.bk A12 .fl K629jl.j .fd journal entries .ei jl .ed K629 .rd K628 .ri jl -dy gb met lr, okk, ed, jlw, and myself in A12 this morning to discuss strategy and begin excavating. After we had strategized, we began excavating in k26, in order to level it with k27, and we leveled the top of the south-west shelf next to the k25 trench, which had been excavated rather deeply before (almost to the level of k26; see A12g0014), but will now be included in the south baulk of the locus. After the baulk top was finished, one of the workers (Abdul Rachman) moved into the trench k25 to clean and straighten the west baulk, f309. I am surprised that we have accumulated a great deal of pottery from both f307 and 308, since I have been told that it was a very clean accumulation. We have also found a possible door sealing and a few clay lumps, which makes me wonder what sort of accumulation it is. -sg 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. -sg 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. -dy Abdul Rachman, digging in the trench k25, has discovered the second stone of a stairway! What we took previously to be the stone threshold extends into the baulk for about 30 centimeters, after which another stone, approximately 30 centimeters high, sits on top of it, as if the second stone in a narrow stairway. In addition to confirming that the doorway has been blocked, it suggests that maybe what we took to be the stone threshold is just another step, and the actual floor (flagstone floor?) is further below. -sg 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. .rd K629 -sg 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. f 307 dy Yesterday, while digging in k26, the workmen came upon the intersection between f307 and 308. Switching q-lots and features to f307, they followed it as it sloped down towards k27 and revealed an apparent second fissure, following a similar curve to the first fissure and about 50 centimeters west. Here, the layers take a definite turn downward, leading to the possible consideration that k27 actually lies on top of k26. tc ov f308 -dy While digging down in k24, Abdul Rackman discovered the next two stones going down in the stair of the doorway. It appeared more clear, as the last stone became visible, that we did indeed have a stairway, and now the question is, how far down does it go? If what we took to be the bottom threshold is just another step, then the actual floor of a32 might be much further down than we currently believe. Also, the ^ac within the corridor was very clean, had very little pottery, and was very homogenous, reddish and somewhat bricky, the same as the dirt excavated from the trench k25 last season. This is very different from the dirt that we have excavated in f307 and 308, k26, which held a lot of pottery and ash. I wonder, perhaps, if f307 and 308 actually overlay this layer, and it continues underneath all of a22? It is so clean, it appears as if it might be a deliberate fill. But if it is fill, and apparently Sargonic period, by the sherds, then the question becomes, why fill it in? If it is a burial, perhaps the fill was to discourage tomb robbers, or to link it to earlier mound burials, but I do not know enough about burial practices of this era and location to come to a conclusion. f 308 26 a 309 25 a 310 24 a 8412 135 8398 135 K629lr 311 24 a 8398 135 8380 151 K629lr 312 24 a 8380 151 313 23 ts m2218 99 99 m2318 84 99 K629jl 314 23 a m2318 84 99 f 308 ds red layer with ashy deposits, visible in south baulk of a22 f 309 ds accumulation in a31 doorway, red in color, very clean, actually shaved off west baulk of k25, probably technically part of k24 =l f273 tc bo f310 tc bo f311 tc bo f312 f 310 ds accumulation in a31 doorway, red in color, very clean, very little pottery =l f309 =l f273 tc co f311 f 311 ds accumulation in a31 doorway, red in color, very clean, very little pottery =l f309 =l f273 =l f310 tc co f312 f 312 ds accumulation in a31 doorway, red in color, very clean, very little pottery =l f309 =l f273 =l f310 =l f311 f 313 ds topsoil of south half of k23 =l f234 tc co f314 f 314 ds gullywash =l f235 =l f274 .rd K628 .ri jl i 67 308 26 571 cl .8 .2 1.2 cl .ri lr 68 307 26 572 cl 1 6.5 5 cl possible door sealing .ri okk 69 308 26 571 cl .6 2.5 1.5 cl possible sealing .rd K629 .ri ed 70 259 27 cl 1.5 3.2 2 cl possible sealing; found while cleaning locus, no q-lot 71 308 26 577 cl 2 5 2 cl possible sealing .ri lr 72 259 28 cl clay lump with fingerprint on it; found while cleaning locus, no q-lot .rd K628 .ri jl q 571 pbci 308 26 wk m2316 5 154 15 572 pbsg 307 26 r400 180E 110N m2316 37 154 top of west end of south baulk, leveled it .ri lr 573 pb 309 25 50cm width Inside doorway .ri jl 574 pbi 307 26 southeast corner 1mW m5019 119 160 ashy ac, thick layer .rd K629 575 p 259 27 southeast corner 2mW .5mN m2316 126 150 5 shaving top of baulk 576 p 304 26 southeast corner 2mW .5mN m2316 104 138 5 shaving top of baulk 577 pbi 308 26 wk 8401 135 5 leveling locus 578 p 310 24 wk 8412 135 15 ^ac in doorway 579 pbi 311 24 wk 8398 135 30 ^ac in doorway next to stone f286 580 pi 312 24 wk 8380 151 ^ac in doorway next to stone f286 .ri lr 581 pi 313 23 southeast corner 200W 200N m2318 99 99 topsoil in k23 .ri jl 582 p 314 23 southeast 200W 200N m2318 84 99