.bk A9
.fl L716jlw.j
.fd daily journal for L716
.ei jlw
.ed L716
.rd L716
.ri jlw

-wk 6 picks and 18 in support reported for work

-sg reviewed the strategy for the last two weeks or so of excavation with gb. We are well on our way to accomplishing our goal of investigating the links between the A7 southwestern settlement and the A11 southeastern settlement on the hills above the previously excavated southern part of A9.  We have found substantial architecture in the northwestern and north eastern corners, but only a few tantalizing hints of whatever settlements there may have been in the central portion, which appears to have been a gully, even in ancient times. We will finish excavating in the northeastern corner by opening locus k25.  We will also work in k22 a bit longer to try to understand the mass of mud or brickmelt that appears there.  Finally we will explore locus k41 in the vicinity of the large N-S wall, a25, to see if there is a companion cross-wall.  gb recalls that the MZ 6 excavations found that there was substantial brickwork in one of the A3/A4 locii in the step trench to the north of k31, where a large tomb was discovered.

k 25
dy cleared up to a meter of backdirt from an overhanging berm and plastic sheeting that had covered the topsoil in preparation for full excavation on L717.

k 24
dy continued to carefully excavate the large jar, i139, in the west half of the locus.  At the end of the day, just as the last of the accumulation was being cleared from the bottom edge, a hard surface appeared, with the hard, crusty accumulation that is typical of a surface that has served as water containment.  We assume that this is a floor, f306, upon which the jar rests.  The western containment may be the wall, f288 in k23, while the eastern containment is not known.

k 23
dy at the beginning of the workday, jlw noticed that there was a N-S line in the west part of the locus that seemed to demarcate the darker accumulation, f304 , from the lighter material associated with wall, f288, which appears to be a late, one-brick-wide addition to an earlier, more substantial structure.  Tariq excavated carefully and may have exposed the west face of a badly deteriorated wall, or a foundation. In addition, he found regular, alternating patches of red and gray brick-like material in the south along the span of the wall.

k 15
dy continued to see patches of brick along the south corner of the east baulk. Careful excavation by Suliman is revealing more courses of brick to the south. Removed the patch of baked and unbaked bricks, f302, in the NE corner, where the seal, i138, was found.

f 304
df a
ds darker accumulation to the west of N-S wall, f288, and under accumulation, f276 in the western third of k23.
P2 L716

f 305
df a
ds accumulation under accumulation, f287, first seen in the vicinity of large, mostly intact jar, i139, but probably extending over much of k24.

f 306
df lm
ds floor under accumulation, f305 in k24. It has thin, very brittle laminations that are typical of standing water.  Containment to the west may be wall, f288, in k23