Unit J6 structures: The Temple Terrace

Patrizia Camatta – August 2010

TEXT TO BE WRITTEN

Overview

The Temple Terrace has been extensively exposed in J6, J2, J3, J1, J5, B6. For a comprehensive description of the whole structure see JP. Here it will be described each structure found in J6.

Elements

The revetment wall	^wall12	v236
The eastern staircase flank wall	^wall6	v193
Mudbrick wall under Revetment Wall	f324	v211a
The screen walls	f227,f201, f299	v54, v163
Walls	f166,f84	v117, v40
The mound defined by glacis	f300, f284	v163,v199a
Escarpment	glacis3,glacis8	v218 v227

Walls

The east flank wall and the revetment wall are part of a larger structure, mainly the Temple Terrace, which extends east-west for about 70 meters during the Third Millennium, built in function of Temple BA. These walls define an open space to the south and east, differently used over the time. The eastern part is the J6 area, an open space that during the centuries changed its morphology and function (see also deposition). This area can be interpreted as a service area for the staircase and plaza in function of rituals.

Revetment Wall

^wall12 is the eastern portion of the revetment wall. The wall here is about 2.5 m high but the width is unknown. It starts behind the flank wall continues for 7.13 m toward east, curving slightly to the northeast and then curves toward north, continuing for other 6.67 m, disappearing under soil. It probably continues with the same direction. The wall is built on top of the mound and it is built from large undressed stones set in mud mortar.

Eastern staircase flank wall

The monumental staircase is flanked to its western and eastern sides by walls. The eastern wall is ^wall6, which runs for 12.70 m in northeast-southwest direction and flanks all the staircase. The wall is built on top of the slope of the earlier mound (v242) and therefore it does not have the same height for all its length.

Screen walls

Glacis

A series of glacis were found to the south of wall f227 and to the east of wall f129. Their characteristic is a strong inclination to the south, south-east. Their different coloration, soil consistency and inclusions are due to the source of the soil. These layers were deliberately placed to protect the eastern face of the f129 wall from water damage and erosion. They follow the slope of the underlying layers. The f129 wall is also built on a slope. The definition glacis for these layers was the better to define the function.