Conclusions

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Goals

The initial goals of the J5 excavations in the first season were to:

1. Explore the western extension of the EDIII revetment wall previously excavated as part of unit J1.
2. Investigate the results of a geomagnetic survey that showed a possible large structure that directly linked the Tupkish palace with the BA temple.

The goals of the second season excavations were to explore structures at the base of the EDIII revetment wall to determine when they may have been built and used.

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Results

The main findings of the two seasons may be summarized as follows:

1. A cut stone revetment wall, f41, that runs east to west, tentavely dated to the Ninivite V period. It is similar to revetment wall , f189, that runs north to south from the monumental stone staircase. Although now overlaid by the middle section of a newer Mittani wall segment, f3, at their east and southern ends, there is every indication that the two walls were once part of a single EDIII revement wall. A block of soil, f294, was left to fill this gap and support the later wall. (See view, v226.)
2. A major stone structure, an escarpment ^esc1, was built in the EDIII period to protect the base of the monumental revetment wall associated with the BA temple, ^wall2. A gap between the escarpment and the revetment wall in the vicinity of the stone apron, f186, indicates that this section of the wall may have collapsed and been rebuilt. See view, v226.)
3. A Mittani monumental entrance to the temple mound, a miniature of the EDIII entrance, was located along the line of and west of EDIII wall, f41. (See view, v231.)
4. Soil accretion and water erosion governed the construction of various additions to the wall systems. Soil buildup covered the plaza, the EDIII staircase, and the revetment walls. The Mittaani westward extension also was eventually covered and memory stones placed on the walltops. While the walls were in use, water was eroding the structures along their outside edges. Various attempts to control the damage included escarpments, a dam, and weirs.
5. Floors that abutted the escarpments and walls contained ceramic deposits and indicated activities as yet unknown. (See view, v217.)
6. Such things as floors, water channels, and dams indicate that there could have been structures outside the revetment walls.
7. Mittani cultural material was deposited directly atop those of Early Dynastic III. There were no such intervening deposits from the Akkadian, Isin Larsa, or Khabur periods.
8. There were deposits containing Middle Assyrian ceramics atop Mittani deposits. However there were no significant accompanying structures.
9. A wall top directly below wall f189 bespeaks of a substatial Chalcolithic settlement directly below that likely also had a temple atop the BA mound.

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Conclusions

The following can be concluded from the results:

1. One of the underground structures detected by the geometric survey was the new plaza and entrance to the BA temple complex constructed in the Mittani period after the EDIII plaza and entryway further to the east were completed covered by wind-blown soil.
2. Mittani walls and structures were built directly atop EDIII walls and structures. There were no intermediate deposits or structures. Since no writings have yet been found, the reasons for this anomaly are not known.
3. The EDIII walls, escarpments, and walls continue to the south from J1 and take a turn to the west, further defining the outer limits of the EDIII temple complex.
4. Soil, carried by the wind began and continued to build up and cover the monumental structures on the temple mound. Excavations in J1 and J3 indicate this began in the Chalcolithic period and continued through the Mittani period. This accretion eventually covered every wall and building, forming the tell surface we now see since the end of the Mittani period.
5. Throughout their existance, water flowed along the base of the walls. necessitating protective features such as escarpments, dams, and weirs.
6. The top of an earlier wall can seen under the EDIII revetment wall. Late Chalcolithic walls and the base of a temple were found in adjacent units J1 and J3. The segment in J5 probably is a continuation of this construction.
7. Purpose-built floors and a dam abutting the walls and escarpments are most likely associated with other structures and buildings located further to the east and south of the wall systems.
8. We found no evidence of a direct path between Akkadian period palace and a separate temple entrance that would have been located under the Mittani staircase that was build much later in time.
9. Ceramic evidence coupled with a lack of building activity suggests that the Middle Assyrian presence was minimal and transitory.

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Issues

Excavations in unit J5 began in 2008 and continued into 2009. A study season occurred in 2010. Hostilities that began in 2011 shut down the excavation and we were never able to return. Because the team was blessed with two capable assistants, Lujain Hatahet in 2008 and Stefania Ermidoro in 2009, the journal, logs, and stratigraphy data were maintained daily. Frequently, the data processing programs were run to produce a draft version of the UGR that could be used to help direct the excavations. As a result, although some of the records still are stored at the site, the data needed to write a complete report are available to us. A major impediment is that we cannot sight check to resolve discrepancies. Nevertheless, because the record is so complete it should serve as a guide to those documenting earlier excavation units.

This report has taken 15 years to complete. Some of the delays can be attributed to computer program development required when existing programs ceased to be supported. Other delays occurred when the theory supporting the synthetic view development was expanded. Finally, some delays can be attributed to the hope that we would return to the site to expand excavations and finish data collection so that a more complete report could be written.

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Future actions

If excavation resumed, the following could be accomplished to expand our understanding:

1. Completely expose the EDIII wall from the monumental staircase to the Mittani staircase and beyond to its end in the west where it possibly joins a similar wall extending south from the temple.
2. Expose more of the architecture inside the wall to further define the temple complex.
3. Continue excavations outside the wall to expose possible structures that supported temple activities.