Phase 3d^J5B within Unit J5

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Stratigraphy

Phase 3d (Stratum 720) comprises the construction of the revetment wall, f41, and its stone escarpment, ^esc1. Wall f41 is substantial and constructed using rough-cut stones. It runs roughly north to south until it turns to the southeast. It is protected from erosion by a cut-stone escarpment ^esc1 and slanted stones, f293. At the turn to the SE it joins the EDIII revetment wall f189. The junction is currently hidden by a soil pedestal that supports the late Mittani wall f3. After the juncture the stone escarpment contines to the southeast and gradually diverges from wall (f189). (The gap is filled by the EDIII escarpment f184.) We hypothesize that wall f41 continued to abut the escarpment, but that this portion has been lost. The lost portion is represented by a zero element z1. There is no direct evidence to provide the date of construction. We do know that wall f41 must be earlier than EDIII revetment wall f189. We therefore have tentatively dated the f41 wall to the Ninevite V period.

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Typology

Although we know that the ceramics in the accumulations directly above date to the Early Dynastic III, we do not have definitive evidence as to when the wall was built. We hope to accurately determine this in future seasons.