.bk A15
.fl N818jw.j
.fd daily journal for N818
.ri jw
.rd N818
.ed N818
.ei jw

-wk Sultan, Ju'an, Ibrahim, Khalid, Ahmed, Sheikh and Muhammad were detailed to us from A14.  They comprise 4 pickmen, one shovel person and two spoils removers.  They were put to work in k3 and k2.

-dy today was an active one in k5, k15, k14, k2, k3, and k93.  Our overall goal was to begin to clarify the separation between Phase 3 and Phase 2 architecture, since it is beginning to appear as if the people in Phase 3 either partially maintained the Simple Ware tradition or re-used the inventory left over from Phase 2.  Comparing the excavations in k2 and in k14, it appears as if the Phase 3 walls were either brick or pise founded on small stones and sherds and coated with red plaster, while Phase 2 walls were a combination of a lower section of large stones topped by courses of red mudbrick.  We found the east face of N-S wall f520.  It was damaged by pits and to some degree by excavators unaware of its composition who were looking for bricks.  A line of red plaster clearly defines the east face.  In k3 and k93 we excavated gray and red accumulation in an attempt to clarify the Phase 2 architecture there which had been severely damaged by reuse in later phases.  In k2, we began to seek a Phase 2 floor which we could expect to lie to the south of wall f492/f494, whose stones were clearly coated with plaster having a white surface.  Not only did we see about 20 cm of this plaster on the west face of the N-S wall, we also appear to see the intersecting north face of an adjoining E-W wall.  In addition, they appear to contain a grayer accumulation.  In k14 we continued to excavate the accumulation f518 within a room enclosed by walls on three sides.

-sg gb, ms and jw met several times during the day to refine the work plan for the next several days. It is most important to establish a firm link between what has already been excavated and confirmed to be part of the Phase 2 palace and the architecture we are finding in A15.  The most likely place to resolve the issue in the time that remains is in k2.  Wall 492/494 has a vertical plaster face and is most likely associated with an E-W wall which joins it on the south. The space bounded by these walls must have an associated floor, which can provide the information we seek.  In addition we need to try to resolve the issue of whether the wall f214 and the stone and sherd path immediately to the east are Phase 4 or Phase 3.  By removing the wall and clearing the area of debris, we should be able to better understand the sequence of occupation here.  We will photograph f214 from above, overlaying the picture on an AutoCAD plot and using Feehand to make the final drawing.

k 15
dy Ramadan and Muhammed Kher leveled and scraped the accumulation f509 throughout the entire locus, which contained relatively large quantities of sherds.  In doing so they positively identified the east face of the N-S wall f508, which was cut by a succession of pits.  Upon scraping after the last pick run, we noticed a N-S line of bright red plaster f527 which demarked the east face.  The color of the plaster was similar to that which coated E-W wall f483 in k13.  At the end of the day we finished excavating here for the MZ16 season, forgoing the opportunity to reach the associated floor this year.  With regards to the red line, jw noticed a 20cm segment of it several days ago, but attempts to trace it further were fruitless.

k 14
dy Muhammad Hair and Sa'ud continued to remove accumulation f518 from the space bounded by walls on the north, south and west sides.  Today the accumlation became noticeably harder and filled with more ashy deposits.  It is difficult to predict when the associated floor will be reached.  At the end of the day, a line of flat stones f526, about 110 cm long, was uncovered just inside the east face of N-S wall f520.

k 93
dy Sultan and Ju'an from A14 excavated accumulation f522 which surrounds the well.  It seemed very red and granular, which is typical of floors and subfloors, none of which could be identified.  A number of large, flat stones were uncovered, but they were not organized horizontally or vertically.

k 3
dy Ibrahim and Khalid from A14 excavated the accumulation f510 south of wall f520.  On the second pick run, a more reddish accumulation f524 was encountered.  The foundation for the NW corner of wall f520 was reached.  Human remains, i295, were discovered in pit fill f525 in the NW corner of the locus.

k 2
dy Stef continued to remove the plaster coating, i279, from the face of the fallen wall f489.  It will take less than a day to finish this task.  Sultan excavated accumulation f517 east towards the west face of N-S wall f528 (f492/f494), which had a plaster coating f529 on its vertical face that was similar to i279.  On the last pick run he discovered a line of plaster perpendicular to the one on the N-S wall, clear evidence that a room bounded by walls on the south and east sides lies under the fallen wall f489 and occupies most of the locus.

f 522
df a

f 523
df a

f 524
df a

f 525
df fi

f 526
df pb

f 527
df pa

f 528
df w

f 529
df wf