| 2008-7-28 | pC |
Today was the first day of excavation in J7. We decided to change feature every 50 cm and to change q lot when the big zambil is full. Also for the first 50 cm we will not keep the pottery but only look at it and keep just the shape sherds and the decorated sherds. We do not collect the animal bones for the top soil. Today we had only the first 30 cm of top soil in all squares. The squares are from North to South k1, k2, k3, k4, k5 [Input file: S728PC.J / S728PC.-J]
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| 2008-7-30 | pC |
Today we found 3 large floating stones in k5 [Input file: S728PC.J / S728PC.-J]
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| 2008-8-2 | cJC |
Today work continued in k1, k2, k3 and new workmen were assigned to open k4 and k5 to the north. Because the workmen have come down on some sherd layers and some bricks we have changed strategy. bP came and put some new points so we can remove k5 which is the protruding piece to the east of the cement staircase. [Input file: S802CJC.J / S802CJC.-J]
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| 2008-8-3 | cJC |
Today we added another workman. Work continues in the western meter of k2 to make the west section in line with the west section in k1. Two pickmen and their teams worked in k4 and the additional workmen continued work in k5. Ibrahim (iIM) is here today to assign q-lots and features. [Input file: S802CJC.J / S802CJC.-J]
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| 2008-8-6 | cJC |
We cleaned the area in the morning. Then the workmen excavated in k4 and k5. After about 10cm Mohammed uncovered brickfall/brickmelt in k4. This is expected, based on the findings in J6 and the west section of J6 k200. Because of the brickfall we have again changed strategy and will remove the baulks instead of continuing down. [Input file: S807CJC.J / S807CJC.-J]
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| 2008-8-10 | cJC |
This morning dM came to photograph the east sections of k1, k2, k3, and k4. The section photographs were taken in pieces because they are too large for one photograph. These sections were not drawn but templates will be made from the photographs. Work continued in k5 to remove the North baulk and also the workmen began to remove the small east section bordering the cement staircase. In k3 the workmen began to remove the eastern baulk, f32, from the inside. This method is being used for safety reasons as there are workmen down in J6 k200 and so the baulks can not be pushed over. [Input file: S811CJC.J / S811CJC.-J]
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| 2008-8-13 | cJC |
Today we continued to remove the eastern baulks. Large stones ( f35, f36) in the baulk were relayed and removed. In the morning a shaffat was installed in k2 to facilitate the removal of the baulks. Several workmen went to work in J6. [Input file: S816CJC.J / S816CJC.-J]
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| 2008-8-17 | cJC |
Yesterday we installed a shaffat in k2 and that helped facilitate the removal of the baulks. Today we began operating another shaffat in addition to the one in k2. The shaffat itself is in J6 but we have a chute that takes the dirt down to the shaffat. The dirt from both shaffats goes directly to a tractor so we do not need any wheelbarrows, this frees up the workmen to work shoveling the dirt into the shaffats which is an almost continuous process. After breakfast hB came to reestablish the lines for the north baulks. We relayed and removed the large stones ( f29 and f27) in the east baulk of k2. The installation of the shaffats has increased the rate of recovery of pottery and q-items as each pile of dirt is examined twice, first by the pickmen as they are excavating and again by the shaffat operator who can remove sherds and q-items from the base of the shaffat. In this way the shaffat almost functions as a screen. [Input file: S817CJC.J / S817CJC.-J]
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| 2008-8-18 | cJC |
Today in the early morning we cleaned J7 and the cement stairs leading down to J1 in anticipation of visitors. I was not in the field from 7 until after breakfast because I was with the visitors. The staff of J6 was monitoring the work. After breakfast we continued removing the East baulk of k2. Another large stone was uncovered in the baulk near f25, it was labelled f38. There were no tractors for the dirt removal today so the dirt from the shaffats had to be removed with wheelbarrows. We had only enough workmen today to operate one shaffat with the wheelbarrows. [Input file: S818CJC.J / S818CJC.-J]
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| 2008-8-19 | cJC |
In the morning work continued removing the east baulk of k1. This baulk is very large due to the irregular nature of squares in J7. Several large stones were encountered, they were assigned feature numbers and removed. They were not photographed. hB relayed some of the stones. In the morning there were only enough workmen to operate one shaffat and so we used the small shaffat going directly out to the west. Some of the dirt was used to build a berm around the area to prevent water from entering J7 in the winter. The rest of the dirt was taken away with wheelbarrows. After breakfast a pickup truck came and we put the dirt from the shaffat directly into the back of the truck. We also moved the chute so we could use the large shaffat in k200 in addition to the small shaffat in k2. This sped up the dirt evacuation. The pottery was collected from both shaffats and then reunited with its q-lot in one bag. At about 11 we began to excavate in k4 and k5 while a team continued to work removing the east baulk of k1. [Input file: S819CJC.J / S819CJC.-J]
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| 2008-8-20 | cJC |
Today there were 17 workmen in J7. We continued removing the area south of k1, now called k100. Part of the dirt was used to backfill k100 and create a level platform surface. We also continued excavation in k3, k4 and k5. These three loci each had 1 pickman and 2 shovelmen. There was an additional wheelbarrowman in k5 to take the dirt to the shaffat chute. 2 workmen operated the shaffat in k2 removing the dirt from k3. There were an additonal 2 workmen from Anwar's team down in k200 to operate the shaffats. [Input file: S820CJC.J / S820CJC.-J]
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| 2008-8-21 | cJC |
Today we continued work k3, k4, and k5. We also finished removing the last bit of dirt in k100. We began removing the dirt by coming down from the top using 2 shaffats to remove the dirt. This was too slow though and so gB suggested that we cut 1 meter west from k200 into each square and remove it like a baulk. The dirt then was left in the bottom of k200 and removed on Friday, the day off. One feature was assigned to all of the materials removed in this way ( f900) as the dirt was easily mixed between the two loci and impossible to keep separate. Also some objects were recovered from the shaffat without context. [Input file: S823CJC.J / S823CJC.-J]
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| 2008-8-23 | cJC |
Today we continued work in k3, k4 and k5. We also opened excavations in a new locus, k6. k6 is just north of k5 and is technically part of the J2 excavations but we will remove a portion of the remaining baulk so we have assigned it J7 numbers. In k3 we only finished leveling the 1 meter cut to the level of the ash and then finished. In k4 we finished the 1 meter cut down to below the brickfall where we found a harder surface. We cleaned and photographed each east section. The workmen from k3 were reassigned to k5. First they made a cut along the staircase leveling it off so we can put in a railing and then they joined the team in k5. In k4 we placed a diagonal line from the SW corner of k5 to the SE corner of k4 and the k4 team will excavate down in this small triangle in volumetric 50cm features. We had a large dust storm in the morning that stopped work for a bit which slowed down the progress. We are operating two shaffats today, both down in k200. Most of the dirt is just shoveled down to the trench so work can continue as fast as possible in the squares. [Input file: S823CJC.J / S823CJC.-J]
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| 2008-8-24 | cJC |
Today we only went to the field for one hour. There was a large dust storm that completely stopped work. The workmen were sent home and we will work in the house today. cJC will concentrate on updating the UGR and entering objects. [Input file: S824CJC2.J / S824CJC2.-J]
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| 2008-8-25 | cJC |
Today we continued work in k4, k5 and k6. We finished excavating k6 very early in the day. A mud surface was uncovered and it appears there may be other surfaces so we will stop excavating in this locus this season. We scored and photographed the south section of this locus. A jar rim was uncovered in one of the surfaces but we will not excavate to see if it is just a rim or a whole jar. It will be covered up and left for excavation in the future. In k3 we reached the level where the brickfall ends and made the whole excavated layer level. The sections were all cleaned and scored. In k4 we continued excavation fairly rapidly through the brickfall. The largest concentration of workmen was in this area. At the end of the day we reached what appears to be the end of the brickfall. We spent a fair amount of the day cleaning for overall pictures of the area tomorrow. We will photograph all the sections well and then remove them in sequence from north to south to maintain good overall views. [Input file: S825CJC.J / S825CJC.-J]
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| 2008-8-26 | cJC |
Today we took photographs in the morning before removing the baulks to show the connections between the brickfall in J6 and in J7. All the sections in J7 were then photographed individually. We began removing the northern baulk of k5 and also the western section. The north section was removed down to about 30 cm above where the skull was found. We will continue from here with the small pick. The western baulk was almost entirely removed. The northern section of k3 was also removed. The one meter stub that protruded to the east was entirely removed and the top was cut down to be level with the remaining portions of the square. [Input file: S826CJC.J / S826CJC.-J]
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| 2008-8-26 | cJC |
Although the human bones were not relayed individually (as they were not identified as human bones in the field) the elevations of the q-lots were recorded and thus some provenience can be determined. [Input file: U810CJC.J / U810CJC.-J]
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| 2008-8-26 | lR |
cJC excavated north of the cranium ( i3) to the baulk and found no mandible or cervical vertebra furthermore I checked several animal q-lots and found them full of human bones including an almost complete femur and a complete mandible!! This suggests that the massive brickfall of J7 and J6 washed down human bones from presumably the east (via the slope of the brickfall seen in area J6 section (J6 k86, J6 k87), given the depth of the cranium (elevation?) excludes these bones as modern most likely dating to the late Khabur (Old Babylonian) period similar to A16 where funerary structures were found covered by a thick brickfall from the east that also washed down bones. Unfortunately due to the excavation project goals to rapidly excavate J7 sacrificing documentation for a view of the temple stairs, no relays were taken or are planned to be taken for disarticulated or isolated human bones. I will try to reconstruct the location of these bones via the feature log and q-log but think that no elevations were recorded, resulting in a loss of provenience. Luckily cJC kept bone lots for J7. [Input file: U810CJC.J / U810CJC.-J]
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| 2008-8-27 | cJC |
Today was the last day of excavations. First we photographed the large east-west sections in J6 k87 and J7 k4. After we finished removing the west baulk of k5, the north baulk of k5 and then we removed the north baulk of k4. While excavating the remaining portion of the k5 north baulk ( f52) another fragment of a human skeleton was found ( i5). A fragment of a tannur was found nearby ( q67.5). The north baulk of k4 was removed fairly rapidly until another human skull fragment was discovered ( i6). It was excavated by lR and sH and removed. The rest of the baulk was removed and then all the bottoms of the squares were straightened. Most of the sections were trimmed. [Input file: S827CJC.J / S827CJC.-J]
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| 2008-9-23 | hQ |
I described all J7 objects and then put them to be photographed and I spent almost one day on describing the objects, and I took the field measurement of the rim which is sitting in k6. [Input file: S923HQ.J / S923HQ.-J]
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