.bk A15
.fl L629okk.j
.fd field journal
.ed L629
.ei okk
.rd L623
.ri okk

-lb Notes on numbering of squares - after discussion with gb, mkb & fab, we decided to number the squares from the N to the S, the westernmost squares 1-4, the easternmost 11-14. The rationale is as a mnemonic device, so that it is easier to remember that k1 is next to k11, and so on. Another consideration is that if new squares are opened to the south they may be opened sequentially. 

-sg The first task for A15 is to remove the backfill which covers the northern and eastern parts of the area. This should be accomplished in a couple of days of work as there are ten workmen assigned to the task. It is still uncertain as to the extent of the backfill, it seems that there is no clear distinction between the surface of the Tel and backfill in the form of sandbags or plastic.

k 3
dy Today we broke ground in k3. The square slopes at about a 30 degree angle to the east, so we levelled the baulks as well. The first goal is to level the square, using the big pick in 15 cm deep pick runs. 

f 1
df ts
ds topsoil in k3. The square slopes at about 30 degrees eastward.

--i It appears from the evidence of A16 that the Khabur period structures may have their southern extent in A16. This is based on the following evidence: the extreme slope southwards and the brickfall with covers it but does not seem to continue into A15. Also I recall that while working on A12 in MZ12 about 8 m to the south of k1 we found pavement that abutted an EW wall that we interpreted as having a retaining function and the westernmost extent. Although this was about 1.5 m lower than where we are currently excavating, the later Khabur settlement mirrors the earlier Isin-Larsa settlement partly because it appears that the topography of the tell was similar in these two periods. The ancient settlement conditions the topography of the modern tell, and A16 is very striking in this case. Just below the surface of the tell was found brickfall which covered most of the settlement in that area. The brickfall also appears to have been a factor in the extremity of the slope in that area. 

k 7
H99 It is likely that we will find the remainder of a building in k1 as there appears to be part of a room in A16k7, the inside of which faces inwards towards the south. There is also a vessel in a small niche. It is at the bottom of a slope, so it is also possible that it may have been destroyed by the gully and/or the later road (modern) which apparently came through this area and was in existence at the time when gb and mkb first came to consider Tel Mozan for excavation. 

-sg sb and I spoke about a couple of possible strategies for excavation. First, because of the height and extent of decay of the baulks between k1 and A13, and k2 and A13. This could be accomplished by decreasing the area of excavation to 3.5 m, or by moving the baulk from the normal E to the W, but this must be considered by gb. Also there is the possibility of an extra square to the E, either to the east of k11 or k12. This would be to accommodate the possibility of a wall mirroring the wall between H1 and H3. If this is the case, k1 and k2 could be the site of this quarter. 

.rd L624
.ri okk

-sg Today bp is laying points for k1, k2 and k11 and k12. K13 and k14 have points that are still in backfill, so we will wait until the backfill is cleared to lay those squares.

f 2
df ts
ds topsoil in k4, like in k3 at a slope of about 30 degrees eastward. This square also slopes slightly to the south, towards the path of another gully.

f 2
dy We dug this square with the same strategy as f1 in k3, to level the square and the baulks. Approximately the first 20 cm didn't have any sherds.

f 3
df ac
ds accumulation above and between the brickfall f4 in the NE quadrant of k11.

dy Muhammed Hussein worked in clearing f3 off of f4, in order to clear the lowest slope of the brickfall which originates in A16. Gb wants to take a picture that includes the whole extent of the brickfall soon.

f 4
df bf
ds brickfall which is found in the NE quadrant of k11. This brickfall is the lowest part of the brickfall which has fallen down the slope of A16.

f 5
df ac
ds accumulation in k1, thus far bounded by walls f6 and f7, and continuing into the northern baulk. 

f 6
df w
ds N-S mud brick wall in the west, which continues into the baulk and into A16.

f 7
df w
ds N-S mud brick wall in the east, parallel to wall f6. This wall also continues into the northern baulk and A16. 

f 8
df ac
ds accumulation between brickfall f4 and semi-circular wall f11. 

f 9
df ac
ds accumulation to the w of wall f11 and wall f 7. This accumulation has no clear boundary to the south and the east, as it is not certain the extent of wall f11.

f 10
df ts
ds soil on top of wall f12, bounded within the northern baulk of k2.
sg This soil was originally dug as a level step in order to accommodate a marker for triangulation. This baulk was part of the southern slope of the wadi, so it was particularly difficult to easily place a marker there. 
dy After only about 20 cm of digging we found bricks and so we stopped levelling. We decided to continue westwards and then eastwards from the step in order to find the extent of these bricks and create a level surface. 

f 11
df w
ds semi-circular wall in k11 which is in the NW quadrant. This wall has its northernmost extent in the baulk of k11. It has mud plaster on the western face. This wall appears to attach to a N-S wall from A16.

f 12
df w
ds E-W wall in the north baulk of k2. It is a 2 lines wide and only 3 bricks long so far.

f 13
df w
ds two bricks that are found at the same height as f12, but separated by about 25 cm of accumulation. The orientation of the bricks also appears to be different that f13, so they are assigned a different feature number. More will be determined about this feature after more of the baulk is levelled to the east.

f 5
dy this feature was excavated from the top of the feature in the east sloping downwards to the west. Also this feature was cut by the channel of the wadi in the south of k1. Sb was excavating in the south and mentioned that there are many medium-sized pebbles (maybe due to the path of the wadi channel?). The consistency of the matrix is brown earth with reddish brick pieces and ash pockets.

f 14
df ac
ds ac to the south of f11 and eastwards. It is not clear at this point whether this feature is different from f8 in the rest of the square, but it is so far downslope that we have given it a new feature number.

f 15
df ov
ds An andiron found in k11, next to and parallel to f7. It is found within the accumulation f9, which is bounded by wall f11, a semi-circular wall. This andiron appears to be fragmentary, missing one leg of its horseshoe shape. A brick is visible in the center of the object, having fallen inside (maybe from the brickfall which is directly above, from A16k8 f49).

f 6
=l A16f19

f 7
=l A16f20

f 8
>l f14

f 14
<l f8

nl After determining that the matrix and extent of f14 is the same as f8, we closed f14 and included it under the label f8.

.rd L626
.ri okk

-sg Today we will excavate in k1, k11, k4 and possibly k3.

k 1
sg We will continue the first pass at levelling the square, and excavate f5, the accumulation in this locus which contains the vessel and lithic artifact (basalt weight). 
dy After completing the pass at levelling we saw the top of wall f6 continuing to the south. After speaking to gb, we decided to stop excavating in this square until we have levelled k11 and are closer to the same elevation in k11 as in k1.

k 11
sg We will also level in this square, but starting at the southern end of f7, to find its end. 

k 4
sg To level the step in the E to bring the whole square to one level.

k 2
dy Today we opened k 2, digging a topsoil feature. The goal is to level the square and determine the southern extent of the Khabur period structures in this area.

f 7
dy After trying to find the southern end of this wall, we found that there did not seem to be any clear bricks, but instead a type of compacted mud. There is a distinct difference in hardness and compaction between this feature and the accumulation next to it, accumulation f9.

f 16
df ts
;ds topsoil in ks. This covers the whole square, but slopes 30 degrees eastward.

f 17 
df ac
ds accumulation to the west of f6, the N-S wall, and north of three stones set in a line, f18. This accumulation appears to be outside of the building or at least a room. The accumulation is dark grey and loose in consistency. It is looser than the accumulation on the other side of the wall, f5. 

f 18
df w
ds wall? Three stones that form an E-W line and comes up to wall f6. It is unclear whether these stones are part of a wall, but the fact that they form a line appears intentional.

f 20
df ac
ds accumulation in the NE quadrant of K11, which is loose brown earth with more organic material. It appears to be more homogeneous than the feature above it, f8. Further excavation will clarify the extent of their feature.

-sg gb, sb and cc had a discussion about the area this morning. In particular we talked about whether we might expect to find the southern boundary of Khabur or phase 5 settlement. gb considers that it is likely to be somewhere in the southern squares of A16, and that A15 might contain outlying buildings. This is analogous to the small village of Mozan where outside of the main locus of the village there are small storage areas and such. The nature of the settlement here might be of a larger scale than originally anticipated, which is indicated by the recent find of a large platfom in A9 of this period. This platofrm is interpreted as being of a public or civic nature. We might also find phase 4 occupation, probably of the Isin-Larsa period.

.rd L627
.ri okk

k 11
sg To level to the same elevation as in k1.
dy After cleaning in f8 we noticed that there were large chunks of reddish and gray bricks. We now think that we are excavating brickfall rather than accumulation and wadi wash. It is also curious that in the E section, divided by the wadi channel, the southern half appears to consist of ash lenses and gray accumulation. This appears to be localized in the SE corner of the square, although this is not yet entirely clear.

k 2
sg To level to the top of walls f 12 and f 13, seen in N baulk.
dy The tops of more bricks were found, probably the continuation of walls f12 and f13, although there is not yet a clear wall line. There is also the rim of a large vessel.

k 3
sg To continue levelling in topsoil feature.

k 1
dy After having Achmad come over to work with us from A16 we were able to continue excavating in this square, looking for a floor surface.

f 19
df ac
ds soft, grey ashy layer that was the first layer found in k1. Bounded by wall f6 and wall f7.

.rd L628
.ri okk

k 1 
sg continue levelling from W to E in accumulation f21. We are still looking for floor in this area.

k 11 
sg To level to the E in brickfall f23 and f9. To find the bottom of the andiron and wall f11 and any floor surface associated with them. To clarify the face of wall f11.

k 2
sg To level to the surface of walls f12 and 13, to excavate vessel i8 and find a floor surface associated with it.

k 3
sg To find the extent of ac f22, which appears to extend over the northern half of k3. lr suggested that it might be a floor surface as there is a similar surdace in A16k6.

k 12
sg To open this square. The problem here is that this square is the easiest place to bring the wheelbarrows for dirt removal. This is a consideration because if it is not possible to bring the wheelbarrows up to the side of the baulk it would necessitate at least one extra workman to be in a bucket line to bring the dirt from k1, k2 and k11 out to the dirt pile. It makes the most sense to open up this square next as opposed to opening up k13 or k14 because this square is most likely to be part of the same structural and cultural unit as k1, k2 and k11. It is the SE quadrant (oriented N) of a 20 x 20 m area adjacent to the area of Khabur settlement in A16.

f 21
df ac
ds accumulation below f5 in k1. Consists of hard gray matrix with red brick material and ash pockets. There are sherds laying flat in this matrix. This layer is bounded by wall f6, the north baulk and wall f7 and appears to be cut by the gully in the south.

f 22
df ac
ds accumulation in k3, below the topsoil feature. There only appears to be a small remainder of this feature in the NE quadrant near to the baulk. This is a hard red matrix with large chunks of calcium carbonate. It sits on top of f25. 

f 23
df bf
ds brickfall under f8 in k11. As we dug further in k11, it became clear that we were digging in brickfall as the size and frequency of bricks increased.

f 24
df ac
ds accumulation in SE quadrant of k11 - continuing into the S and E baulk. This feature is composed of many layers; accumulation then ash lenses, then new accumulation layers. These layers were not sufficiently clear as they were excavated for two reasons: a) because they appear to be localised to about a 1 m by a .5 m area in the corner of the square and b) they are cut by the southern slope of the wadi.

f 25
df ts
ds topsoil in k13. This square slopes at about 20 degrees eastward.

f 27
df bn
ds cement bin? Shallow bin in the SE quadrant of k11. It is a shallow bin made of a very hard material like cement. f24 appears to be contained within it.

k 1
dy Achmad worked in this area today. He began levelling from W to E and found a beaten earth floor about halfway across the square, extending over the eastern half of the square.

f 26
ds This floor is cut by the wadi bed in the south. At the same height as the floor in the wadi channel was found a rusted can, indicating that we haven't yet reached a level of undisturbed ancient accumulation.