https://urkesh.org/MZ/A/J05/D/K/0044.htm

Unit Book J5

The Mittani Staircase - Version 1a

J5k44

Processed on 2024-11-03

1. OVERVIEW

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

2. IDENTIFICATION

Designation

Roster Date Author Record
Description (summary) 2008-07-20 lH This locus was excavated to explore the nature and extent of the stone installations to the west of the stone staircase installation, f21. It was expected to link the temple and the palace. [Input: S720LH1.j]

3. STRATIGRAPHY

Recovery/Assignment

Roster Date Author Record
Daily notes about recovery of elements 2008-07-18 lH We started to excavate its topsoil, f18, which looks like the topsoil of k34, f15, because both of them contain backfill from previous excavations. [Input: S718LH.j]
2008-07-19 lH While we were removing the topsoil, f18, we found at the depth of about 15 cm, a burial, f27, that includes a skeleton of a child, i12 - associated with q30b -. It was located in the northeastern quadrant. The skull was directed to the west. The length of this skeleton is about 45 cm, the width of it about 15 cm. We took a photo for this burial befor, while and after drowing it, using the grade, v15, v17. In the western part of k44 we found a floor of stones in north-south direction, includes lime stones (15-47 cm length) and few basalt stones scattered among it. [Input: S719LH.j]
2008-07-20 lH For the stone floor that we discovered in k44, we took a photo, v20, but we didn`t excavate this locus today. [Input: S720LH.j]
2008-07-22 lH We divided the locus into northern and southern half. Then we started excavating the northern half, and removing the natural accumulation, f47. In this accumulation, in the middle of the locus, we found a new floor of stones, f49, which is not related to the stone floor to the west of it, f28. There are two soil layers below the bottom of f28 and the top of f49. We noticed the layers in the section that goes under f28. The first layer is soft accumulation that comes directly under f28, and covers a crust that comes above the second stone floor, f49. Because we removed, f47, with the big pick, we didn`t notice that it was composed of the two layers mentioned above. After photographing the new features, we started to remove the natural accumulation, f47, in the southern part of this locus, and we found that the stones, f49, continued to the south baulk. [Input: S722LH1.j]
2008-07-22 mO We started dig the natural accumulation, f47. We discovered that the stones, f28 are not founded. In, f47, we discovered a group of stones, f49 situated in NS direction. [Input: S722MO.j]
2008-07-23 lH We started to remove the western part of the natural accumulation, f47, to see the extent of the stone installation, f49. but we noticed that it doesn`t continue toward the west. When removing the eastern part of the last mentioned natural accumulation, we exposed another layer of stones that co-located under the stones of f49. To the west also we found another step of stones under the top of f49, but deeper by about 20cm. The rest of the square at the eastern baulk seemed empty from any new line of stones, after testing it with the shish, we photographed the evidence in this locus, v30. [Input: S724LH.j]
2008-07-24 lH We removed the natural accumlation, f57, in the eastern baulk of this locus. Under the last mentioned feature, we found a new feature that looks like the floor accumulation, f42, in k34. The new floor accumulation have been labled as f58. The floor did really appeared at the southwestern corner of this locus, f60. We gave the triangular shap that was formed from the natural accumulation, f47, between the stone pathes, f28 and f49, a new feature number, f61. Then we took a photo for the new features in this locus, v33. [Input: S724LH1.j]
2008-07-26 lH We didn`t excavate it today, but we tested the sections below the stone installations, f28, and f49. We found out that: the eastern section below f28 consists of two different accumulations, the first higher one, f47, looks soft and powdery, the underneath one, f61, looks very compact. As to f49, the eastern section shows that it is made of two sets of stones, one atop the other. The western section indicates that the stones, f49, are on one layer under which is a compact soil feature, f61, that is disturbed by rodents. [Input: S726LH.j]
2008-07-28 lH We started our day with photographing the features of k44, v35 and v36, to study the foundations of the stone installation. [Input: S728LH.j]
2008-08-03 lH We started to remove the eastern baulk of this locus in order to have a wide view for the loci k24, k34 and k44. This can help us to understand the relationship among the staircase, f21; the flat empty space, f70, in k34; and the stone installations, f49 and f28, in k44. We divided the baulk into three parts to collect pottery that will help understand the transition between Middle Assyrian phase and the Mittani phase. The top layers of late accumulation (f15, 17, and f29) were removed as one feature, f96. The middle Assyrian accumulation, f42, will be removed as a separate feature tomorrow. Also the Mittani features, f45 and f63 will be removed as separate features tomorrow. [Input: S803LH.j]
2008-08-04 lH We continued removing the eastern baulk of this locus. So we removed the rest of the natural accumulation, f96, which was originally three different accumulations(f15, f17, f29). Then we removed the floor accumulation, f42, as a separate feature. Also the highly compact floor, f45, was removed as a separate feature. We started to excavate the compact lamination of f63 as another separate feature, and we are going to remove the rest of it tomorrow. [Input: S804LH.j]
2008-08-05 lH We removed the rest of the hard crusted lamination, f63, in the eastern baulk of this locus. After cleaning, We photographed, v60, the wide view of the staircase in k24(f14, f21), the hard crust, f70, in k34 and the stone installations(f28, f49) in k44. [Input: S805LH.j]
2008-08-27 lH We removed a small step of two accumulations (the natural floor, f60 and the natural accumulation, f180) from the east edge of the locus. We discovered a tannur and large smashed pot along the western edge of f180. Then we photographed, v111, that pottery sherds insitu and removed as many of the sherds as possible without damaging the stones of f49. Then we backfilled the rest of the sherd that in the eastern section of the accumulation under the stone installation, f49, for the excavation next season. [Input: S827LH.j]

Volumetric Localization

Roster Date Author Record
Elements within locus 2009-04-06 jW a2 (wall), a3 (wall) [Input: T406JW.j]
2008-07-17 dL f18 (topsoil) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-07-19 mO f27 (burial), f28 (stone installation) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-07-22 sNP f47 (accumulation D) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-07-22 lH f49 (stone installation) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-07-23 dL f57 (accumulation D) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-07-24 sNP f58 (accumulation A) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-07-24 dL f60 (floor, type b), f61 (accumulation D) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-07-26 lH f62 (accumulation D) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-08-03 sNP f96 (volumetric material) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-08-27 sNP f180 (accumulation D), f181 (tannur (feature)) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-09-08 lH f193 (stone installation), f196 (pavement, type b) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-07-17 sNP i9 (figurine) [Input: T323JW.j]
2008-07-19 mO i12 (human body) [Input: T323JW.j]
2008-07-19 dL i13 (human body) [Input: T323JW.j]
2008-07-23 sNP i21 (weapon) [Input: T323JW.j]
2008-09-10 jW i32 (jar) [Input: T323JW.j]
2008-07-17 dL q26 (pottery) [Input: S722DL1.j]
2008-07-19 mO q30 (pottery), q32 (pottery) [Input: S719MO1.j]
2008-07-19 dL q35 (bones, pottery) [Input: S719MO1.j]
2008-07-20 sNP q40 (pottery) [Input: S720DL2.j]
2008-07-22 sNP q54 (bones, pottery) [Input: S722DL1.j]
2008-07-22 dL q60 (bones, pottery) [Input: S722DL1.j]
2008-07-23 mO q64 (bones, pottery) [Input: S723DL3.j]
2008-07-23 sNP q70 (bones, pottery) [Input: S723DL3.j]
2008-07-24 sNP q74 (pottery), q76 (bones, pottery), q79 (pottery) [Input: S726DL2.j]
2008-08-03 sNP q137 (pottery) [Input: S803DL7.j]
2008-08-04 dL q140 (pottery) [Input: S805DL1.j]
2008-08-04 lH q147 (pottery), q149 (bones, pottery) [Input: S805DL1.j]
2008-08-05 sNP q151 (bones, pottery) [Input: S805DL1.j]
2008-08-27 lH q273 (pottery), q277 (pottery), q279 (pottery) [Input: S827DL.j]
Relays (applicable to elements) 2008-09-08 hB r866 (44165 45328 - 9297 / Relay location: sk43 #1) [Input: S908JW-R.j]
2008-09-08 hB r867 (43982 45797 - 9284 / Relay location: sk43 #2) [Input: S908JW-R.j]
Extension of locus or q-lot 2008-07-20 lH m4743 [Input: S720LH1.j]
Length of two sides 2008-07-20 lH 500 E [Input: S720LH1.j]
2008-07-20 lH 500 N [Input: S720LH1.j]

6. REFERENCE

Analogical Record

Roster Date Author Record
View/drawing of locus

v9
2008-07-16 lH [Input: S716LH.j]

v9b
2008-07-16 lH [Input: S716LH.j]

w1
2008-07-19 eE [Input: S819DL2.j]

v20
2008-07-20 lH [Input: S722LH.j]

v27
2008-07-22 lH [Input: S722LH.j]

v35
2008-07-30 lH [Input: S730LH.j]

v60
2008-08-09 lH [Input: S809LH.j]

v67b
2008-08-09 lH [Input: S809LH.j]

v72
2008-08-11 lH [Input: S811LH.j]

v72b
2008-08-11 lH [Input: S811LH.j]

v73
2008-08-11 lH [Input: S811LH.j]

v73a
2008-08-11 lH [Input: S811LH.j]

v73b
2008-08-11 lH [Input: S811LH.j]

v80
2008-08-14 jW [Input: S823JW.j]

v80a
2008-08-14 jW [Input: S823JW.j]

v80b
2008-08-14 jW [Input: S823JW.j]

v111
2008-08-28 lH [Input: S828LH.j]

v111a
2008-08-28 lH [Input: S828LH.j]

v111b
2008-08-28 lH [Input: S828LH.j]

v111c
2008-08-28 lH [Input: S828LH.j]

v112
2008-08-28 lH [Input: S828LH.j]

v112a
2008-08-28 lH [Input: S828LH.j]

v112b
2008-08-28 lH [Input: S828LH.j]

v114
2008-09-19 jW [Input: S919JW.j]

v114a
2008-09-19 jW [Input: S919JW.j]

v139
2008-09-22 jW [Input: S922JW.j]

v139a
2008-09-22 jW [Input: S922JW.j]

v139b
2008-09-22 jW [Input: S922JW.j]

v140
2008-09-22 jW [Input: S922JW.j]

v141
2008-09-22 jW [Input: S922JW.j]

v141a
2008-09-22 jW [Input: S922JW.j]

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

p3
2009-03-26 jW [Input: T326JW2.j]

v226c
2010-08-12 jW [Input: U812JW.j]