.bk A9
.fl L706jlw.j
.fd daily journal for L624, L625, and L626
.ei jlw
.ed L706
.rd L624
.ri jlw

-wk 4 picks and 9 in support.
-sg today we will devote our resources to k21, which had been excavated as part of the step trench in 1990. We will remove the backfill and reorient the locus to the new grid.
-mk m2560 accidentally loosened and removed.

k 21
dy removed what turned out to be backfill, f200, from the east portion of the locus. Removed a narrow wedge of material, f201 to align the north baulk with the grid we now use. We used a single lot, q653 for all material as stratigraphy was unclear.  There will be no east baulk because it had been excavated in 1990. The eastern half of the locus had previously been excavated to a depth of more than 1 meter as seen in the north baulk. Uncovered a large 6 sqaure meter horizontal mudbrick surface, f205, just under a thin layer of topsoil, f202. Discovered a 1 square meter layer of melon-sized stones, f204 in the previously excavated section.  Extended the locus about 2 meters to the west to trace the westward extent of the brick surface, which slopes gradually down from north to south.

k 22
dy vp excavated a narrow, rectangular block of accumulation, f203, contained within accumulation, f198, that possibly could have been a later burial. Nothing found.

f 200
df bfill
ds a mixture of backfill and topsoil, not immediately recognized until plastic was found.
tc co f204
tc co f212
P2 L624

f 201
df a
ds twenty-five cm wide wedge of accumulation in NE corner of k21 caused by the change in alignment between the 1990 excavation of the step trench and this season's work. Pottery lot q653 used for the entire feature since stratigraphy was masked by the small size.
P2 L624

f 202
df ts
ds topsoil in the western half of k21.
tc co f205
tc co f208
P2 L624

f 203
df a
ds accumulation in a narrow block running NE to SW contained within accumulation, f198, in k22.  We though it could possibly be a grave, but there was no indication of this in the pottery lot, q656.
tc si f198

f 204
df ly
ds about a 1 square meter patch of melon-sized stones in the SE corner of k21.  Reference elevation is 8947, about 50 cm higher than the stone path in the NE corner of A11.

f 205
df pv
ds horizontal layer of mud-brick in NW corner of expanded locus k21. Roughly square and over 6 square meters in size. Flat near the north baulk but slopes gradually from north to south, following the contour of the tell. Some parts are several courses high as it apperars to step down the slope to the south.  It is laid over a mud foundation, f273.  Reference elevation in the middle of the horizontal portion to the north is 9029. 
tc co f272
tc ab f205

.rd L625

-wk 4 picks and 12 in suport

k 21
sg we will continue to explore the nature and westward and southern extent of the brick surface, f205 in the NW corner of the locus.
dy we found the west face of f205 located about 20cm east of the eastern excavation limit of A7, explaining why the platform did not appear in that section.  We found a brick retaining wall, f208 at the apparent south face of the bricks, f205.  Undoubtedly the original wall rose to the level of the horizontal part and the downward slope results from erosion down the slope.

k 11
sg we will extend the locus one meter to the west of the west baulk to capture the maximum amount of information about the transition from A7 and A2 to A9.  A false baulk of a bit less than a meter to the west will remain.
dy removed topsoil, f206, and began to remove accumulation, f207, from the west extension of the locus.

f 206
df ts
ds topsoil covering the one meter westward extension of k11.
P2 L625
tc co f207

f 207
df a
ds accumulation under topsoil in the one meter westward extension of k11.
P2 L625
tc co f217

f 208
df w
ds E-W retaining wall to the south of the brickwork surface, f205 in k21.  It is composed of a single stack of bricks of which about 8 courses are visible in the east baulk of A7. It is reasonable to presume that originally the wall rose to the level of the horizontal part of the brick surface near the N baulk to keep the entire platform level.
tc ab f205

.rd L626

-wk 4 picks and 12 in support

-eq today was the first day for using the dirt removal train which has been located just north of the north baulk of A7.

k 21
dy brushing revealed the horizontal outline of a pit, f212, half visible, protruding from the north baulk.  Took relay of 3 points on the perimeter.

k 11
dy began to remove the backfill/topsoil, f210, from the portion of the locus that had been excavated in 1990.

k 10
sg remove the backfill and extend the west baulk to meet that of loci 11 and 21.
dy began to remove topsoil/backfill, f209.  Located N-S brick wall, f211, that had a yellow tag on it, "f20", presumably from the 1990 excavation there.

f 209
df ts
ds a mixture of topsoil and backfill that covers k10. Did not recognize it as a mixture until we encountered plastic that covered the 1990 excavations.
P2 L626

f 210
df bfill
P2 L626

f 211
df w
ds mudbrick wall running N-S in the western portion of k10.  Top layer very eroded, perhaps from water that got underneath the plastic cover.
nr in the NE corner of the locus, a yellow plastic disk with "f30" was attached to the top of the wall by a nail.  We presume that it was placed there in 1990.

f 212
df fi
ds fill in a pit whose northern edge just touches the north baulk of k2. Material had some ash and was a variety of colors.  No Munsell taken. What remained of the pit was about 50 cm deep.
P2 709.