https://urkesh.org/MZ/A/J05/D/K/0022.htm

Unit Book J5

The Mittani Staircase - Version 1a

J5k22

Processed on 2024-10-14

1. OVERVIEW

Roster Date Author Record
Best image 2009-03-13 jW [Input: T313JW.j]

2. IDENTIFICATION

Designation

Roster Date Author Record
Description (summary) 2009-03-18 jW A square, immediately to the south of k23. It delimits the previously excavated (as unit J1) region containing revetment wall, f189. It was not surveyed this season - rather the coordinates were obtained by extending to the south and east existing survey lines . [Input: T318JW1.j]

3. STRATIGRAPHY

Recovery/Assignment

Roster Date Author Record
Daily notes about recovery of elements 2008-07-26 lH we started to remove the northern baulk of this locus, so we can get a comparative view for the stratigraphical sequence in J1 and J5, beside that we can follow the line of the revetment wall in its western part after we remove this baulk. [Input: S726LH.j]
2008-07-28 lH We removed the northern baulk of this locus. After careful cleaning we found that the compacted floor, f39, extens throghout the southern half of k23 and contiues to the south edge of the north baulk of k22. [Input: S728LH.j]
2008-07-29 lH We started to remove the irregularly shaped part of the north baulk, f72. It was left over from previous excavations. [Input: S729LH.j]
2008-07-31 jW We drew and photographed the section of the north baulk which was approximately bisected by revetment wall, f3, which continued to the north into k23. Because we could not verify that the soil features we see in the baulk had been properly identified and documented, we assigned them new J5 numbers and described all of them. Features f77 to f85 are located to the west of f3 and are assumed to have built up outside the mound, while features f86 to f90 are located to the east of f3 and are presumed to be part of the temple mound complex. [Input: S731JW.j]
2008-08-03 jW took dirty photo of the area bounded as follows; to the south by the south baulk of k22; to the east by the revetment wall, f3; to the north by the stones of installation, f37; and to the west by the west baulks of k22 and k23. The purpose was to draw templates to assist in pottery analysis of features which abut wall, f3. [Input: S803JW.j]
2008-08-14 jW We traced the excarpment from the northwest corner of the locus where it was first discovered, south along the outer face of wall, f41, to which it belongs. The soil above the escarpment was defined as mixed since it was deposited by a combination of backdirt from locus k100 and aeolian soil deposited since the revetment wall system was first excavated several seasons ago. As a result the pottery will tell us little about when the excarpment was built and used. [Input: S814JW.j]
2008-08-16 jW Removed accumulations and laminations f86, f87, f88, and f89, from a narrow strip east of revetment wall, f3 and west of the west face of the west baulk of k12. The purpose was to determine when the top stones of f3 were placed. We stopped before excavating f90, which comprised a dam of small stones on the south and red, bricky material to the north. To fully explore this feature, k12 must be completely excavated to this elevation, which will not happen this season. jW looked at the pottery lots in the field, which seemed to be Mittani, Phase 6, which we would expect from the stratigrapy. The results were documented in view, v84. [Input: S816JW.j]
2008-08-17 jW We photographed ,v85, the results of excavating the series of layers between the east face of revetment wall, f3, and the west face of the unexcavated portion of k12. Although we halted work before the lowest layer, f90, was excavated. mKB reported that some Phase 1 sherds were present in the q-lot for f89. We measured and photographed the location, v85. The large limestone block, f151, had almost certainly shifted away from its original place at the southwest corner of revetment wall, f3, and was resting on a soil pillar, f154, After measuring and photography, v89, v90, we moved it back to its likely original position atop the lower wall stones and removed the pillar. [Input: S817JW.j]
2008-08-18 jW Began to excavate laminar, natural accumulation, f157. It is a narrow strip that follows the south face of revetment wall, f3. The goal is to determine if the escarpment to the plaza is continuous from the west face (where it is f74) to the plaza itself, excavated as J1f239 in this and previous seasons. [Input: S818JW.j]
2008-08-21 jW With two teams we excavated a considerable amount of natural accumulation, f157, from the area to the south of revetment wall, f3, in a strip about 100cm wide. Because we expect that the escarpment rises from east to west and because we see part of it as f74 as it abuts wall, f41 along the outer west face of f3, we expected to trace f74 around the corner of f3 as it turned to the east. However, pickman Hussein stated that he was seeing a variety of textures, colors, and inclusions (including brick pieces and ash) in the soil he was excavating, not the hard material he had encountered next to f41. [Input: S821JW.j]
2008-08-23 jW Removed natural accumulation, f157, from a 100cm strip immediately south of revetment wall, f3. Of interest was a gulley, which began to the northwest along the west face of wall, f41, in k33 and then ran along the south face of revetment wall, f3. [Input: S824JW.j]
Strategy (projected or implemented) 2008-07-31 jW gB, fAB, and jW discussed the approach to excavating the glacis/escarpment, f74. It descends to the southwest rapidly from wall, f41 and has been broken by at least one pit which is filled with ashy soil. In the SW corner of k22 it is covered by a number of layers of modern and ancient accumulations. Since a partial baulk at the intersection of k22 and k21 would have to be removed to complete the task we decided to cover the exposed part of f74 (which has been photographed) with plastic and finish tracing its extents at the end of the season when we expect that more of it will be present in k33 to the northwest, which is presently being excavated. As to the new features, we will excavate those to the west of f3 first, assuming as elsewhere, that those would have built up on the outside of the wall, eventually covering it. We will not excavate the features to the east of f3 until we need to know how it was built. [Input: S731JW.j]
Argument 2008-08-21 jW In a meeting with jW, gB stated that he believed that the part of the revetment wall, f3, that we are seeing may be a late addition which includes the pavement of stones contained by it and juts out to the south of the original line of f41. On the other hand, f41, is a much earlier structure that passes under f3. As such we still may have not yet reached the escarpment even though we are below the third course of stones which comprise f3. [Input: S821JW.j]

Volumetric Localization

Roster Date Author Record
Elements within locus 2009-04-06 jW a5 (wall), a7 (wall) [Input: T406JW.j]
2008-07-13 mO f3 (wall), f4 (stone installation), f5 (accumulation D) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-07-21 sNP f41 (stone installation) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-07-26 sNP f64 (volumetric material) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-07-29 sNP f72 (accumulation D) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-07-30 sNP f74 (glacis) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-07-31 sNP f77 (accumulation D), f78 (laminations), f79 (lens type d), f80 (accumulation D), f81 (laminations), f82 (accumulation D), f83 (accumulation A), f84 (accumulation D), f85 (accumulation D), f86 (accumulation D), f87 (laminations), f88 (accumulation D), f89 (accumulation D), f90 (accumulation D) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-08-04 lH f101 (volumetric material) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-08-14 dL f141 (accumulation C) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-08-16 dL f151 (stone installation) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-08-17 jW f154 (volumetric material) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-08-18 dL f155 (stone installation), f157 (volumetric material), f158 (accumulation D) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-08-20 dL f161 (stone installation) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-08-23 jW f164 (gully) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-08-27 jW f192 (stone installation) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-09-08 lH f198 (stone installation) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-08-24 sNP i30 (animal bone) [Input: T323JW.j]
2008-07-26 dL q85 (pottery) [Input: S726DL2.j]
2008-07-29 sNP q99 (pottery) [Input: S729DL1.j]
2008-07-30 sNP q103 (bones, pottery), q106 (bones, pottery), q112 (bones, pottery) [Input: S730DL2.j]
2008-08-02 sNP q127 (pottery), q128 (bones, pottery), q129 (bones, pottery) [Input: S802DL2.j]
2008-08-03 dL q134 (bones, pottery) [Input: S803DL7.j]
2008-08-03 sNP q136 (pottery) [Input: S803DL7.j]
2008-08-04 lH q150 (pottery) [Input: S805DL1.j]
2008-08-14 sNP q199 (bones, pottery) [Input: S816DL1.j]
2008-08-17 jW q216 (bones, pottery) [Input: S817DL1.j]
2008-08-18 sNP q221 (bones, pottery), q222 (pottery) [Input: S818DL2.j]
2008-08-19 dL q224 (bones, pottery) [Input: S819DL.j]
2008-08-20 sNP q234 (pottery) [Input: S820DL.j]
2008-08-21 sNP q236 (bones, pottery) [Input: S823DL1.j]
2008-08-21 dL q239 (bones, pottery) [Input: S823DL1.j]
2008-08-23 sNP q241 (pottery), q244 (bones, pottery) [Input: S823DL1.j]
2008-08-24 sNP q249 (pottery) [Input: S824DL.j]
2008-08-25 dL q253 (bones, pottery) [Input: S825DL1.j]
Extension of locus or q-lot 2009-03-18 jW m4424 [Input: T318JW1.j]
Length of two sides 2009-03-18 jW 500E [Input: T318JW1.j]
2009-03-18 jW 500N [Input: T318JW1.j]
Notes on volumetric localization 2009-03-18 jW The perimeter points that define this locus are, proceding clockwise from the NW corner: m4425, m4324, r1167, m4424. [Input: T318JW.j]

6. REFERENCE

Analogical Record

Roster Date Author Record
View/drawing of locus

v2
2008-07-13 lH [Input: S714DL5.j]

v2a
2008-07-13 lH [Input: S714DL5.j]

v2b
2008-07-13 lH [Input: S714DL5.j]

v4
2008-07-14 lH [Input: S714DL5.j]

v4a
2008-07-14 lH [Input: S714DL5.j]

v4b
2008-07-14 lH [Input: S714DL5.j]

v41
2008-07-30 lH [Input: S730LH.j]

v41a
2008-07-30 lH [Input: S730LH.j]

v41b
2008-07-30 lH [Input: S730LH.j]

w6
2008-07-31 sNP [Input: S819DL2.j]

v47
2008-08-02 lH [Input: S802LH1.j]

v49
2008-08-02 lH [Input: S802LH1.j]

v49a
2008-08-02 lH [Input: S802LH1.j]

v51
2008-08-02 lH [Input: S802LH1.j]

v51a
2008-08-02 lH [Input: S802LH1.j]

v53
2008-08-09 lH [Input: S809LH.j]

v55
2008-08-09 lH [Input: S809LH.j]

v56
2008-08-09 lH [Input: S809LH.j]

v57
2008-08-09 lH [Input: S809LH.j]

v57b
2008-08-09 lH [Input: S809LH.j]

v84
2008-08-14 jW [Input: S823JW.j]

v85
2008-08-14 jW [Input: S823JW.j]

v85a
2008-08-14 jW [Input: S823JW.j]

v85b
2008-08-14 jW [Input: S823JW.j]
v98
2008-08-24 jW [Input: S824LH1.j]

v98a
2008-08-24 jW [Input: S824LH1.j]

v98b
2008-08-24 jW [Input: S824LH1.j]

v101
2008-08-24 jW [Input: S824LH1.j]

v101a
2008-08-24 jW [Input: S824LH1.j]

v101b
2008-08-24 jW [Input: S824LH1.j]

v89
2008-08-24 lH [Input: S824LH.j]

v89a
2008-08-24 lH [Input: S824LH.j]

v89b
2008-08-24 lH [Input: S824LH.j]

v92
2008-08-24 lH [Input: S824LH.j]

v92a
2008-08-24 lH [Input: S824LH.j]

v92b
2008-08-24 lH [Input: S824LH.j]

v97
2008-08-24 lH [Input: S824LH.j]

v99
2008-08-24 lH [Input: S824LH.j]

v99a
2008-08-24 lH [Input: S824LH.j]

v116
2008-09-19 jW [Input: S919JW.j]

v116a
2008-09-19 jW [Input: S919JW.j]

v121
2008-09-19 jW [Input: S919JW.j]

v124
2008-09-22 jW [Input: S922JW.j]

v124a
2008-09-22 jW [Input: S922JW.j]

v125
2008-09-22 jW [Input: S922JW.j]

v128
2008-09-22 jW [Input: S922JW.j]

v128b
2008-09-22 jW [Input: S922JW.j]

v130
2008-09-22 jW [Input: S922JW.j]

v130a
2008-09-22 jW [Input: S922JW.j]

v135
2008-09-22 jW [Input: S922JW.j]

v135a
2008-09-22 jW [Input: S922JW.j]

v137
2008-09-22 jW [Input: S922JW.j]

v138
2008-09-22 jW [Input: S922JW.j]

p1
2009-03-23 jW [Input: T323JW1.j]

p6
2009-03-30 jW [Input: T330JW1.j]

p7
2009-03-30 jW [Input: T330JW1.j]