| Description (summary) |
2026-03-04 |
pC |
The staircase consists of five steps, a small wall (^wall12) along its western side, and a landing platform, with an overall length of 5.66 m and a width of 1.08 m. The staircase was constructed on top of a thick accumulation that covers ^escarpment2, indicating that it postdates the escarpment. It is built against Wall ^wall13, and its base lies approximately 0.40 m higher than the base of ^wall13, suggesting that the staircase was also constructed later than the wall. The staircase is aligned along a north–south axis, running parallel to ^wall13. It leads from an open area to the south to a stone-built landing platform to the north. The steps are approximately 1 m wide. Each step is formed by a single large, undressed stone block with a roughly flattened upper surface. The risers range from 0.25 to 0.30 m in height, while the treads measure between 0.30 and 0.65 m in width. The staircase therefore has a slope of approximately 50° and rises through a total height of about 1.20 m, making it relatively steep and difficult to ascend. The first step is built directly on top of the accumulation and consists of two large stone blocks. The southern block is laid perpendicular to the northern one, creating an L-shaped step. Small stones were inserted to fill the gaps between the irregular undressed blocks. A substantial stone substructure is visible along the western side of the staircase. Four large stone blocks, together with numerous medium-sized and smaller stones set in mud mortar, were used to create the desired inclination. The landing platform at the northern end of the staircase lies at the same elevation as the fifth step. Its edge is aligned with the staircase and is formed by five medium-sized stones. The landing is partially covered by stones associated with ^bin1. Alternatively, these stones may represent the remains of additional, poorly preserved steps. If this interpretation is correct, the staircase would have turned 90° to the east and continued upward across Wall ^wall13. [Input: ZK304pC.j] |