Cybernetica Mesopotamica – Urkesh Global Record
J5
The Mittani Staircase
Seasons Seasons 21 (2008) and 22 (2009)

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Giorgio Buccellati
James L. Walker

J5
J5 was opened to explore the western end of the revetment wall and the northwestern end of the Plaza. We assume that the surface of the plaza sloped up in this direction to a narrow passage between the Palace or buildings flanking its eastern end. This would have formed a closure to the Plaza, beyond which, to the north, there would have been (by the mid third millennium) buildings, possibly in the service of the Temple. The main discovery so far has been a secondary staircase, consisting of only 6 steps: it dates to the late Mittani period, and was set in place when the a general reorganization of the urban space took place after the abandonment of the settlemtn to the east of the Temple.