| Date | Author | Record | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-07-18 | MKB | in k18 I am analyzing the sherds in stratigraphic sequence. The earliest feature excavated thus far is f173. In order of stratigraphic sequence going from earliest to latest we have: f159, then f131 and f175 which equal A10f227, above these is f103 which equals A10f226, above these is f76 equal to A10f222, the highest and latest feature is A10f164. [Input: JA12-J.j] | |
| 2000-06-21 | jl | We will try to further define a22, the apsidal structure, by excavating inside of it and around its south and west faces to define those borders. This will require excavation in k21 and 22, and a small team of perhaps 10 workmen. Also, we will be responsible to prepare the A12 book, from both this season and last season, so that it will be ready for publication in the fall. [Input: K624JL.j] | |
| 2000-06-23 | jl | Today, I met with okk and lr for the purpose of outlining the task of preparing the A12 book from season 12 (j) for publication. We suggested six main tasks. First, scan the A12 archive to find any gaps or errors in the data so that we can fill these in with the information from the original field book. Second, we need to complete the templates of the views. Although some work was done last season, much was left undone or partly completed due to unforseen circumstances. Third, as an addendum to goal two, the view descriptions need to be completed. Very few, if any, were done last season. Fourth, the G plots need to be checked and completed. Thankfully, lr remembered that most of the plots were completed last season, with the exception of lower A12. Fifth, the stratigraphy needs to be reanalyzed and reordered, and especially needs to be connected with this season's excavations. Certain equivalent feature numbers need to be extracted from other books to accomplish this, especially for lower A12. Finally, according to okk, when jo left the excavation early last season, he took certain materials with him to complete. If this is true, then these materials need to be identified and accounted for. [Input: K624JL.j] | |
| 2000-06-23 | jl | With gb's input, we have expanded our strategy to include the following considerations. Apparently, jo did not take any data with him from the excavation, so that is one less problem to worry about. Regarding the archive data, not only does it need to be scanned for format and completeness, but also its substance needs to be checked, and improved or supplemented by additional entries when neccessary. As regards the stratigraphic analysis, we will not only need to combine the stratigraphy excavated by jo and fxx, but we will also need to prepare a final summary of A12 for the publication, bringing all of the data together. [Input: K624JL.j] | |
| 2000-06-25 | jl | Since bp cannot see into the apsidal structure a22 from any of her fixed surveying points and therefore cannot survey in any marker points, she, gb, and I discussed a new fixed survey point from which she would be able to see down into a32. We agreed upon the spur of unexcavated land north of k21, from which it is possible to see the south baulk and the ground within a32. In the meantime, I placed two wooden stakes in the south baulk of a32 and surveyed them in with relays. [Input: K627JL.j] | |
| 2000-06-26 | jl | gb wanted to better see the stratigraphy in the south baulk of a22 and in the trench k25, so we decided to further clean both areas and photograph them in the next morning's light before continuing. Also, as the plots of last season were somewhat incomplete, I resolved to take some more relays of a32 before proceeding. [Input: K627JL.j] | |
| 2000-06-28 | jl | gb suggested that we start by leveling k26, especially the south-west baulk top. Then, we should proceed to straighten the west baulk of k25, the east face of the ^a found in the ^d. Once this is completed, then we will decide whether to continue through a22 in layers or to dig each locus separately. okk suggested that we dig in layers, to keep the stratigraphic links intact. I tend to agree with this idea, but will refrain from judgement until gb has presented his opinion. [Input: K629JL.j] | |
| 2000-06-28 | jl | gb makes a good point: we cannot see time, only emplacement, and we infer time progression from emplacement. Therefore, as our understanding of the deposition here is unclear, then we need to proceed slowly and carefully. The "vault" f303, on the one hand our best clue, is also very confusing. As a vault, the brick material that we can see in the section could not have stood by itself, so it could not be a collapsed roof over which outside dirt accumulated. But no other explanation presents itself earlier. Therefore, since gb suggests that W2 does seem to have been mounded against W3, whatever the structure might be, then the W3 accumulation probably predates W2 completely. Another possibility is that they are coeval, gradually building up over, say, parts of a well. The final decision is to dig both pickruns together for a few pickruns, and if this gives us a better idea of the relationship of the two loci, then we will proceed from there. [Input: K629JL.j] | |
| 2000-06-28 | jl | At breakfast, gb decided to change the strategy. Since there have as yet been no aerial photos of a32, he asked that it be cleaned off in preparation for a kite photo. Therefore, the workmen finished digging the ashy layer f307 and cleaned the square. [Input: K629JL.j] | |
| 2000-06-29 | jl | Unfortunately, since the aerial photography rig could not be prepared in time, we will have to postpone the aerial photo for two days. Instead we will excavate the southwest corner of k22, south of k23. This would serve the dual purpose of refamiliarizing us with the stratigraphy of A12 above the apsidal structure, and (hopefully) giving us the southwest corner of a31, the doorway and perhaps the outer wall of the whole structure. Also, we will remove all of the ledges in k26. In k27, we will (not today, but soon) excavate down until we find the floor equalling the layer just revealed under f307 in k26. It is clear that the floor makes a significant dip at the edge between the loci, and perhaps we can find the stratigraphic link. More immediately, we will excavate the doorway in a31 (k24) in order to find out what is happening with the stones in the doorway, i.e. whether it is a very narrow and steep stairway, or just blocking. [Input: K629JL.j] | |
| 2000-07-04 | jl | Due to complications with the tent in the past few days, we have been unable to complete excavation in k23. Now that those problems have been solved, and given that we will have A13's workforce tomorrow, I hope to photograph and excavate the last meter of ^a tomorrow. This would serve two purposes: first, it would make the most efficient use of the available manpower, and second, it would let us (hopefully) define the S edge of the apsidal structure. Even if we do not finish digging within a22 this season, I would consider this one accomplishment almost as important, especially given the limited goals of this season. [Input: K705JL.j] | |
| 2000-07-05 | jl | for the moment, our strategy is to leave k27 alone and ask the rest of the team what they think about our conundrum. Soon, we will have to decide whether to continue in k27 or switch to k26. [Input: K705JL.j] | |
| 2000-07-06 | jl | We are going to continue digging in k26 for the time being, in order to expose the W face of the wall and to see if the pit in k27 continues on this side of the wall as well. [Input: K706JL.j] | |
| 2000-07-08 | jl | Since excavation in the S half of k26 next to wall f326 did not reveal a trace of the pit f325, we will excavate the N half of the locus until it is level with the S half, then we will section the N face of the ^ac against f326. Once we have examined the section for traces of brick, then we will slowly remove it, hopefully to reveal a preserved brick face of the wall. [Input: K708JL.j] | |
| 2000-07-09 | jl | gb believes that we can now safely dig down in both k26 and 27 at the same time, partly due to the barrier of the wall between them. So hopefully, we will get a few extra workmen tomorrow to begin this effort. [Input: K709JL.j] | |
| 2000-07-12 | jl | Today, after removing f291, the stone in k25, we will continue excavating down in only k27. The wall f326 is confusing, and we are not sure whether it originates on the first floor or if it is a later construction. By following it down in only k27, we intend to follow the face down until it ends or until it is level with k26. If the wall is ephemeral and stops, and the two ^ac join, then we will be able to confidently dig them both separately. [Input: K715JL.j] | |
| 2000-07-13 | jl | Since we are nearly equal in k27 to the level of k26, we will continue digging in only k27 today. If we reach an equal elevation today, then we will look closely again at the wall f326 and decide whether it continues to that elevation and the two loci should be dug separately, or whether it is ephemeral and can be removed, and the two loci can be dug together. [Input: K715JL.j] | |
| 2000-07-15 | jl | Because we have reached the same level in loci k26 and 27, we will now proceed down in both loci at the same time. Keeping equal elevations in both loci will be difficult, since in k26, we seem to have reached the final layer of ^a, while in k27, we are uncovering the top of a sloping black layer, f333. [Input: K715JL.j] | |
| 2000-07-16 | jl | Since the ^a in k26 is so sterile, we have switched to the large pick for thjis locus, and will continue using it until we either find something which necessitates returning to the small pick or we reach the floor. [Input: K716JL.j] | |
| 2000-07-19 | ed | In k27, since the surface under the white floor f337 seems contiguous and homogenous, we are again digging the whole locus. In k26, since it appears that the white layers are not floors, but pockets, we have switched back to the large picks. [Input: K719JL.j] | |
| 2000-07-22 | jl | In k27, we are going to continue in pickruns across the square. We will also explore the hole from the top, to see whether it is a rodent hole or an aspect of the stratigraphy/deposition that we will need to consider at length. [Input: K722JL.j] | |
| 2000-07-23 | ed | In k27, since there is the possibility that the bone specialists from Como will arrive in a few days, we will pedestal the burial in the SW corner so that they can see it in situ. In k26, we will work slowly, uncovering the red, orange, white, and black layers as much as possible. Probably, they are layers of plaster over the stone floor. [Input: K723JL.j] | |
| 2000-07-24 | jl | In k26, our first plan is to clear away the last section of ^aa on top of the newly discovered floor, f348. We need to decide how to proceed to find the presumed stone floor beneath the plaster. Also, we will clean the W face of f326, the mud ledge, until we have removed all of the ^aa, and a few other remaining pedestals. In k27, we will continue digging down across the locus. [Input: K724JL.j] | |
| 2000-07-25 | jl | Because there is so little time left, we have switched strategies somewhat. Now, we essentially have the entire workforce agailable to us, since the other squares have finished, so we are attempting to start a continuous process of digging and, at the same time, shoveling and removing dirt. Whether it will work properly remains to be seen. In k26, we will excagate the possible plaster floor f348 to see if we find more floors/stones underneath. Our guide for the potential depth of the floor will be, for the time being, the wall to the W: as long as we continue seeing stones going down, we will presume that we have not yet reached the floor. In k27, we will remove all of the pedestalled bones except for the burial in the baulk, and continue digging down across the locus. [Input: K725JL.j] | |
| 2001-07-19 | jl | We will continue cutting back the baulk. Not only do we want to get a column of soil samples for lc to analyze, but we also want to see a fresh, complete section. Given that the baulk might not survive another winter's rains, we need to get as much information from it as possible. [Input: L822JL.j] | |
| 2001-07-22 | jl | We will continue excavating in k27, until we uncover the red layer, f371. [Input: L822JL.j] | |
| 2002-09-05 | jl | Because I have observed the curve of the fissure extending into the south baulk in k26/k27 (a32), I have had to change our excavation strategy. Before, we had been cutting into the baulk as if the locus had a square corner. In fact, it is (somewhat obviously in hindsight) circular, and we had actually been cutting into a part of k26 the whole time. Now that we can see the divide between the two loci clearly, I have instructed the digger, Stef, to excavate into the baulk no further than the fissure. [Input: M914JL.j] | |
| 2002-09-19 | ms | We are stopping the excavations in k26 and k27 at this point, although we may do a test trench in k27 to see how deep the structure goes, if possible. We have reached f397 which is the layer under the laminations. We will do a good cleaning and scraping to do a final analysis of which features are apparent. Because the floor slopes and features do not always cross the locus, there may be some differentiation. [Input: M920MS.j] | |
| 2003-07-22 | jl | We will remove the brown, f407, in the eastern and southern parts of the circle, in order to see if it also covers the laminations. Then, after photography, we will remove the laminations, in order to find the layer underneath. [Input: N805JL.j] | |
| 2003-07-23 | jl | Since this black seed layer f408 slopes underneath the laminations, we presume that it predates them. Therefore, after photography/filming sessions, we will remove the layers and then excavate the black. [Input: N805JL.j] | |
| 2003-07-28 | jl | In order to better control contamination, we will divide k27 into two loci, k29 and k30. k29 will be the ring of material within a meter of the stone walls; k30 will be the circle inside of this ring, which we are fairly certain is uncontaminated. We will have separate feature numbers for each locus, to identify the pottery in the sherd yard. [Input: N805JL.j] | |
| 2003-08-03 | jl | Because of my illness and dc's injury, I think that we will take tomorrow off from field work. After we return, the focus will still be on trying to follow the ledge f423 and excavating k29, since it is becoming pedestalled. [Input: N805JL.j] | |
| 2003-08-05 | jl | We will continue to expose the strong black seed layer f424 and follow the ledge around the circle, if it indeed continues around the circle. [Input: N805JL.j] | |
| 2003-08-10 | jl | Since we have cleared an apparently uniform layer across the circle, we will begin excavating within the trench tomorrow. [Input: N811jl.j] | |
| 2003-07-21 | jl | Tomorrow, we will continue removing the red layer, f406, in order to see if the brown underneath it is an extension of the brown around the circumference of the circle or a separate feature. This will help us determine whether to dig the brown, f407, or the laminations, f405, first. [Input: N812jl.j] | |
| 2003-08-13 | jl | We will continue following the top of the white layer as we dig downward. [Input: N813jl.j] | |
| 2003-08-17 | jl | Our goal is to make the accumulation in k29 and k30 even with that in the trench by the end of the season. Therefore, we will continue removing f441/f442 and then continue in the the soil beneath it, which (judging from our findings in the trench) will be mostly undifferentiated brown fill. [Input: N817jl.j] | |
| 2003-08-14 | jl | Our overall plan for the last week is to bring the material in the north half of the circle down to the elevation of the bottom of the trench. Given the relative homogeneity of the material in the trench, we expect to excavate very quickly in k29 and k30 once we remove the black layer f441/f442. [Input: N817jl.j] | |
| 2003-08-18 | jl | As we seem to have found the extent [Input: N818jl.j] | |
| 1999-06-10 | jo | changing old A10 numbers to new A12 numbers for k and a from file J623JO [Input: ZG1183ms.j] | |
| 1999-06-26 | jo | as a result of our last 2 weeks of excavation in k5 we have decided to expand the excavation in two directions, 1st we will open three new squares (k8, k9 and k10) E and S of k5. in this portion of the new expansion, we will try find out abut the nature and function of the uncovered net of walls (f41, f45 and f69) and try to determine their stratigraphic and constructional relationship to AK, by opening these new squares we expect to uncover the reminder of these walls and probably new feature in connection with them, that might help answering the following, 1) are these walls part of Ak building? if so, do they form an other major sector of the building other than the already uncovered sector?. 2) if these walls are not part of the same complex AK, then what is the stratigraphic relation between the two? pre, post or contemporary with AK? the 2nd expansion of excavations will take place W k5 where we will dig the entire area S f12 up to the level of the paving f69 (A10 f230) in k11 (A10 k18), this operation well allow us to fully expose the outer (southern) face of the wall f12 and to uncover the floors outside the building which are corresponding to AK first floors. [Input: ZG127ms.j] | |
| 1999-06-26 | jo | will start today excavation by removing top soil. [Input: ZG127ms.j] | |
| 1999-06-26 | jo | will start excavation at the 1st 300cm W of k11 by digging f76. for the protection of the western face of f45 a 200cm x 200cm protection baulk will be left unexcavated. [Input: ZG127ms.j] | |
| 1999-06-26 | jo | since MZ10 A10 excavation on top of the current k6, and this season A12 k11 excavations did not yield much of material culture, we will dig in k6 with big picks, unless we come across a change in the nature of the deposit in the locus. [Input: ZG127ms.j] | |
| 1999-06-26 | jo | pottery will be collected to be checked in the filed by ab. [Input: ZG127ms.j] | |
| 1999-06-27 | jo | will start excavating k10 by removing top soil f75. [Input: ZG127ms.j] | |
| 1999-06-27 | jo | will continue excavation horizontally digging f80, below top soil. [Input: ZG127ms.j] | |
| 1999-06-27 | jo | after excavating the first E-W 300cm of f76 for 38cm deep, will start digging an other 300cm farther W. [Input: ZG127ms.j] | |
| 1999-06-28 | jo | we continue digging f76 for an other 250 cm further to W, to the same depth of the previous portion of the same feature. [Input: ZG127ms.j] | |
| 1999-06-28 | jo | we will dig f82 using big picks, 10 cm at the time, looking particularly for any signs that might help to understand the nature of the accumulation f40 k6 whether it is a filling of a pit or an other type of accumulation; we will look for any indication of a cut. [Input: ZG127ms.j] | |
| 1999-06-28 | jo | we will clear and scrape f80 all around the grave a7 checking if the grave has any construction surrounding other than the cut f84. [Input: ZG127ms.j] | |
| 1999-06-29 | jo | we will dig the last portion of f76 S of the farthest W end of the wall f12. [Input: ZG127ms.j] | |
| 1999-06-29 | jo | we continue to dig f90. [Input: ZG127ms.j] | |
| 1999-06-29 | jo | we will keep excavating f91 at the W side and f92 at E side. [Input: ZG127ms.j] | |
| 1999-06-30 | jo | we start digging f103. We will divide it horizontally across k6. [Input: ZG127ms.j] | |
| 1999-06-30 | jo | we will start digging f104 after removing a9 and features 96 and 101. [Input: ZG127ms.j] | |
| 1999-06-30 | jo | we will stop excavation in k10 for now, until we get to the same level in k8 and k9. [Input: ZG127ms.j] | |
| 1999-07-02 | jo | we will continue to remove floor accumulation f105 fully exposing floor f103. [Input: ZG127ms.j] | |
| 1999-07-02 | jo | we will start digging f108 (accumulation below top soil). [Input: ZG127ms.j] | |
| 1999-07-02 | jo | we will continue the excavation of f103 farther to the W to the level of f96 to uncover any other portion of f96. [Input: ZG127ms.j] | |
| 1999-07-31 | okk | We will continue to excavate the remainder of f72 and f249 and find the beginning of f73 beneath it. Also to continue excavation in f131,to find the extent of the stone platform f252. [Input: ZG525ms.j] | |
| 1999-07-22 | okk | We began to excavate the "cube" of unexcavated material in the east of k6. This was left unexcavated in order to preserve the mud brick wall f45 for which is served as a support. We separated the material into two features: a6 (f193, f165), the pit which was dug into wall f12, and f72 (f226) which was excvated in the test trench k18. [Input: ZG525ms.j] | |
| 1999-07-25 | okk | today we continued to dig the "cube" of unexcavated material that comes up to the NS wall, f45. We will leave a 10cm covering against wall f45 to protect it. [Input: ZG525ms.j] | |
| 1999-07-26 | okk | We will continue to excavate the fill f72, but we are interested to determine if f249 is a wall. Yesterday gB noticed that there appeared to be visible courses of brick in the N face of the 'cube', although they did not appear in a clear, straight wall line. So today we will scrape the cut left by the pit a6 and the west face of the 'cube' to all, if we can find the courses of the wall. This should also clarify the relationship of f249 to f198. [Input: ZG525ms.j] | |
| 1999-07-26 | J727 | After consulting with gb and ab, we decided to excavate f72 and f73 down to f89, the pavement, and cut through f249, as well. f249 apperas to be a wall that was built in successive layers, as the fill next to it rose in height. It may have functioned as a restraining wall. It is attached to f198 which runs parallel to f45, which likely had a supportive function. [Input: ZG525ms.j] | |
| 1999-08-01 | J727 | Today we will continue to excavate the remainder of f73 which covers f251, the pebble sherd pavement with a layer of phytoliths. We will leave the phytolith layer in place after being fully uncovered, and continue excavating to the west to follow the surface of stone platform f 252. [Input: ZG525ms.j] |
https://urkesh.org/MZ/A/A12/D/-INC/strategy.htm