Function

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Introduction

Unit J5 had two main goals in the two years of active excavation:

1. to follow the EDIII monumental revetment wall (previously excavated as part of unit J1) to the north, and to determine the nature of the relationship of the components of that part of the wall system

2. to verify the geomagnetic survey data which showed that there might be a northern boundary to the ceremonial plaza in this general location, possibly through a link with a substantial building associated with the palace.

We found that the monumental wall undeed turned to the north and was overlaid by a Mittani replica of the EDIII wall, EDIII staircase, and EDIII plaza.

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Architecture

There are two major architectural elements to analyze: the changes to the revetment wall through time; and the new Mittani monumental entrance to the BA temple.

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Revetment Wall

The revetment wall had at least three iterations:

1. The top of an earlier wall lies just beneath the lowest layer of stones in the EDIII wall. See t241. When first excavated, we thought that they were “gap fillers” contemporary with the EDIII wall but ceramics found in contact with f284 were from an earlier period.

2. The extant EDIII wall was constructed in at least two phases. The earliest section, f41, seen after the turn north, and a later section, f189, facing east and nearest to the other monumental structures. See t226. Ceramics analysis does not reveal the timing, but the gap in the stone escarpment along the base of f189 but not f41 shows f189 was built later, perhaps due to a collapse of the original wall. We also found that

3. In the Mittani period, all of the EDIII monumental architecture became covered and a new revetment wall was built as part of a new temple access to the west of the original. Toward the end of the Mittani period, even this wall became covered and a faux wall of memory stones was laid on soil.

4. Components of the Mittani staircase (for example f20) rested on some of the top stones of the EDIII revetment wall, f41. See t129. In order to preserve the entire Mittani BA temple entrance we did not remove the staircase to trace the EDIII wall to its western end. However, the fact that f20 rested on f41 indicates that the top stones of the EDIII revetment wall in that area had not yet been covered as the western entrance was being constructed. Further, it is evidence that the wall area was kept clean during the long interval between the end of EDIII period and the Mittani period and was not used for other purposes during that time.

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Western Temple entrance

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Objects

TEXT TO BE WRITTEN

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Functional use

Sacral areas.