seriation of the pottery from top to bottom, we are going to open a small locus, more or less 1.5 x 4 m, where the pottery is going to be more carefully recorded by mKB and studied for publication. As the soil here seems to be very hard and compact, we are going to dig it using artificial layers 5-10 cm deep, even if the system would change if we find clear real layers.
-inc	2005-08-02_P802CVP.j	cvp	As we open the new squares with the new orientation, the space remaining on two of the new loci would be not rectangular but trapezoidal. Then a big part of their surface would coincide with part of the space of the old squares excavated in 2003. Also, as we change the orientation and the aim of the excavation in this area, we are also giving new numbers to the loci, not following the series given in 2003. So the trapezoidal "squares" touching k9 and k10 would be k22 and k23. Even if the opening of those two were clear, we were yet unsure about how to proceed with the opening of the rest. With the presence of gB, mKB and fAB we discuss the different alternatives: the strategy discussed yesterday, in which the main aim would be the opening of a window for the Terrace Wall, or today's expressed by fAB, opening a line of squares following the E-W direction until joining the westernmost J3 locus. That would give us a quite complete view of most of the upper face of the Terrace Wall, creating also a long section that would reflect the sterile nature of the plaza sediment. It also would be a spectacular kite view. On the other hand the first alternative, opening the squares south of k23, and trying to reach the floor level, would be better in account of the chronology and preparing the argument for the use of the backhoe. Finally, the decision reached was a mixture of both: opening the squares east and south of k23, even if not in its 5x5 m but cutting it diagonally and doing the resulting deep sections with a certain slope in order to improve its stability. So the third square was opened south of k23, having then the number k13.
-inc	2005-08-03_P802CVP.j	cVP	Even if we don't find anything it would be important to keep the photographic record almost daily so that the fact that there is nothing would be carefully recorded for the "arguments for the backhoe".
-inc	2005-08-03_P802CVP.j	cVP	During the morning we discuss with gB the best way to situate the proposed deep trench with the stepped and sloping sections. We pointed out different possiblilities, but it is still to be decided.
-inc	2005-08-04_P802CVP.j	cvp	As today we are not working in the field, jE and vS designed a strategy and drew an sketch, J01sk17, offering one possible way to follow the excavation of our unit. The plan is discussed with the rest of the team and gB and fAB, and later offered to the rest of the members of the excavation at the weekly general meeting taking place in the evening at the site. The general layout seems to be correct, but we have still a doubt about what is the part of the wall that is going to be most exposed, because if we do the digging as we have planned, the deeper and most exposed part would be precisely the so called "buttress" or collapse, and not the nicest part already shown. That is why gB would prefer to "move" all the apparel a bit to the E. The problem with that movement is that then it would be necessary to open another square. The final decision wiil be reached tomorrow.
-inc	2005-08-05_P802CVP.j	cVP	At the beginning of the day gB decided to carry on with the digging of the "window" as planned, i.e. the stepped sections designed by jE and vS. So, we are going to proceed as follows (see also sketches 18 and 19): As the Column in k106 is going to be the lowest excavated area, 9 m deep from the present surface, the surface that remains of the 4 m square is going to be the center of the "window". In the squares around k106 we are going to dig the stepped sections. The steps in k13 (square S of k106) are going to be looking N, and the ones in k24 (E of k106) are going to be looking W. k14 and k12 are going to be the "corners" and the steps would run diagonally to link with k13 and k24. The steps in k12 are going to be looking E and the ones in k14 are going to be looking N. The final result would have the shape of an angular amphitheater, where the cavea are the stepped sections, the chorus the bottom of k106, and the scenae is going to be the Terrace Wall. As we planned to go a total of 9 m deep, each step is going to be 2 m deep, so we would have at the end 4 steps of 2 m and one of 1 m. The angle of the slope is going to be quite sharp, being 40 cm wide, whereas the surface remaining flat would be 50 cm wide. So each step is going to be 90 cm wide. The length would be that of the locus, 4 m in k13 and k24. In the "corners" the length would decrease while going deeper. The distance between the Column and the farthest step is 3.6 m (90 + 90 + 90 + 90 cm, 4 steps) in each side. Adding to that the 4 m of the Column, the total width of the window will be some 11.2 m. We have take the elevation of the top of the Terrace Wall, that is 9000. We presume that the elevation of the bottom of the wall, and of the floor of the Plaza as well, would be the same as the elevation of the pavement in the courtyard of the Palace, that is 8500. That means that we have to expose more or less 5 m of the wall in depth to find the Plaza floor. In the old squares that would be some 2 m below the actual surface of the deepest excavated part.
-inc	2005-08-07_P802CVP.j	cvp	Yesterday it was discussed with Iko the convenience of making the steps 1 m wide instead of 90 cm. So, today we moved the string that signaled the beginning of the steps in k13 and k24 30 cm farther. The last step of the section on k13 then is going to intrude into the area of the N baulk, that is why, instead of drawing the N section of k13, we are going to draw the S section of k106, which will provide us with the whole stratigraphic sequence of the Column.
-inc	2005-08-10_P810CVP.j	cvp	There is a slight change in strategy regarding the setting of the stepped sections. Instead of each unit begin the first step at 2 m from its own surface level, we decide to locate the first step at a given elevation, so all three units will have the steps at the same level. Fortunately for J1, we decided to begin the first step at 9000 m, that is the level we have reached in k13 for our first step, as it is 2 m from our surface. Anyway the elevations would remain with a difference of 2 m, so the steps would be at 9200, 9000, 8800 and 8600, then the 1 m step to reach the desired 8500.
-inc	2005-08-11_P810CVP.j	cVP	When we begin to dig the f38 feature touching the outer part of the wall in k32 we rapidly reached the level left in the old k101 square. At that moment a dilemma was created, because the space that we are going now to dig here is a kind of triangular trapezoid that in fact pertains to 3 different squares of the grid: there is a part in k32, another part in k22 and another part in k101. That is the reason why we are creating another locus, the new k107, with the only purpose to dig in a more sensitive and easy way that trapezoidal triangle, that still has some 2 meters of potency to work. See J1sk25.
-inc	2005-08-11_P810CVP.j	cVP	A note on the nature of the possible buttress: One of the goals of our J1 excavation is trying to understand the nature of the stones located in an irregular pattern in a section of the wall. We have to decide if they come from the destruction of part of the wall or they were laid there on purpose to build a kind of buttress. In favor of the first answer, also the most probable, is the fact that imbibed between that irregularly laid stones we have found a piece of basalt grinding stone, and, according to fAB, in all the Terrace Wall excavated till now, basalt stones had not been used at all in the building process.
-inc	2005-08-20_P817CVP.j	cvp	As a result of this morning meetings, we have decided to beging to lift the stones from the "collapse-buttress" that are more clearly floating. We will do that recording everything, photographing and doing templates. It seems quite possible that here it would have been an opening, maybe a gate, that could have been the one leading to the III millennium temple. That would be a likely solution in case that, as it seems in J02, the staircase and apron were an addition in the Mitanni period, leading not the the III millennium temple, but to the one built in later times, now completely eroded.
-inc	2005-08-28_P828MS1.j	mS	meeting in the pm with vS, pC and mS. We were prioritizing the tasks at hand for the rest of the excavation. We also discussed whether we should begin a new column in k24, or whether we will expand the current column. We will ask gB this question tomorrow. We also discussed the possibility of whether the wall, f72 may have different bottom elevations. f164 is the series of flat stones along the lowest point we have of the wall in the west. We have been referring to it as a foundation or footing and wonder if this may be the case. We will talk to gB about this also tomorrow. gB suggested we remove the floating stones running perpendicular to k106 and 72. We will insure they are relayed and photographed and remove them as soon as possible.
-inc	2005-08-31_P828MS1.j	mS	meeting in the am with gB, mKB, fAB, pC, vS and mS to discuss plans for the rest of the excavation season. We will cease excavation in k108 and k109 after bringing both to the same elevation. We have not found anything, nor do we expect to find anything in these two loci and will focus excavations to the east and utilize our manpower most effectively. We will focus on what is currently k110 and make the western extent of the excavation about one meter west of the baulk of k14. This is also just to the west of the large floating stones, f167 and f166.8. We will designate all the excavation area as the column and flag all lots. We will also go down in front of the wall in k10. Finally we will start making the oblique baulks.
-inc	2005-09-01_P901MS.j	mS	meeting with gB, vS, pC and mS to address concerns over the plan to remove the stones f188, f190 and f168 to the west. vS and pC felt strongly that the red packing which we have called f189 is intentional and may be a part of a buildup adjacent to the wall f72 and believed we should keep the stones. f189 is similar to the brown/pink packing of f156 and f158 along the wall to the west. They also believe the accumulation south of f168 and f169 is different from the accumulation to the north. We looked at the area more closely in the meeting. It was decided to cut back the section under f188 in k10 to see how deeply founded these stones are. Currently they are in the way for us to go down in the column. Then we will follow the accumulation very closely. We moved the elevator to make this easier to do. These stones may be a wall but if they are highly founded and only a single course they are probably only a screen wall and not important for our purposes.
-inc	2005-09-03_P903MS.j	mS	meeting with gB, faB, vS, pC and mS regarding the area in k10 but now part of k110. We removed the accumulation from the north of the wall f188 and found it ran deeper than we first assumed. pC and vS noticed there was red packing, similar again to f189 in this area. We will continue to excavate from the north to find the final bottom of f188 and we will remove this wall as soon as possible. In section we see a layer of bekiya, f192, and will follow this to the wall. The larger stones may be a later rebuilding or continuation of this screen wall. We will go down in k110 to the south of f188 to the level of f192, the bekiya to see what information this gives us about the wall. The accumulations north and south of f188 the wall are very different. We are at the point where we should be able to find out whether this is an important wall or just a screen wall. There is no evidence of a street or other use patterns.
-inc	2006-08-12_Q812CVP.j	cvp	The general strategy of this year in J1 is going to follow the one began last year, even if stressing 3 main aims: the first aim is to enlarge the space in front of the terrace wall to the south, i.e. the amphitheatre, in order to have a better general view of the wall; the second goal will be to reach the level of the plaza floor in all the interior of our amphitheatre, at the end of the projected steps; and the third goal will be to link the wall in our k32 with the section that appears in the German trench at its NE. Here the terrace wall seems to have a completely different direction. The wall in k32 goes more or less NS, while the one in the German trench is more or less NE-SW. So, it seems that in the middle we have to find a sharp angle. If this is so, then the temple terrace would be not so elliptical as was drawn by the geophysical survey, but more polygonal.
-inc	2006-08-13_Q812CVP.j	cvp	I have been commenting with fAB the possibility to make the steps 1 meter deep instead of 2. In this case we would not need to open so much space between the terrace wall and the steps, but he said that actually they prefer to have all that much space and the steps sharper, so we keep to the original idea. The new projected amphitheatre is drawn in sketch J01sk55. Also, we are going to follow last year strategy of making the steps at a given total elevation instead of just at 2 meters from the surface. Thus, in all trenches is the J area the steps would be at the same total elevation. Last year elevations were 9200 (surface), 9000 (first step), 8800 (second step), 8600 (third step). We still don’t have any total elevation this year but they must not be very different.
-inc	2006-08-16_Q812CVP.j	cvp	Site meeting with gB, fAB and jO to discuss digging strategies. First we discuss the pros and cons of keeping the steps 1 meter wide and do the bevel in a 15% of it. This way we would have more space as plaza floor, but we consider that it would be unnecessary time consuming, and we maybe could not reach the goal this season. Instead, if the steps are built 160 cm in horizontal, with 100 cm for the step and 60 for the bevel, the resulting ‘amphitheatre’ will keep the same desired visual effect with the advantages of creating a more consistent and ‘safer’ step and slope, and also safe time, which increase the possibilities of finishing all our goal at the end of this season (see sketch J01sk59 for the new planning). We have some pictures (…) showing the different results of last year steps dug, between the 1x2 meters planned ones (15% angle in the slope) and the “unplanned” ones, left at some 1 m deep, and consequently with the slope in a broader angle. The second question was how to proceed with the excavation to link the terrace wall with the German trench. We are going to lay two squares, k31 and k41 but, as the goal is simply reach the top of the terrace wall in here and try to find the possible corner, we are not going to need to dig the complete loci. We will open first the eastern half of k31 and later we will proceed as the necessity arises.
-inc	2006-08-17_Q817CVP.j	cvp	gB comes to visit and we comment on the possibility to equate the beginning of the steps not so much to a given total elevation but to set it at the beginning of the next feature. The other units are not going to do steps on the sections as they have not so deep a trench, so we don’t need to be equalized with them. Anyway, we are going to wait until around 2 meters deep, to see if we found first the next feature or the 2 meters, and then we decide.
-inc	2006-08-19_Q817CVP.j	cvp	gB comes to visit and we discuss the option of letting a straight section at k21 some 2 meters from the outer face of the wall. So, not doing the steps just to touch the walls but some meters before. In that way we will have a straight complete section which will show us the stratigraphy related to the terrace wall. The only problem is that, as we are going to dig k31, it is possible that we wouldn’t have section from the level of the top of the wall above. We will check the possibility to do so as the excavation progress.
-inc	2006-08-29_Q824MS.j	mS	Meeting with J1 staff, gB, fAB and jO on how to proceed for the next two weeks of the season. Instead of taking the entire area down to the level of the plaza in in the 'amphitheatre' style, we will instead bring everything down to the 9000 level and just step down in the western portion of J1. We will also cut back about a meter in k22 and k23 along the line of the step of last season at the 9000 level. This will open a large viewing area and also bring us to the plaza level. We will also excavate along the wall in k31 and open up a new area on an oblique line to the northwest, along the curve of the wall. This will allow a greater view of the curve, again with minimal dirt removal. bWP will begin laying out points in the morning. The oblique will run the the SW corner of the trench.
-inc	2006-08-30_Q824MS.j	mS	meeting in am with gB, jO, and mS refining the strategy to open squares to the west to improve the view of the wall. We will add k30 and k40, but open only small portions along the perimeter of the wall. We will also remove the NW quadrant of k31 which runs along the perimeter. This smaller opening will take the place of the larger oblique discussed yesterday. We will not open the entire squares, but just obliquely along the wall.
-inc	2006-08-31_Q824MS.j	mS	Meeting with gB, fAB, jO and mS confirmed the strategy of yesterday to just open oblique areas along the terrace to maximize the view for next week's visit of the Minister of Culture and other directors of excavations and staff in the Hassake region.
-inc	2006-09-03_Q902MS.j	mS	met with dC, and then gB to continue refining strategy for opening the view for the wall. We will focus on going down in the NW quadrant of k31 and will open more of k41. From what we see of the wall and the curve in k31 this would be the best place. gB also suggested that we change the first step at 9900 to be 3 meters wide instead of just 160cm. This would serve two purposes. First we will be able to dig a staircase in the step making it easier for visitors to get down to the plaza level. Second it will mean less dirt to move this season. We will probably begin a 3 meter step when we go back to excavating this area.
-inc	2006-09-09_Q902MS.j	mS	strategy discussions on Q908 and Q909 with gB, fAB, mS, and J1 staff focused on what to do in the final week to meet the season's goals. The first goal is finding the corner of the wall. We will open small areas of westernmost loci following the line of the wall that is currently exposed. Based on the geophysical survey, we expect to find the turn here. We will excavate to about 50cm below the top of the wall to see the line of stones. The second goal is to get to the plaza level. We reevaluated the initial plans for the amphitheatre because time is short and there is a lot of dirt to move. We will follow the original plan to the south and west but increase the size of the first two steps to 3.5 meters to accomodate stairs down to the plaza level. The third step will return to the original 160cm. To the east we will cut back to the current eastern baulk down to 8800. We have asked bWP to put in the points of the first step.
-inc	2006-09-10_Q902MS.j	mS	continued the discussion with gB, and J1 staff about the shape of the first step because we have changed it since the initial plan. We will make the step 350cm on the south, 300cm on the west and 150 on the east. The eastern portion will be straight to conform to the first step of MZ18, in k24. The second step will only be 150cm wide to allow for a greater corridor to view the wall from the plaza.
-inc	2006-09-11_Q912MS.j	mS	meeting this am with gB and J1 staff continuing to discuss strategy for the rest of the week, which is also the season because we must finish on Saturday. We will continue as planned yesterday. Also discussed putting points in along the top of the wall in order to have a more permanent method of seeing how far out the stones jut, and whether there is any bulge from season to season. I have asked mL and dC to also write a journal entry about this since they were part of a more complete and detailed discussion of methodology and mL will take the lead on this.
-inc	2006-09-12_Q912MS.j	mS	mS had a conversation with the J1 team and later with gB about changing what we will be digging because the time is getting shorter and there is still a lot of area to remove. Instead of going down two meters in the second step, we will only go down one. And we will focus on going down mostly in what we are calling the corrider, which is in the eastern section of J1 and runs along the cut made in MZ18 running north-south from the wall and glacis.
-inc	2006-09-14_Q912MS.j	mS	continuing meetings with gB, fAB, mS and J1 staff refining our goals for the season, predominantly driven by the corrider and view, and the placement of the stairs we will have coming down to the plaza level. We have had several discussions about this stair placement based on time and practicality. As of today, we have decided to put the stairs coming down from the western portion of J1. The cut back will be three meters from the top of the baulk at 9200 to the west and the first step will end at 9000. The second step will be adjacent and come down to the 8800 level. The next one will end at the 8600 level. Because of this we will cut back one meter more to the west in k114 and go down to 8800. We have also decided to extend the working time four addtional days. We have been working in the afternoons for four days. We will finish major excavations on Saturday, work one week in the house and then come back to the field for four days with only a small team of the best workers.
-inc	2006-09-15_Q916MS.j	mS	we continue refining the strategy for what will excavate for the rest of the season. gB has reworked the placement of the stairs coming down into J1. We will now widen the area of the corridor down the the first step. We will move to the west until k116 down to 8800. We will also excavate one meter to the west adjacent to the corridor so we can leave a portion of the pebble surface, f232 extant. We presume it does exist to the west because it does go into the unexcavated portion here. The present plan is to remove this surface in the corridor as we go down to the plaza level.
-inc	2006-09-22_Q916MS.j	mS	Per discussion with gB we decided to focus primarily on the corridor to insure we meet the goal of getting to the plaza. The other items can be left in case we have time.
-inc	2006-09-23_Q916MS.j	mS	we will now excavate f231 to the east of the corridor in k117 which is an addition to yesterday's strategy. We will also remove the last piece of k118 which is not at the 8800 level because this area is need for the last staircase down to the plaza.
-inc	2006-10-03_QX03MS.j	mS	after meeting with gB, fAB, mL, lC and mS we decided to finish excavations for the season. We are still about one meter above the plaza level but the pebble surfaces along the top of the escarpment are taking a long time to excavate. We discussed digging a trench one meter wide down to the plaza level but we decided against this because we would prefer to open the entire area rather than just a strip. It is a very important area and we want to make sure we don't miss anything by digging in a hurry or in a limited space. Ceasing excavation will also allow us to spend more time working on the records because we will leave Mozan in nine days. There are some items we do not understand such as f239 the brown mudflow and what function it served or what it's full extent is, but we have a good starting point for excavation next season. We will clean well k103 in front of the wall to have a complete picture of the escarpment at this point. We will also finish the third staircase in k118.
-inc	2007-07-31_R724MS.j	mS	meeting with gB, fAB, lC, sG, cJC and mS in the field to discuss next steps in the excavation of J1 this season. The focus will remain on the escarpment and how the various slopes, f196, f238, f240 relate to each other and how the so-called mudfow, f239 relates to them all.
-inc	2007-08-01_R731LC.j	cJC	In the evening gB, fAB, lC and mS (with Martin Sheen) discussed the strategy for this year's excavation. In order to better understand f239, the yellow layer, and its relationship with the feature below, f195, and the escarpment (f196) we decided to shift the main focus of the excavation from k117 to k10. This will allow us to follow the ashy layer (f195) and see its relationship to both the escarpment and f189.
-inc	2007-08-08_R731LC.j	lC	This morning the J01 team, led by lC, had a meeting with gB to discuss the strategy for the rest of season. We have decided to excavate the areas from the higher elevation that were left last year in the west part of k117, specifically f232 and its underlying layers (f235, f237). Because this year, while excavating we have uncovered a clear line between f189 and f248, we have decided to excavate approaching this line to better understand it. We want to clarify if the line between f189 and f248 is an artificial cut, and if f189 is a later version of the escarpment or another kind of accumulation.
-inc	2008-07-06_S707RE.j	rE	Before the excavation this area needs to be cleaned by the workmen and taken down 5cm. fAB suggested to think about the different elevations of the specific q-lots.This year we plan to resume the excavation that has been going on for several years. The last excavation ended at a very sensitive area at the base of the wall.
-inc	2008-07-12_S707RE.j	rE	Yesterday we had a staff meeting at the Tell. Gb described the various aspects of the excavation. Our group will be excavating the J1 area. Between the German trench and the A20 there is no structures due to this perhaps being the main plaza area/meeting area keeping the area clear and bowl shaped. The Mittani layer was found five meters down on J1 while at A20 the Mittani layer was around two meters down. On J1 no structure was found except some pottery shards and floor level were found. Gb mentioned that in the future the area behind the wall will be removed in sections creating a stair to get the effect of the temple as the ancients, the direction of the stair is being discussed. J1 is 1 1/2 meter above the palace courtyards pavement. The east section in J1 is very well protection against the winter and the levels of strata are straight - maybe this could have been a sacred place. Our goals now are to reach the Phase two floor and follow the down slope to the south. This area is important because of the chronology of pottery being in thick layers in a very good time sequence.
-inc	2008-07-13_S707RE.j	rE	fAB discussed the site with us and gave us some ideas. We could either expand or go downwards cutting into the layers, downwards was agreed upon paying careful attention to the pottery layers. fAB also asked if we could finish our goals in six weeks realisticly and expand afterwards time allowing. We will not be removing the stones directly touching the wall because they are important to show the boundary of the plaza, but we will be removing the stones not connected to the wall in the unit. fAB suggested to go down 10cm but after finding several large bone fragments on the surface after it had been cleaned we have decided to start at the top. Tomorrow morning we will set up the elevator to help remove the dirt before working and we will continue removing the baulk. We are going to print out the sections from the last season and compare them to what we see now.
-inc	2008-07-14_S707RE.j	rE	Discussed with fAB regarding expanding the section. It was decided that the down step in the south section would be expanded to within 25cm of the ledge behind it. The east section will be looked into later in the season, so far it is being discussed regarding moving it back so that the presentation of the site will be better. fAB also mentioned that perhaps the south section could be inclined as to avoid falling rocks. The east section will be sketched soon due to the ant/bird damage that has already been done to it, and a template made as well.
-inc	2008-07-15_S707RE.j	rE	gB suggested to expand to the east by removing the down step in the east section.
-inc	2008-07-21_S720LW1.j	lW	gB said that the strategy last year was to dig down but now it is to expand and to re-establish the physical grid. gB said also to have the workmen work in two areas at the same time so that the work will go quickly. Also to cut the sections back and clean it, also to straighten the ledge area on the east side.
-inc	2008-07-14_S720LW1.j	lW	Discussed with fAB regarding expanding the section. It was decided that the south wall would be expanded to within 25cm of the ledge behind it to get to the Akkadian level underneath. The east wall will be looked into later in the season, so far it is being discussed regarding moving it back so that the presentation of the site will be better. fAB also mentioned that perhaps the south wall could be inclined as to avoid falling rocks. The east wall will be sketched soon due to the ant/bird damage that has already been done to it, and a template made as well.
-inc	2008-07-22_S720LW1.j	lW	Tomorrow we will take relays of the stones by the wall. fAB asked us to read the notes from last season regarding the locus areas and the various features and to take notes on where sections end and begin. fAB also asked us to pay attention to where the floors were f237 and f235 to see if they were sealed between any accumulations. gB asked us to look for the seal of the floor and make a template in freehand showing this. Also to dig to the south and north of the stones by wall but leave the stones on a pedistal. gB also said to ask bpW where marker points are located, and to leave the baulk where the new marker points that bPW put up are. gB also said that he would look into putting a curtain on the wall to prevent birds from nesting in the wall and other wildlife.
-inc	2008-07-23_S720LW1.j	lW	fAB suggested that when f239 was removed to look for bricks or heavy mud. Also on the slope in the east section k123, to look for shovel marks. gB said that the rocks placed in our unit may have been a possible railing or a barrier between the Khabur and Mittani periods. Or these stones could have been a buffer zone between the plaza and the wall.
-inc	2008-07-26_S720LW1.j	lW	Today fAB sugeested that we get the slope of the escarpment f196 to see how far down at the south side we would need to go to get the same floor as f240. gB also said that a staircase needs to be put in on the west side down into the main section for easier access. He also said that the ledge on the south side that was a temporary buffer zone for rocks should be taken out sometime soon.
-inc	2008-07-20_S720RE.j	rE	gB suggested not to draw the east section, because it will take too long to finih it. And he also said to place a string on the section with ribbon every one meter, so we know the exact measurment for when we draw it in freehand.
-inc	2008-07-28_S720RE.j	rE	tomorrow we are going to remove f257, then we will take a picture to f238 which covers the whole area. after that we will move to k123 and the small baulk next to it, to remove f232 and the accumulation under it f235, then f237 to reach f238. But gB refers to the reddish accumulation under f237 in k123 and the baulk, that it's more similar to the Bakaya material that we found it in J3, so when we reach it make sure that it's Bakaya not a brick.
-inc	2008-07-30_S720RE.j	rE	in order to get a general idea of the depth of the pavement floor f238, gB suggested to take the elevation of the bottom of the slope of f238 and the top of the escarpment.
-inc	2008-07-31_S720RE.j	rE	fAB suggested to remove the stones and to check if they are sitting on f238, and to take some close up shots of the floor to show the pottery. Then to remove the floor in a grid pattern for control areas.
-inc	2008-08-02_S720RE.j	rE	We will continue to remove f238 and f240 which is the same as f238.
-inc	2008-07-20_S720RE.j	rE	gB suggested not to draw the east section, because it will take too long to finih it. And he also said to place a string on the section with ribbon every one meter, so we know the exact measurment for when we draw it in freehand.
-inc	2008-07-28_S720RE.j	rE	tomorrow we are going to remove f257, then we will take a picture to f238 which covers the whole area. after that we will move to k123 and the small baulk next to it, to remove f232 and the accumulation under it f235, then f237 to reach f238. But gB refers to the reddish accumulation under f237 in k123 and the baulk, that it's more similar to the Bakaya material that we found it in J3, so when we reach it make sure that it's Bakaya not a brick.
-inc	2008-07-30_S720RE.j	rE	in order to get a general idea of the depth of the pavement floor f238, gB suggested to take the elevation of the bottom of the slope of f238 and the top of the escarpment.
-inc	2008-07-31_S720RE.j	rE	fAB suggested to remove the stones and to check if they are sitting on f238, and to take some close up shots of the floor to show the pottery. Then to remove the floor in a grid pattern for control areas.
-inc	2008-08-02_S720RE.j	rE	We will continue to remove f238 and f240 which is the same as f238.
-inc	2008-08-06_S720RE.j	rE	regarding to the hard situation we have, that we have hard materials against hard materials and also because of the slope of the features, it's difficult to know which feature is under the other. Thus gB and fAB suggested not to excavate tomorrow, just to work at home to have a better understanding of the area and the features, since it's so important for the chronology not to mix the features. In addition gB suggested to make a good plan and section to the area, showing the strata sequence.
-inc	2008-08-12_S720RE.j	rE	gB suggested to go down and break phase one to reach the earlier escarpment f196.
-inc	2008-08-16_S813RE.j	rE	tomorrow we will continue removing f239.
-inc	2008-08-20_S813RE.j	rE	Before the end of the day, we had a meeting in J1 with gB and fAB to discuss the present state of the unit, due to the short excavation time we have left. After exposing different strategies, we agreed that the best conclusion for the area in the last week of the excavation is to make a trench in the western parts of k126 and k127, going from the wall to the south section having width of 1.40cm. In this way we can easily follow the slope of f196 to the south, because the elevation in the south west corner of k126 is 8541, which is 40cm higher then the platform of the palace, where gb expects to find the plaza. We have to remove f261 to be sure that it's a boundary of the ash f278. We have to remove also f269. In addition, we let hB take the measurements of the whole area to check is not trapezoidal, and to establish the correct lines of the trench parallel to the east section.
-inc	2009-07-18_T718LC.j	lC	Today J01 team has had a meeting in the field with fAB to decide the initial strategy of the excavation. We decided to start removing the upper part of the eastern baulk in k127, left there from previous years excavations, to check the probable presence of the early escarpment f196 not clearly exposed, then we will remove it to have all the east section clean and most of all to have more space to expose the wall f288 in length, one of the most important goal of the season. We also decided to excavate at the beginning just inside k127 starting from south and going on toward north, to find the face of the Chalcolithic wall. From the results we gain we will decide if excavate also between the Chalcolithic wall and the base of third millennium wall, fact that could be dangerous for the stability of this last structure. Due to the complexity of the stratigraphy and to the type of the deposits we decided don't use the big pick, but just small picks and more precise tools.
-inc	2009-07-21_T718LC.j	lC	Right after breakfast J01 team had a site meeting with gB and fAB. We showed them the proceedings of the excavation and we discussed about near future strategy. The main discussion was about the possible links of the stone wall f259 with the early or late escarpment. Stone wall seems to continue to the north, but we don't know how much until we don't remove the ashy layer f241. It is older then the later escarpment, now we have to check if the wall abuts the early escarpment or if it goes underneath the escarpment. In this case it could be linked with the Late Chalcolithic wall found in k128. Moreover we don't have yet the bottom of the stone wall f259 that could be close to Chalcolithic levels. Another open question is linked to the relationship between the late escarpment and the big flat stones J05f188 running almost parallel to the revetment wall f72. The second escarpment f239 seems to slope more to the south going toward east, instead toward west is cut closer to the wall (as we can easily see in both the east and west section of k127). Very important is the link of this escarpment with the big flat stones of J05f188 that are just uncovered in their upper part. Probably next days J05 team will excavate to clarify this relationship. Moreover we have also to keep in mind the possibility that the escarpment, along the revetment wall, is sloping toward east, from J05 to J01 area. Maybe also the bottom of the revetment wall f72 is higher following its path to the west and then to the north. Next days the results of excavations in these two areas will add many more important informations for a general understanding of the plaza and the terrace.
-inc	2009-07-22_T718LC.j	lC	In the light of last results, after the daily site meeting with gB and fAB, the J01 beginning plans have been in part changed. After the removal of f241 on top of the early escarpment many questions are arisen. First the surface of the escarpment is badly preserved and this is probably due to flowing waters. In fact the escarpment is well preserved next to the revetment wall, where plastic material as pure clay and baqaia are used to avoid the seepage of water, but to the south where it is sloping sharply there is a shallow hollow. This fact probably compromised a good understanding of the relationships with the other features like f259 and f279. We decided to leave the feature f196 as we found because we could risk to cut into Chalcolithic levels.  Another important element is that the early escarpment is sharply arising next to the wall, going to the west. For this reason we will excavated to the west (contrary the beginning plans) in order to expose the ancient escarpment and to check its relationship with the big flat stones of J05f188. This excavation should help to understand the general situation of the terrace and the plaza in its west edge where it is supposed to arise. J05 excavation is oriented exactly to solve this open question and this is even more interesting in the light of last results.
-inc	2009-07-23_T718LC.j	lC	Today right before breakfast short site meeting between fAB, gB, lC and aGA. gB suggested to remove f309, probably the first escarpment or something associated to Chalcolithic levels, to collect pottery to date it. For now we left it waiting to finish excavating in k129. We discussed also about the cut that seems to cut f309 running from east to the west. fAB showed that probably a sloping surface is connected to the cut and this seems a good area to start to excavate looking for the Chalcolithic wall f288.
-inc	2009-07-26_T718LC.j	lC	Site meeting with gB and fAB discussing about the stratigraphy and strategy for next days. f313, but most of all f315 seems really similar to f232, a Mitanni pavement excavated in 2006. We decided to remove also the stones f314.3 and f314.4 because accumulation f313 is clearly going under those. Before we want to take photos also with the other stones to the west in J5k100. So jW will excavate the accumulation in J5k100 to reach the same level of f313 and f315 that is a good stratigraphic sealing for the features below. The goal for the next days is to check the relationships between the accumulation f315 and the later escarpment but also to follow its slope to the south. It is not excluded that next days, having more workmen we will excavate both in k129 and k127.
-inc	2009-07-27_T718LC.j	lC	Daily site meeting with gB and fAB discussing strategy. gB proposed to expand to the south k128 but we have already started to remove f 294 so the strategy changed a little. Digging in a wide area seems easier to understand the complicated stratigraphy we have in this level. Next days we will continue to go down in all the southern half of k127 to turn after to the north looking for the face of the Chalcolithic wall f288.
-inc	2009-07-30_T731LC.j	lC	Long site meeting with fAB about stratigraphy and then with gB and fAB about stratigraphy and strategy for next days. From the first meeting resulted that the big cut of ED III probably was done because of the damage of water along the first escarpment. Checking the difference in elevation between East and West, probably the first escarpment was damaged and there was a sharp slope. ED III people so cut everything in between the damaged first escarpment and the southern Ninivite 5 levels and filled this cut with a big amount of dumping material, most of all broken mud bricks. The water damage is still visible in the surface of early escarpment f196 in the western portion of k127. Can the water erosion explain a such big cut? Probably the quantity of water coming from west along the revetment wall was enough to damage deeply the area where it was flowing. Probably also the stone wall f259 running north to south has had a function in this direction, but still date and function have to be checked. Moreover don't have to be excluded that the wall f259, either Chalcolithic or later could be a sort of edge of the plaza, with a narrowing of it. Besides the plaza should be lower and it worked as water collector. Coming back to the strategy for next days we are planning, on gB's suggestion, to dig two small trenches to accelerate the excavation, one at the base of the stone wall f259, and another one north-south in k127 to check what do we have at the bottom of the big filling of second escarpment.
-inc	2009-08-01_T731LC.j	lC	After the stratigraphic review of yesterday and the site meeting of the day before, on gB's suggestion we decided to excavate two small trenches running north to south in k127. One at the bottom of the stone wall f259 to date it, but we didn't start yet, and another one next to the western section to check what below the lower part of the filling f296 and f294 belonging to the second escarpment. We started with the last one, but we didn't continue because of the stratigraphical complexity and we preferred to excavate entire f296 to the level to the stones of wall f288.
-inc	2009-08-02_T731LC.j	lC	Daily meeting with fAB. For k129 we decided to not remove the east baulk in order to draw a section showing all the horizontal accumulations and floors abutting the sloping surface of the second escarpment f239. So we will wait also to remove the southern small portion on top of the stone wall f259. In k127 we are still going down removing f296 and tomorrow probably we will concentrate on excavate f294 uncovering the surface of f317, sloping sharply to the East.
-inc	2009-08-03_T731LC.j	lC	Daily site meeting with fAB and gB. We decided to remove the stones f328.1 and 328.2 in order to fully expose pavement f325 and to check its relationship with the escarpment and the stones of J05f225. In k127 we planned to finish to remove at the beginning all the later features, as f327, f317 and f278, so to have at the end all the earlier levels, dating to ED II and LC. This should help us to reconstruct the stratigraphical and depositional history of this complicated sector of the Plaza and the Terrace.
-inc	2009-08-05_T808LC.j	lC	Site meeting with fAB and gB. We discussed about the excavation of part of the accumulation against the flat stones of J05, right next to J01 west section of k129. It is very important for us to check the relationships of the stones with the pavement f325.
-inc	2009-08-08_T808LC.j	lC	Daily site meeting with fAB. We decided how to proceed next days. In k129 we are planning to remove the pavement f325, but we are now weating J05 to finish exposing the continuation of the pavement to the west. This is important to show the relationships between the stones belonging probably to the first escarpment and the pavement possibly dating to early Mitanni. In k127 the situation is more complex due to stratigraphy. Once finished to remove the ash, finding the bottom of the cut or of the erosion, we will start to remove the material belonging to first escarpment in order to expose the two stone structures f259 and f288. Probably we will start from the upper part, next to the north western corner of k127, leaving the western section showing the sequence of the two escarpments. Then we want go down removing the material of early escarpment until we don't find the features below, which we are assuming belonging to Late Chalcolithic period. Once removed the escarpment if necessary we will remove also earlier levels.
-inc	2009-08-09_T808LC.j	lC	Today nothing different from what we planned yesterday, but many new discoveries, most of all the continuation of the wall f288 to the west and the find of other stones probably belonging either to the wall f259 or f288. Now the possibility that the two walls are part of a same structure is much more plausible. Tomorrow at first we will check if the stones of f307 are part of the deeper structures or just part of the second escarpment, and in this last case we will remove them to see the continuation of wall f288 and its eventual relationship with wall f259. It is important to reach at least the bottom of the early escarpment to see the base of the two structures. Probably we will excavate also part of the levels underneath (Late Chalcolithic?) to have a complete understanding of the walls. Of course because the days of planned excavation are becoming less and less we are trying to figure out the best way to proceed. Next days we will also check with the shish if the stones of wall f288 stop really to the east. In k127 we have to clarify the relationship between the first and the second escarpment and to understand if the layer found below f325 belongs to one or to the other one.
-inc	2009-08-10_T808LC.j	lC	Daily site meeting with fAB and gB. In k127 we are following the strategy decided the previous days to remove all f196 to the level of stones f336 and the bottom of the wall f288. Tomorrow we will use the big pick to remove f196 because it is compact and just few sherds and almost no objects were recovered. Of course the soil will be sifted. In k129 the situation is more complex because below pavement f325 we found a hard surface and we don't know its relationship with early or late escarpments. We decided to draw the west section of k127 and then cut back f239 about 40 cms, in order to try to follow the surface of the early escarpment already exposed, that howewer, to the south, could be eroded. The goal is also to check the relationship of the big stone just slightly exposed inside f239 with the early escarpment. Then we decided, on fAB suggestion to dig a sort of probe sounding to the west of wall f259 to see its western face and the probable presence of Chalcolithic layers at a higher level.
-inc	2009-08-11_T808LC.j	lC	(Part 1)First daily meeting of fAB with all J01 team. We discussed the strategy for the last week of excavation. In k129 the sloping surface f338 seems a good stopping point for this season, but still some questions are open. First goal is to see the western face of wall f259 and eventually to find Chalcolithic levels possibly at a higher elevation to the west. To do this it was proposed a small probe sounding, that while has some risky elements. For example the difficulty to understand the excavated layers in a such small area (about 1,40 x1,40 meters) but also to remove the pebbles alignment f343 and the baqaya f342. So we decided for now just to remove part of f239 uncovering eventually the surface of early escarpment f196, if preserved, to understand its relationship with the floor f338, stones f339, f318 and what to south. If the escarpment is eroded this will allow us to expose more stones of f339 and probably to understand their function. Removing this small portion of f239 we can also try to understand if the eastern stone of f318 belongs to the early escarpment or not. Once removed this portion of f239 we will decide how to further proceed.
-inc	2009-08-11_T808LC.j	lC	(Part 2) In the second daily meeting with fAB and gB, after the recovering of the last stone showing that the two walls f259 and f288 are bonded and form a single structure, many other questions have arisen and also the strategy is a little changed. Probably this structure is linked to a Chalcolithic mound and its function was in some way linked to controlling water flow and as boundary from west and east where possibly the plaza was in LC period. For us for now it can't be excluded that it could be some other kind of building, with public or private functions, and we hope that the remaining week of excavation could solve this question. Moreover the northern part of wall f259 is damaged by a cut or erosion f344. If it is linked to water damage probably it happened in Late Chalcolithic period, when the wall wasn't repaired any more, and in ED II was it regularized with the construction of the early escarpment covering it. Important seems also the relationship of this structure with what is to the west. Probably to the west the Chalcolithic levels are higher. At least f259 was still visible in Mitanni period because the pavement f325 was abutting it. So if the stones f318 seem stopping right in line with the wall f259 running south to north, it could has been a sort of boundary even during the period of ^esc1. The material of the early escarpment seems to date clearly to Late Chalcolithic and this can due to the reuse as fill of material found around. At the end of the morning we uncovered the harder surface f345 below the first escarpment. It could be interpreted as a Chalcolithic escarpment, even if quite flat and similar to f196, still considering the walls f288 and f259 as part of the LC mound structures. Since tomorrow we will excavate to the east of f345, trying to reach the bottom of the wall f288 and, depending on how deep it is going, if we have still time we will expand the excavation to the west. This will allow us, removing f345, to uncover more face of both walls f259 and f288.
-inc	2009-08-12_T808LC.j	lC	Today during the meeting with fAB we decided, at the end, to start the small probing sounding in k129. It should help us to understand both the wall f259 and the sequence of accumulations against it. Today we didn't remove the pebbles of f243 but tomorrow we want to follow the baqaya that could be part of the construction of wall f259, or likely later. In k127 we followed the strategy planned yesterday. But the recovering of many big stones below f329 and f345 probably will make us change strategy. It seems very important understand their meaning, even if at a first glance these stones seem just floating or collapsed stones. So tomorrow we will remove f345 next to the walls and at the same we will look for the bottom of wall f288, that is one of the main goals of the season.
-inc	2009-08-15_T815LC.j	lC	Today we found the base of wall f288, so the first important goal is reached. We decided to stop here also because the situation is really complex with the bricks f356 running north to south and many other fragments to the west, perhaps belonging to other kinds of structures. The last three days we will concentrate the efforts in removing the accumulations and probably also the numerous collapsed stones to uncover the face of a8. In k127 we are still going deeper in the small sounding, and we will continue until a good part of the western face of wall f259 is exposed.
-inc	2009-08-16_T815LC.j	lC	Site meeting with fAB. We decided for these last two days to remove the collapsed stones f336 and f349, checking carefully that they are not belonging to any structure. We will remove at first the upper floating stones f352 and then the lower ones. So we will expose a wider area of LC levels and this will allow us to uncover more surface of the faces of a8. We decided also to remove the floating stones f339 and the accumulations filling the break f344 inside the wall f259. So we will have a nice west section showing the sequence of late escarpment and what below to it, most of all the lower accumulations already excavated in the southern small sounding and sloping to the south. This will also show if the stone wall f288 is continuing to the west or stops in the corner with wall f259.
-inc	2009-08-17_T815LC.j	lC	Small meeting today to highlight the goals for this season. We are almost done, and the only change in the strategy was to not remove the collapsed stones f336 and f349, first because it is a big job, being the stones numerous and quite big in size. Second because the stones show clearly the collapse of the walls f259 and f288, in at least two different moments. Some Units will excavate also this afternoon, but we don't need this extra time. Tomorrow, the last day of excavation, we will finish the northern sounding in k129 and we will clean all the area and the stones both of the structure a8 and of the collapse.
-inc	2009-08-24_T824LC2.j	lC	Today during the final stratigraphic review fAB suggested some small further excavations in J1. This is almost due to the new discoveries in J5. Right at the bottom of the revetment wall f72 in J5 was found a straight line of smaller stones J5f284. This stones could belong to an earlier wall, so we have to check if our stone wall f288 might continue to the west, and eventually join the J5 stones f284, next days we will remove a small portion of the section belonging to the early escarpment, right on top of the wall itself and to its west. We will remove also the ashy layer f341 on top of the stone wall f288 in order to see it better from the kite pictures. Another work will be to excavate in the southern part of k129, in between the modern steps and the area excavated this year, to build a new staircase to facilitate the descent in the excavation area in the project of site presentation.
-inc	2009-08-31_T831LC.j	lC	Removing the two spurs projecting to the south we found unexpected structures (f374 and f375) below the topsoil, so we changed a little the strategy. Instead of removing the entire portion of k132 planned at the beginning we cut a smaller portion next to the south western corner. This won't compromise the aim of this excavation, because the upper part of the wall is now uncovered and this let the winter waters flow away.
-inc	2009-08-27_T831LC.j	lC	Today we resumed the excavation after a week of UGR working, in order to check few things before the end of the season. The first aim was to expose the top part of wall f288 so it is clearly visible in the next kite pictures. Second we wanted to check if the wall f288, running east to west could continue to the west and join the wall found in J5 at the bottom of revetment wall f72. This last J5 structure could be also a sort of step foundation for the revetment wall, and only further excavation will clarify the situation. Our wall seems stopping in the corner with wall f259 and it is not continuing toward west.
-inc	2009-08-29_T831LC.j	lC	Today we started to remove two dangerous spurs of soil left from previous year excavations on top of the revetment wall f72. One seems the baulk between k9 and k11 and the other is a small triangle to the north of old k9, and to the east of k32. We created a new locus k132 including both these portions. The two soil spurs are projecting to the south and it was difficult to walk on top of the revetment wall for eventual conservation works. Moreover their section was very damaged by the water flowing and there was the risk they could fall down inside the lower J1 excavation area.

; J1-surveying
-inc	2008-07-12_S707RE.j	rE	Barbara placed seven control points on all the sections.
-inc	2008-07-12_S707RE.j	rE	bpW placed seven control points on all the sections.
-inc	2008-07-13_S707RE.j	rE	We removed control point 4683 that was attached to the baulk by the staircase.
-inc	2008-07-17_S707RE.j	rE	today we removed marker number m4726 which is the northeast marker in k120.
-inc	2008-07-22_S720LW1.j	lW	We removed m4530 from last season.
-inc	2008-07-28_S720LW1.j	lW	bPW placed new markers in the section where we removed the baulk to keep the line of the baulk. The makers are m4868 N and m4869 S. We removed the two markers m4759 and m4757.
-inc	2008-07-20_S720RE.j	rE	today we removed marker number m4684.
-inc	2008-07-30_S720RE.j	rE	today we removed m4679.
-inc	2008-08-03_S720RE.j	rE	Today we placed five markers in our area. m4898 in the wall, m4897 in the west section, m4895 and m4896 in the south section and m4894 in the east section.
-inc	2008-07-20_S720RE.j	rE	today we removed marker number m4684.
-inc	2008-07-30_S720RE.j	rE	today we removed m4679.
-inc	2008-08-03_S720RE.j	rE	Today we placed five markers in our area. m4898 in the wall, m4897 in the west section, m4895 and m4896 in the south section and m4894 in the east section.
-inc	2008-08-20_S813RE.j	rE	we removed m4728 and m4729, because they were loose.

; J1-varia
-inc	2006-08-31_Q824MS.j	mS	The excavations and features uncovered are consistently the same as last season and very predictable.
-inc	2006-09-13_Q912MS.j	mS	the pebble, sherd, stone layers of f224, f225, f226 and f229 (f38, f171, f151, f163, f152, f178 from MZ18)are interesting because they also contain several frit beads, a couple of frit cylinder seals and a lot of kiln waste and grinding stones. There is no context for these items but may indicate a tremendous amount of material at the top of the tell to have washed down. It does appear that these layers were naturally deposited and the soil is very hard as a result of being rained on.

; J1-visits and visitors
-inc	2007-08-02_R731LC.j	cJC	In the morning gB, fAB and Martin Sheen visited J1 and fAB gave a brief introduction to the excavations in the area. Martin Sheen tried his hand at excavating for a few minutes. Before lunch, gB, fAB, rE and Martin Sheen returned with a television crew to tape the excavations.
-inc	2009-08-06_T808LC.j	lC	Today, almost at the end of the morning, a small group of italian students from Rome, working at Ebla, visited the site. They came with fAB also in J01. lC showed the excavation in J01 with results from the previous seasons and the main goals for this year.

; J1-work activities
-inc	2005-09-04_P904MS.j	mS	we now start work at 5:45 because the sun is rising later each morning. We finish at 1:30pm.
-inc	2006-09-21_Q916MS.j	mS	we have changed our work week and will now work from Monday to Saturday and we will have Sunday off.
-inc	2006-09-22_Q916MS.j	mS	we had no method for removing dirt but tomorrow Muhammad Omo will move two shafats and we will have one large one to move the dirt from a lower level with fewer people.
-inc	2006-09-23_Q916MS.j	mS	we moved the clocks back one hour last night and now begin work at 5am because it is light.
-inc	2006-09-25_Q916MS.j	mS	Ramadan has started and we will end work in the field at 11:45 today. The workmen asked not to have a break for breakfast since they are not eating. Beginning tomorrow, we will work straight through from 5:00 to 11:00.
-inc	2006-09-26_Q926MS.j	mS	the workmen will work from 5am to 11am with only one 15 minute break for those who are not fasting during Ramadan. Several also left to help Muhammed Omo move shafats in other areas.
-inc	2006-09-29_Q926MS.j	mS	the shafat does not work any longer because the accumulations we are digging are dense and damp and tend to clog the shafat. We will get a couple more workmen to help remove the dirt.
-inc	2007-07-16_R724MS.j	ms	mS arrived at the site and set up to work. The staff is working on Loci.
-inc	2007-07-18_R724MS.j	ms	mS spent the day working on a Freehand project to highlight loci one at a time so they can be seen more easily in the browser.
-inc	2007-07-19_R724MS.j	ms	started the cycle covering items. lH arrived and will work in J1 doing editing of the books.
-inc	2007-07-20_R724MS.j	ms	mS and lH continued editing the items and q-items.
-inc	2007-07-23_R724MS.j	ms	We began the module on plots.
-inc	2007-07-24_R724MS.j	ms	very little work was done on the plots because of the computer issues.

; J1-workmen
-inc	2005-08-02_P802CVP.j	cvp	Our team is going to be 16 workmen, even if today we have just have 13 and Farhad the water boy. Four of them pickmen.
-inc	2005-08-03_P802CVP.j	cVP	We have today a new workman, so 15 in total
-inc	2005-08-05_P802CVP.j	cVP	Today we have a new worker, so we have a total of 16.
-inc	2005-08-14_P810CVP.j	cvp	Today we have a new workman, so we have now 16 plus Ferhan. We put the new one in the team of the column. Also, due to the complaints of Ahmed, the pick-man there, alleging that the soil was very hard and difficult to pick, I designate Saud to pick also there.
-inc	2005-08-17_P817CVP.j	cvp	Habib fell from the step in k24 to the step in k23 and, even if the difference in highness was short, maybe half a meter, he fell in a bad position and hurt its arm. After bringing him to the doctor it seems that it is a fracture.
-inc	2005-08-20_P817CVP.j	cvp	Jumah has hurt one of his fingers, nothing of importance.
-inc	2005-08-23_P817CVP.j	cvp	Jumah has a small hurt in one finger and a small cut in one leg. With them they are 3. I gave him permission to go home as it was already fifteen to one, even if it was really nothing. We have a new workman, Suleiman, a shovel to work full time in the Elevatore.
-inc	2005-08-24_P817CVP.j	cvp	First time in the morning Jumah has gone to Kamiran for his scratch to be cured again. Then he has resumed his place as one of the two workmen taking care of the Elevatore. The other one, Suleiman, put there by fAB yesterday, has not come, so we had a new one for the same job, Salah. Later, Iko has decided that two workmen taking care of the Elevatore was too much (right) and has take Salah away. No accidents today, even if Samih was showing me a cut in the thumb, but just to inform me that he was working too much, not to go to Kamiran's infermary. At midmorning Muhammed Omo takes one of our workmen, Riad, to put him to work with the geophisician.
-inc	2005-08-25_P817CVP.j	cvp	Somewhere after breakfast I am aware that Magid is nowhere to be seen for a while. Asking Samih his whereabouts he answered me that he has gone home because he was feeling sick. It seems he didn't consider the possibility to let me know about it. Asking Samih if at least he has asked permission to fAB or gB, he said yes. Ferhad added with mimics something about drinking cold water and throat aching.
-inc	2005-08-28_P828MS1.j	mS	fAB took two pickmen, Sa'ud and Mas'ud to work in J2. We now have three pickmen with three teams. It's unfortunate to lose these two excellent pickment but our excavation area is decreasing and we really did not have room for all the pickmen.
-inc	2005-09-04_P904MS.j	mS	since our work area is shrinking we moved some of our workmen to other areas. Juma moved to J3, and Majid, Samich, and Kowa moved to J2. Rashad did not come to work today.
-inc	2006-08-12_Q812CVP.j	cvp	We begin the season with 12 workers, four of them pick men.
-inc	2006-08-15_Q812CVP.j	cvp	New workman today, Kamiran, as a spade in k3. 13 in total.
-inc	2006-08-16_Q812CVP.j	cvp	New workman today, Nizam Assad, as wheelbarrow for k112. 14 in total.
-inc	2006-08-17_Q817CVP.j	cvp	Part of our team is working with Mohammed Omo laying again the path for the electric cable, away from the rim of our squares. Mamo came nearly an hour late, but I think he had fAB’s permission.
-inc	2006-08-19_Q817CVP.j	cvp	We have a new team of five workmen to dig at k31. So we have 19 workmen in total.
-inc	2006-08-21_Q817CVP.j	cvp	2 new workmen, a pick and a spade. 21 in total.
-inc	2006-08-27_Q824MS.j	mS	Got another team of workmen, 1 pick, two shovel, and 1 wheelbarrow.
-inc	2006-08-29_Q824MS.j	mS	three pickmen left today, Mizer left to work in Hasake, and two went home sick. This had an impact on our dirt removal.
-inc	2006-08-30_Q824MS.j	mS	two pickmen came back but two shovelmen left at breakfast; we got a replacement for one.
-inc	2006-09-02_Q902MS.j	mS	Moved a team of workmen to J3 so we now have six teams.
-inc	2006-09-03_Q902MS.j	mS	Two pickmen and one arabana person left after breakfast which made us have to stretch the workmen and have slowed us down. Got the team back that we gave to J3 yesterday.
-inc	2006-09-05_Q902MS.j	mS	sent two teams to J3 which left us with five teams, although two were not complete.
-inc	2006-09-09_Q902MS.j	mS	began the day with six of our old teams and got a new one from J4. We have 7 picks, 13 shovels and 7 dirt haulers. Ju'an the pickman left after breakfast without any notification.
-inc	2006-09-10_Q902MS.j	mS	got three new dirt haulers today, but a few have left because school has started. Only had a team from J4 at the end of the day. For most of the day we had 6 picks, 10 shovels, and 7 dirt movers. Nizam hurt his leg and left at breakfast.
-inc	2006-09-11_Q912MS.j	mS	after breakfast we got a team of workmen from J4, one pick, two shovel and one dirt.
-inc	2006-09-14_Q912MS.j	mS	have gotten more workmen from J4, including two, Shilal and Shiar brought especially to work on the baulk areas near the wall in k30 and k40 since it has been moving so slowly. The workmen are also tired from working so much so the work is moving a little slowly at times.
-inc	2006-09-15_Q916MS.j	mS	we continue to absorb teams from J4 and now have 11 pickmen with almost a full team of shovels and dirt movers for all.
-inc	2006-09-21_Q916MS.j	mS	we had seven workmen today, six of whom were pickmen. But they are extremely good and worked well together doing all the needed jobs.
-inc	2006-09-22_Q916MS.j	mS	we had only five workmen today but will have more tomorrow.
-inc	2006-09-23_Q916MS.j	mS	Ramadan begins today and some of our workmen are fasting so this will have an impact on the work flow.
-inc	2008-07-13_S707RE.j	rE	We have in our unit eight workmen who are Sa'ud Ibrahim, Abdl-Rahman Hassan and Masoom Hassan are the pickmen. Azad Muhammad, Fawwaz Khalil, Nazim Mahmood are the shovelmen. Hejar Mao and Rezan Omar are in charge of the wheelbarrel.
-inc	2008-07-16_S707RE.j	rE	today lO who is the Zooarchaeologist came to the tell and gave a talk to the workmen about recovering animals bones from the excavation area.
-inc	2008-07-17_S707RE.j	rE	today we got a new shovelman his name is Edrees.
-inc	2008-07-21_S720LW1.j	lW	The workmen had a meeting at 1200 so work ended an hour early.
-inc	2008-07-28_S720LW1.j	lW	Today we got new workmen. Two workmen left from our area, Ezad and Nassam, and four new workmen came. We received one new pickmen his name is Mohammad, the three other workmen are shovelmen, Yasser, Khoder, Fagie.
-inc	2008-07-20_S720RE.j	rE	Nazem the shovelman had permission to leave after breakfast.
-inc	2008-07-20_S720RE.j	rE	as gB gB suggested, today put Shewals on the top of the south section as in the east one, to protect from any thing to full down.
-inc	2008-07-20_S720RE.j	rE	Nazem the shovelman had permission to leave after breakfast.
-inc	2008-07-20_S720RE.j	rE	as gB gB suggested, today put Shewals on the top of the south section as in the east one, to protect from any thing to full down.
-inc	2008-08-27_S813RE.j	rE	One of my pickmen moved to J5 to follow the late escarpment f239 there.
-inc	2009-07-20_T718LC.j	lC	Today we started with 7 workmen. They were supposed to be 8, but Juan will join us the next day. During the season we will see if these workmen are enough or if we need more, also in relation to the excavation strategy and to the possible use of elevators (chafat).
-inc	2009-08-13_T815LC.j	lC	Today Juan Hassan left J01 to work as pick man in J06.
-inc	2009-08-17_T815LC.j	lC	Today we had just two pick men, but this won't compromise our proceeding, because we are almost done for the excavation of this year.