.bk A15
.fl L709okk.j
.fd field journal edited by okk
.ed L709
.ei okk
.rd L628
.ri okk

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

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.ri sb

f 26
df f
ds floor in E half of k1. The floor is of beaten earth, fragmentary. There are heavy traces of burning against the E baulk. Many flat large sherds belonging to the same bowl (seems to be the same as bowl i.8 in k2) are laying flat near the N baulk, at center. Also one whole neck of jar.

f 9
dy It is confirmed as a separate accumulation because we found today (cc) that the round mud wall f11 continues towards mud wall f7. We see the plaster line from the top. We see the end of wall f7 toward the south, we accidentally cut the last 15 cm of it, can see plaster edge in the plan. A few centimeters south there is a strange installation, large as a brick, defined only by the the surrounding thick mortar line. It was excavated yesterday by Achmad, gb suggested it could be a small bin but it doesn't appear to be one.

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.ri okk

k 2
sg To clarify wall f31, particularly its southern face. To finish the excavation of about 5 cm of accumulation in f16, in the N baulk of k2.
dy Ramadan excavated in the ac south of wall f31. He found that there was a layer of hard red matrix with small white chunks (calcium carbonate?) that appears to be the same as in k3, f28.

k 11
sg To excavate the remainder of ac f23 in the NE quadrant. We also need to draw the section so that we might excavate to find a wall in the N section.
dy We completed levelling in f23 in k11. Looking at the basin and the E section clarified a few things today; we now see a small remnant of a floor f39 which comes up to the lip of basin f24.

k 12
sg We will begin excavation in this square after laying an extra meter from the N baulk to create a 2m baulk for wheelbarrow access.
dy We opened the square and went down in topsoil f35 in 15 cm pick runs. This square also slopes eastward about 20 degrees.

k 13
sg To continue excavation in this square and clarify the nature of f33, an accumulation layer with bricks.
dy After finding brickfall in the E 1/3 of the square, we used the small pick and trowel to define the extent of brickfall f38.

k 1
dy We decided to excavate the ac in the N baulk and into A16 as it is the northern part of a single room, a2. Hussein excavated about 10 cm until the wall face, leaving a few centimeters of ac in order to preserve the white plaster on the wall face. Faris then excavated near to the eastern wall f7, looking for a clear wall line and face. It now appears that the wall f7 may not be complete, but instead may have a break which could be a doorway.

k 3
dy We excavated another pass of accumulation in f34 today and found nothing else of significance. 

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k 1
dy We started digging the N baulk and taking over in A16 to fully excavate the room we share. The accumulation in the room is still f5 as it was in k1 although it is much higher, stepping up towards the N wall of the room running E-W.  The E-W wall in new f37=A16f18, the N-S wall(W)f6 =A16f19, and the N-S wall(E)f7 =A16f20.  f18, f19, f20 = A16a3.  We have taken relays from A16 for this part of the room.  

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.ri cc

a 1
ns This morning Marilyn said that the vessel in the andiron room (a1) would be of the early Khabur phase. We know this because of the typology of the khabur vessels; the rim and neck are painted solid (in our case) or with 2 parallel bands of triangles belong to the earlier khabur period, while the vessels with simpler painted bands are a later Khabur period.

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k 100
dy the large jar i10 is broken, upside down as the incised decoration at the bottom suggests. Such decoration is never at the bottom of a jar. So the jar has been reused although broken, and was embedded in the niche. It is possible that in the first use of this room, the room's walls and the niche were plastered, and that in a second time this jar was inserted in the niche, blocked with bricks, and the brick was replastered.

sg We have to find the face looking E of the wall f7, which is still hidden under brickfall. This is behind the andiron.

k 3
sg gb came here this morning, and said that we should dig the soft accumulation on the S-W of the locus, f45 since it is certainly gully wash. Because this pottery is so mixed and of a large quantity, we will count it, keep the diagnostic sherds and then throw the body sherds back into the backdirt.

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k 100
dy gb is saying that in k100, the NE part behind the andiron, and next to the wall f7 may not be a wall as expected. We don't see clear bricks but a mortar line.
sg gb suggests to remove part of the baulk, to see the relationship with the possible wall.
ns The house in k1 is the latest phase, phase b, and there is no phase c. The doorway is clear, but we don't know if it is a connection between 2 rooms or between our side and inside.

a 1
H3 Castelleti's suggestion for the andiron bin is that it looks like a fuller installation, because of the large quantity of ashes which are used elsewhere to whiten clothes. The andiron would have provided the hot water and ashes, the other cement-like basin, f26, would be to rinse. This should be linked to a cistern and drains, which seem to exist in A16. Castelleti said that the basin could have been for rinsing and scrubbing the clothes. Since it is waterproof and quite smooth - so the andiron bin could have been a storage place for ashes. Maybe the ashes are from burnt straw. We should see if under the andiron there is an ash layer. The fact that some nice ceramics were found here could be explained: after the bin was not used any more for ash deposit, they used as storage for nice, but damaged pieces, even the andiron itself. 

k 12
dy the E-W wall is not defined, there are only a few horizontal bricks. gb suggested a vertical cut to see better.
sg gb and fab agreed, said to remove the E baulk of k3. We will take a picture at 6:30 pm of E face of baulk with string. Print the photos, Dennis will draw the template by hand, then remove the baulks in k2 and k3.

-sg in A16 there are no baulks, it's all phase b. We could do the same, expose all phase b, then photograph and remove. 

a 10
ns the bed of the wadi could have been the boundaries of phase 4. Phase 4 is the grey accumulation on top of red ac (phase 3) which is cut by pits of phase 5.

k 3
dy notes on pottery from f45. 213 diagnostic sherds (3 bags) q126, q133, q134. Discarded 663 body sherds. 

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k 14
dy in k14 we dug down of 20-40 cm to remove all the soft soil until we reached the hard ac which is the same of k13 and k3, the bed of the wadi. The wadi bed seems oriented from ESE to WNW. gb thinks that the wadi path was formed following the line of the palace wall, and the below the ac in k3 there may be the continuation of the palace wall.

k 12
dy In k12 we went down on f55(ac next to wall) and found to the E border of the locus. A possible line of brick aligned N-S, reddish and a floor, of beaten earth, very hard. There is a large flat stone w/hole and many pebbles. To the W of the stone a possible drain running N-S, that goes towards k-11. okk suggested a link between the bricks in k12 and the hard basin in k11. Found traces of burnt brick in k12, same as in k11.

k 11
dy removed the N baulk. 
ac A portion of the wall behind the andiron has fallen down from the weight of the shovels.

k 100
dy in the NE part Faris has finished digging. gb came and said he is as baffled as we are. In the NW part, near the large jar we found i17, a clay artifact, a kind of mushroom shape. Also, more flat bricks and a mud platform along the wall.