| 2019-7-14 | fAB |
The main goal of this excavation unit is to understand how the revetment wall continues to the East of J2 and South of J4. While discussing this with the unit members, we discussed three possibilities: the revetment wall could form a platform here, and possibly have a second staircase symmetrically positioned to the east of this platform. The second possibility is that the revetment wall continues to the East from the southern edge of f129 in J2 and J6 (the feature has the same label in both units for simplicity) making a jog when seen from above. The third possibility is that the wall turns South, forming the eastern edge of the Plaza JP. [Input file: FABJ06.J / FABJ06.-J]
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| 2019-7-14 | fAB |
We should be especially on the lookout for three things in the first period of excavation in this area: vertically defined changes in pottery, ephemeral Mittani structures and middle-Assyrian or Islamic occupation areas. [Input file: FABJ06.J / FABJ06.-J]
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| 2008-7-6 | pC |
The goal for this year in J6 is to find the wall f130 running East-West, which can be seen in J2 (the Southest part of J2 f129). We think that this wall will continue to the East for two reasons: structurally the wall in J2 is bonded to the staircase, meaning that they were build in the same moment. This means that there is no simmetry in the monumental access and the wall bonds the west, where is a sacral and monumental space, whereas to the east we have another situation. Here we excavated in season 2006 (area J4) and we found any steps at an even deeper level than where they are found on the western side; in a deep sounding in J4 k100, we did not find any stone but an interesting stratigraphy: there are several layers sloping to the south and very similar to the situation in J3 north of the revetment wall: this let us think that there is a wall which stops this layers. The strategy for J6 is to start by following the top of the wall, which lays more than 2 m below the tell surface. If we will not find the wall, we are also expecting to find a different stratigraphy than in J2, as it was in J4: probably are here structures which could be correlated to the temple complex. In J2 was found a considerable brick fall at elevation of 89.55 which continues sloping to the west for circa 6 m. This brick fall is also visible in the section of the long k200, which is in J4 k85 k86 at circa 90.00 [Input file: S707PC.J / S707PC.-J]
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| 2008-7-14 | pC |
In J6 we should find very high Mittani and khabur levels: therefore hB looks to the pottery from the very top elevation. [Input file: S714PC.J / S714PC.-J]
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| 2008-7-14 | pC |
Yesterday we spoke about the strategy for J6 whith fAB and all J6 staff. [Input file: S714PC.J / S714PC.-J]
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| 2008-7-14 | pC |
today we discussed with fAB, gB and all the J6 staff about the strategy for the area and the next steps we have to take. First the aim of this season in J6 is to find the wall, possibly running East-West; its western end is visible in J2, south of wall J2 f129 (a wall with North-South direction, which abuts the staircase J2, and dated as the staircase to ED III). This wall should continue to the East in J6 in k84 and should be the continuation of the revetment wall. There are 4 possibilities: 1) there is a platform to the East of the staircase, which is its southern boundary and ends to the east with another staircase. In this case J6 will expand to the East and J4 is the northern part of the platform. This would explain the reason why we found so high structures in J4 dated to Mittani. 2) The wall continues to the North-East and then towards North; in this case the excavation of J6 will expand to the North, and east to J4. 3)The revetment wall is zig zag in shape. In this case we will expand south. This zig zag solution would explain the presence of architecture east of the staircase and the end of the wall tourning south would make a boundary to the sacral area of the terrace and the non-sacral area where are houses. In J6 we have to pay attention to pottery transition also horizontally: it could be that mittani abuts khabur at the same level. We will look for ephemeral Mittani structures. [Input file: S714PC.J / S714PC.-J]
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| 2008-7-20 | cJC |
fAB and gB suggested that all pottery from k200 has to be collected, looked at and then thrown away as it does not come from a stratified context and has little statistical significance. One q-lot will be assigned to the area each day and all pottery, items and bones will be assigned to that q-lot. [Input file: S720CJC.J / S720CJC.-J]
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| 2008-7-20 | hQ |
Last Friday we had a stratigraphical review to the site with gB: he explained about a wall located in area C2 Stratum 16 (Schicht 16-German excavation area). This area will be incorporated to J6; probably this structure is related to J6 area and temple terrace. gB pointed out that the structure may be is related to wall f129 in J6: we decided to rediscover this wall which is f24. We want to show the relation between this wall ( f24) and f129 because both of them date back to EDIII and are made in the same kind of stonework and similar type of construction. We want also to see if the wall continues towards North and if it is possible to see the relationship between the wall ( f24) and the temple terrace. [Input file: S720CJC.J / S720CJC.-J]
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| 2008-7-20 | pC |
I decided to stop excavating in k75 and continue in k65 to reach the level of the brickmelt f22 in k75. If the brickfall slopes towards West, and in k75 was found at circa 9160@ and the brickfall in the section of k200 is at circa 9100@, the brick melt will be in k65 at circa 9170@ [Input file: S720PC.J / S720PC.-J]
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| 2008-7-22 | pC |
Today we had a meeting with gB, fAB and all J6 staff to decide the strategy for the next days: we have to find the south face of the wall. We will continue excavating in k84, k85, k74. In k84 we expect to find the wall. Yesterday we found a nice surface in k85: it is f37 and it is very different from all we had before (very soft and fine accumulations, very clean from materials and pottery). Instead now we reached a surface with pebbles, a lot of pottery and lot of animal bones. This could be the top of a wall (fAB pointed out that before finding a wall there is often a preparation of pebbles, sherds, which are layed atop of the stones, which make a flat surface for the bricks), or a floor surface, or a dump. With gB we discussed about this 3 possibilities and we decided that this is a transitional feature before founding an occupation level, therefore we want to proceed very carefully. We want to search this feature in the other loci, k75, k84 and k74 and then remove all baulks in order to have a better view of the surface. only in k84 we will continue excavating to find the face of the wall. [Input file: S722PC.J / S722PC.-J]
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| 2008-7-24 | pC |
In k84 we found at the elevation of 9023@top a brickfall. This was seen in the East section of k200 (in a view of the German documentation): it was clear that at the elevation of circa 9100@ and 9000@ was a brickfall. We do not know from were and what it is, but we can suspect that it is coming from a structure to the south of the wall f130. We have not found the wall till now, but it is showing for the first row in section of J2 k100 and bonds with f129. pC has the impression that this brickfall is coming from South-East, instead gB thinks that a structure is located against the wall f130 and collapsed on itself: therefore we suppose to find the structure in k84 and k85. In J4 we could not find any kind of brickfall, but only bricks in f121 at 9011@ in J4 k100 (it is the northern part of k84), which probably belongs to the brickfall, but is not the real brickfall [Input file: S725PC.J / S725PC.-J]
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| 2008-7-26 | pC |
We are still looking for the wall f130 which should be at 8950@ top elevation. We are very closed to it and we will keep going excavating in k84 till we find the wall. Today we found under the brickfall f55 a surface sloping South. This is very similar to J4 f121 and probably is the same feature. The slope in J4 k100 was an indication that South of the slope in k84 was the wall or a boundary. Now that we have the continuation in k84 of the slope we can suspect that there is any wall, or that the slope covers the wall. In two days we will remove the West baulk of k84 in order to find the first part of it which is seen in section and follow it. [Input file: S725PC.J / S725PC.-J]
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| 2008-7-29 | pC |
Today we removed the West baulk of k84 f69, same as f55 (brickfall) and we exposed the glacis f63: We found also a stone f62 to the south, which is at the same elevation as the southern stone of f127, and is flat and smooth as the stones of f127: after a meeting with gB, fAB and all J6 staff, pC decided to stop excavating in k84 and continue in all other loci: we will specially go down in k85 and reach the level of the glacis f63: we will tomorrow remove the baulks of k85. this will allow us to follow the glacis, which continues under the North baulk of k85 and see if the wall continues to the south. [Input file: S729PC.J / S729PC.-J]
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| 2008-7-30 | pC |
Since two days we are removing f71 and f64, which are the brickmelt in k74 and k75: being any kind of wall visible, we are excavating 8 cm with the big pick, then we look if there is a face of a wall with the small pick and trowel. We are still removing brickmelt [Input file: S730PC.J / S730PC.-J]
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| 2008-8-2 | pC |
we will excavate in k85 removing the brickfall until the glacis f63. We will see how to continue as we expose much as possible of the glacis. [Input file: S802PC.J / S802PC.-J]
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| 2008-8-5 | pC |
We are getting closer to remove all the brickfall in k85, k75 and k74: in k85, under the brickfall, there is a thick layer of ash, which is also present in k75 under the brickfall but at an higher elevation (ca 50 cm higher): this could mean that there is a slope towards West, following the slope of the glacis f63, which is located under the brickfall and the ash. In k74, under the brickfall there is a hard surface sloping towards South, probably a later glacis. Probably first was bilt the glacis f63 which covers the wall f130 and slopes toward South-west and is dated to the beginning of the second millennium. The glacis was built in the same time as the memory stones f127, located above the wall f129 and f130; something burned to the South and left the ashy layer f90 and f97. Then we have a large brickfall which comes from the East and covered the ash and the glacis. This happened at the end of Mittani and the structures are dated to Mittani (a large amount of pottery was found in the brickfall). The strategy for the next week is to find the glacis in k85, k75, k74 and then leave the glacis in k74 and k75, but go down in k85 and k84 and expose f130: f130 continues at least for 1 m to the East, but then we still do not know whatever makes a turn or stops. [Input file: S805PC.J / S805PC.-J]
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| 2008-8-6 | pC |
Today we exposed in all loci ( k75, k85, k74) the glacis, which slopes toward South-West [Input file: S806PC.J / S806PC.-J]
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| 2008-8-9 | pC |
We decided to assign the same feature number to all the topsoil and the accumulation under the topsoil in k87, which is almost 2 meters thick. we decided to proceed in this way, being the locus only 1,5m wide and unsafe to stand on it for the first 2 meters and being the top 2 meters only natural accumulations. Therefore the pickmen were removing the earth pushing it in k200; we took the dirt with the shaffat and we collected the pottery in zanbil with the same feature number f900. We decided the same day to remove the West baulk of k86, pushing it down in k200: doing this the earth and the pottery mixed up with the dirt of k87: we decided therefore to collect the pottery of k87 together with f900. From today S809 we stopped to excavate in k87, where we reached the mud surface f116 and we continued in k86, where we reached the same mud surface f117 and we removed the dirt with zambil. We will proceed in this way till the dirt in k200 is compleatly removed. Then we will continue to push in k200 the dirt, but having directly showel and wheelbarrow, which will take the dirt to the shaffat and collect immediatly the pottery. We expect to find the brickfall and then the ashy layer, which are visible in the east section of k200. [Input file: S809PC.J / S809PC.-J]
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| 2008-8-11 | pC |
Tomorrow will be the first day of the last two weeks of excavation. We reached a level in all the unit were we have only the glacis (see v57), which is probably the situation as was in the beginning of the Mittani period: the glacis f118, which is free of other structures, except for the bin, stops to the West on the stones f127, which are memory stones of the wall f129. Probably the glacis is older and has been used for longer time till the end of Khabur. The goal for the end of the excavation season for this year is to reach the bottom of the wall f130: therefore we will concentrate only in k84 and k85, were is the wall f130: we do not know if the wall continues to the East or takes another orientation. We expect also to find a different situation than the deep sounding of J4 k100, North of the wall. In k85 we will be to the South of the wall, therefore we expect to find a regular bild up of accumulations and probably floors aganist the wall; in J4 k100 we excavated inside the temple mound and we found therefore Late Chalcolithic pottery, as in J3, were was excavated inside the wall. Another goal is to see the continuation of the first staircase in k200, which has only two steps and belong to an earlier construction phase, before phase h23. This will be very important for the chronology of all the temple terrace, because we have several indications that there is an older phase going back to the Fourth Millennium BC. The wall f130 goes together with the wall f129, to which bonds and to the staircase J2 f130, which were constructed in EDIII. The lower staircase, instead, goes together with the Late Chalcolithic Mound. We will also continue to dig in k86 and k87, were we will go faster because we push down in k200 the dirt and the loci are smaller: This will allow to reach the same level in k85, k86, k87 and to have a larger view of the wall f130 and to have a better understanding of the stratigraphy in front of the wall. [Input file: S811PC.J / S811PC.-J]
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| 2008-8-14 | pC |
Yesterday we checked where the wall f130 should come in J6 and we decided that it comes West of the deep sounding J4 k100. Therefore the wall f130 must stop after 1 meter. The strategy for the next week is still to go down in k85 and k84, but also to remove the pseudo baulk between k84 and the wall f129. removing 30 cm of it we will see the top of the wall and see if it turns to the South. To the North and East of it there is a completely different stratigraphy than to the South: in J4 k100 we found between the elevation of 8900 and 8700 accumulations which sloped toward South (J4 f150, J4 f158, J4 f160): these are very compact and red accumulations, the last ones with Late Chalcolithic pottery. This stratigraphy tells us that we were excavating inside the temple mound and that to the South there is a boundary where this slope stops. To the South of the wall f130, the section of k200, shows a completely different stratigraphy ( v43): the layers are typical for accumulations abutting a wall, which is f130. this also was one of the reasons to believe that the wall continues to the East at least for a couple of meters. The situation now is different and we have to think about another scenario. The wall f130 stops after 1m and we do not know what kind of boundary is to the south of it: there is another structure? do the wall go east for 1 meter and then turns South? There is any kind of structure and the temple mound goes down toward south in the Fourth and Third millennium and then in the Second millennium accumulations covered it? We will continue to excavate in k84, k85, k86, k87 and we will investigate for this possibilities. [Input file: S815PC.J / S815PC.-J]
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| 2008-8-19 | pC |
We decided yesterday to concenrtrate the excavation only in k85 and k84: k85 for the moment is a 3.50x3.50 m square; we are restricting the area of J6 to get faster to the bottom of the wall f130 and to find what kind of stratigraphy we have East of the wall f128 and South of f130: there is for sure a boundary between North (J4 k100) and South ( k85 and k84): we want to understand wether the boundary is the wall f130 which continues toward east under the North baulk of k84 or we have another kind of boundary. [Input file: S819PC.J / S819PC.-J]
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| 2008-8-26 | pC |
Today we removed wall f101 and we begin to remove the southern stone of f127, which is the memory stone of f129. we had to remove it because it covered the stones f101. We removed each stone after relay it and photograph it. Most of the stones were not visible from the section, and therefore we had more stones as we expected. We decided to remove f101 because we wanted to have a date for it (mittani) and to see the wall f130, which instead is a well constructed wall dated to phase h23. [Input file: S826PC.J / S826PC.-J]
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| 2009-7-19 | yM |
after the meeting with fAB in the field and discussing the main goals for this season, we are starting the first day of excavation by cleaning J6 unit and removing the plastics after taking pictures of the erea that is going to ba excavated. [Input file: T719YM.J / T719YM.-J]
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| 2009-7-29 | pC |
After a discussion with fAB in the field we decided to change strategy for the excavation in J6. While the presumed eastern continuation of the revetment wall was not found under the line of stones f201 (part of the bin a7), we are looking for another possible boundary for the eastern part of the temple terrace. We assume that the temple terrace was bounded along its southern side by a 3 metrs high revetment wall (J2, J3, J1, J5). In J6 and J4, which is the eastern edge of the terrace we are still looking for a boundary. We decided in season 2008 to dig east of wall f129 (the north-south running wall east of the monumental staircase and bonded with it) and we expected to find the east-west running revetment wall, but found only the ^glaci s3. This season we moved to the north and we expected to find the revetment wall under the line of stones in k104 and k73 f201, part of the bin a7, but instead we found a pit under these stones. We then looked to kite pictures (see v132) and we looked for lines of exposed structures which could be the eastern boundary. Wall f218 in k82 seen only in section and the stepped stone structure f219 in k71 could be the eastern boundary of the temple terrace: f218 is a possible wall running east-west, east of the staircase which should continue in f219. the reasons for this are following: 1) The triangular stepped structure f219 builds a line parralel to the western line of the apron J2 f132; 2) if this line is continued reaches the east side of the temple BA; 3)the ^glaci s1 and ^glaci s3 are build for a structure located to the north, which is most probable f218 and f219. For this reasons we will change strategy for J6: we have less then 3 weeks excavation and we want to reach a goal, which is understanding and finding the eastern boundary of the temple terrace. We first will dig in k71 and expose the southern face of the stepped structure f219. We will first expose all the mittani ^glaci s1 in k73, k72, k71 and see if it abuts or goes under f219, and obvoiusly removing bin a7. Then we will remove all floating stones in k82 f220 and expose the third millennium red ^glaci s3. If we have time we will expose the top of wall f218 and connect it to structure f219. This part will be very delicate while on top of wall f219 there is a mudbrick wall, which goes until the staircase. We always interpreted it as a later wall, coming after the monumental staircase was anymore used. We do not want to remove something we still not understand, therefore we wait doing this until we expose all f219. [Input file: T731PC.J / T731PC.-J]
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| 2009-8-2 | pC |
while today we have found a line of stones f227 in k104, perpendicular to wall f129, exactly in the place were we expected to find the revetment wall, but 70 cm under stones f201, tomorrow we will continue to dig in k104 and at least expose a second row of stones. Then we will continue digging in k71 in front of structure f219: we are keeping the same strategy: we dig in k71, see the reletionship between the second millennium glacis and f219, which will give us a terminus post quem for the construction of f219. Now that we found a wall in k104 which could be a good candidate for the revetment wall, we will continue to expose it also in k73. [Input file: T802PC.J / T802PC.-J]
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| 2009-8-5 | pC |
In J6 and J4 we are excavating the eastern area of the temple terrace: walls f129, f218 and f219 build the eastern boundary: we have many different phases of glacis/escarpment which slope down from North to South-east from the middle or possibly early third millennium until Mittan. ^glaci s1 is the latest one, found in all J6, which seems now beginning from structure f219 and possibly f218. We have above it different activities and small structures, like the bin, some tannur and floors. The latest event is the great brickfall. In early mittani a shallow pit removes stones from an early wall f227 (possibly EDIII? ore earlier?) and removes also part of ^glaci s3 (phas e33, late Akkadian):^glaci s3 probably reaches wall f218, while in k82 under the floating stones f212 was found a very similar layer (still to be excavated). This possibility is still to be proved but is very tempting and explains why wall f227 is so low in respect to wall f129. wall f227 was then in late akkadian period covered by ^glaci s3 and anymore used. In an earlier phase, probably same as the main construction phase of the temple terrace (EDII), the boundary of the terrace was located souther; then ^glaci s4 and ^glaci s5 are the features which go together with this wall. f219 and f218 are probably the same structure and possibly date to the third millennium: the german team excavated f219 and the mudbrick terrace surface, which dates to the third millennium. f219 goes structurally together with the mudbrick terrace and the apron J2 f131. [Input file: T804PC2.J / T804PC2.-J]
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| 2009-8-5 | pC |
This year we will be able to date better this structure. While we reached in k104 the bottom of the pit a8 and we found the ^glaci s3 and probably ^glaci s4 abutting wall f227, we want to move north in k82 to see what kind of structure f227 is. Therefore today we removed some floating stones f212 in k82 and tomorrow we will continue remove all stones and then go down in all square: we want first to reach ^glaci s3, the reddish late akkadian glacis, which was cut by pit a8. In the northern section of k104 we can see that the pit still goes to the north: therefore we will find the pit in k82 under possibly the ^glaci s1. We whant to remove the pit and see where ^glaci s3 continues. Where ^glaci s3 is cut by the pit, we will have the chance to expose wall f227. In k71 we want to undestand structure f227: we already exposed its southern face, but did not found the bottom, but only the latest glacis (probably ^glaci s1) which abuts it. We will stop excavating in the southern portion of the square and continue to dig in the northern part to expose the eastern side. The german team was able to reach in the northern side a floor level and date it to Mittani (B6-Inst.32), which could go together with the level of the sherd floor f240 located above glacis f242. We will therefore remove the floating stones next to f219 and then go down, looking for the floor surface found by the germans. [Input file: T804PC2.J / T804PC2.-J]
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| 2009-8-8 | pC |
While today we found the probable glacis f164 in front of wall f218 which slopes toward south, we decided still not to expose it excavating with the goal of finding it and not risking remove the later glacis, which we did not found in front of wall f218. We will then before remove the pit. we can be safe removing the pit while we see it in the northern section of k104 and also because is the latest event we have in k82. This will give us the chance to see the stones of wall f227. We will then see wheather f164 still continues under the pit and then follow it from south and connect it to the presumeble f164 found in front of wall f218. In k71 we are going down until the level of the mittani glacis. Today came out new stones in k82 which are not floating and are lower than stones of staircase f255. f256 are building a north-south running wall which is in line with wall f129, but we are still not able to connect the two and also we can see only the top of them. The interesting thing at this moment is that those stones seems going under the last stones of the staircase f255. Now that the section under f255 is visible, is possible to see the foundation for the stones: directly under the stones are mudbricks and then accumulation. This accumulation covers wall f256. This means to me that, after wall f256 was anymore used or important, was slowly covered by accumulations and then, possibly in the second millennium were layed the last steps of the staircase above a brick preparation. Another element that let me think that the last steps of staircase f255 is a later building phase in respect to the lower staircase, is that wall f129 interrupts right on the fifth step. Here another wall is laied on top of a reddish layer which seems to me being f164, but still to be prooved. Today we found a reddish layer in front of wall f219 which seems to be the same as f164. It this is right f164 was built for wall f164 rather for wall f227 [Input file: T804PC2.J / T804PC2.-J]
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| 2009-8-9 | pC |
Today we were able to expose all the face of wall f218 and to see also that f219 is a later structure above the third millennium wall f218. A red compact glacis, which is now better understood as an escarpment, begins from wall f218 and slopes sharply toward south. This escarpment is at this moment of the excavation very similar to f164 and therefore possibly a third millennium feature. Structurally was layed for wall f218 and if f260 is really same as f164, gives a terminus post quem for wall f218: f218 therefore is older or contemporary as f164 (late akkadian). If this hypothesis is correct, f260 and f164 were built for walls f129 and f218. In the middle of Mittani, f260 in the northern part of J6 was probably damaged or was anymore visible: a new layer of escarpment was then layed in all J6 area until the southern face of wall f218, instead in the eastern part f260 was still used. In J6 slowly it comes more clear that the third millennium is higher than in J2 and J1 and we have a similar situation as in J5, where also we have third millennium high. [Input file: T804PC.J / T804PC.-J]
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| 2009-8-10 | pC |
Today we had a brief meeting with gB, fAB jM and pC in the field and we discussed the next steps for k82: we will first finish removing the pit and the floating stones f234. Then we will go down in all the square exposing everywhere the red glacis f164 until the wall f218. We will first draw the north section of k82 and then remove the baulk to expose f164 and see the relationship to wall f218: this will give us a terminus post quem for the wall f218. We will then explore better f256, which is the new wall parallel to staircase f255 and possibly going under it. pC pointed out that if the wall goes under staircase f255 and above it there is accumulation, brick preparation and the stones of the steps, f255 should be later than f256. gB instead told us that it can be also that f255 and f256 are contemporary and the accumulation under the steps is mortar. We will therefore explore more those stones and see if ^glaci s3 covers them or abuts and also we will excavate it more. in k84 the goal is to reach the floor surface J2 f359 found in J2 in front of the apron J2 f131, which we hypothyze is the first floor going with the main building phase of the monumental staircase (ED II). We want therefore reach the same level in all k84 as in k85 and then, due to lack of time, go down only in front of the obelisks to reach the salmon floor seen in section same as J2 f359. This will give us a date to the obelisks and give us more pottery for the date of the main construction phase of the temple terrace, since in J2 we are excavating the same features. We will then go down in the southern part of k104 leveling the deep sounding made by J4 to explore and understand better the layers which should be more ancient than wall f129. In J4 f160 was found LC pottery mixed with Phas e1 (but still to be better analyzed): we want to collect more pottery and if we have time go down to see where the LC is (which should be not so deep). [Input file: T810PC.J / T810PC.-J]
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| 2009-8-10 | pC |
While today we still did not reached everywhere in k82 the red glacis f275 (which now is better to call it escarpment), tomorrow we will finish to remove the accumulation f265 above it and also look if we can find the second millennium glacis (^glaci s1), which we missed in the southern part of k82, probably due to water erosion (a water channel f269 was found in k82 at the elevation of the presumed glacis). We will then be able to find the northern limit of pit cut f199 and then dig it from the top. For the next two days we will have time only to dig the pit. Under fAB's suggestion we are keeping the western section against the walls f129 and f247: this will give us on one hand more information of the stratigraphy in this area, while in the eastern section the situation is different than in the western one, expecially because there is the wall. On the other hand this section hide the view of the walls and the understanding of the relationship between those walls and the red glacis/escarpment. After finishing removing the pit we will draw or photograph the section and then remove it. in k84 we will go down until the elevation of k85 in all the square, whithout keeping the western baulk, in order to collect more pottery at once. Here we have many floor surfaces, a similar situation as in J2, but while we miss the part excavated from the germans right in front of the staircase, we can not see the connection between the two, even if they should be the same floors. After reaching this elevation we will concentrate next week in the southern part of k104 (old deep sounding of J4 k100) and go down to see if we find the LC strata. If we will have time we will go back to excavate in front of the obelisks to reach the 'salmon floor' J2 f359 [Input file: T810PC.J / T810PC.-J]
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| 2009-8-13 | pC |
Under fAb and gB suggestion we will remove partly the layers east of wall f129 in k104 from the top to the bottom of k105: this removal of the safety baulk left behind wall f129 will not be a problem for the stability of wall f129 because it will be only 1 meter whide and after the excavation we will provide with some kind of protection for the base of the wall. On the other hand we will be able to see the base of the wall f129 and to see also if there is a structure under it to which layers f284 and f287 are connected. Their slope reflect the slope of all layers behind wall f129 and probably the shape of the temple mound. This sounding in the baulk east of wall f129 will give us also a nice section perpendicular to wall f129 to see the layers against it, which it will be than drawn. In k106 we are going down in front of the obelisks and as form the strategy of the previous days we will try to reach the level of the floor J2 f359, to show that this floor was layed in all the area in front of the monumental staircase and also the obelisks, which go togeher with the main building phase of the temple terrace (EDII). Hopefully at the end of the excavation we will be able to have a date for wall f227, to see if it the ED II revetment wall; we will see what is wall f256, whether is the continuation of wall f129 and therefore is the boundary for the eastern part of the staircase or is another structure or wall. We will see if there is an LC structure of levels under wall f129 and also we will have a nice level to reach in front of the obelisks, which should be one of the first floors layed after the building of the monumental staircase. mKB looked at the pottery from J2 f359, the salmon floor and she is sure it is not akkadian and probably ED II [Input file: T810PC2.J / T810PC2.-J]
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| 2009-8-13 | pC |
from Saturday T815 we have only 4 days excavation. Therefore we have to concentrate on the 2 loci k106, k105 which are small and therefore is possible to reach all information we need in 4 days. In k82 we have also not much to remove while we are reaching the bottom of the hollow pit f199: here we will expose tomorrow wall f227 and in the next 3 days we can have time to go down behind it to see whether f164 (the red glacis phase h33- h33MZA) is also behind it or not and while going down it will be interesting to see if it is a higher wall than it shows now (only two rows). Excavating behind wall f227 will give us more inforrmation about the function of this wall, whether is the revetment wall or not and to which period it can be dated. Also we have to expose more of wall f256 next to staircase f155 and perpendicular to wall f218. In k105 the goal is to reach the LC levels, which are not so deep, while the feature excavated here from J4 (J4 f158 and J4 f160) had LC pottery, but still mixed. Also I think that the LC layers are may be under f287 or already f267, while those are lower than wall f129: we are digging levels under the ED II wall f129. This sounding will give us also an indirect date to the lower staircase J2 f380, which we presume is part of the early building phase of the temple terrace. It could be ED I but is also possible LC, while in many soundings in area J were found LC levels. [Input file: T810PC2.J / T810PC2.-J]
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