.bk A15
.fl N822jw.j
.fd daily journal for N822
.ri jw
.rd N822
.ed N822
.ei jw

-wk of the regularly assigned workmen, Adil and Ju'an did not report.  A15 supplied replacements. Muhammad Kher excused by gb at 1200 and departed.  Ramadan, Ibrahim and Abd el-Hamid departed at 1200 for prayers and meditation.

-dy the fast pace of work in a confined area continued.  gb, ms and jw discussed the probable phasing of the platform and its floor in k4, agreeing that it was almost surely Phase 3 architecture which covered Phase 2 walls and floors associated most likely with the formal palace entrance.  We began to completely remove the platform and leveled and scraped the area to the north between the platform and the accumulation above the floor south of the massive fallen wall in k2.  This revealed a large floor of unbaked brick.  In the accumulation above this floor was an impression of an Uqnitum seal, indicating that the floor is more than likely associated with Phase 2.  We began to explore the area to the west of the platform where we encountered a N-S line of deeply founded stones.  To the north of the platform we began to excavate accumulations beneath the later sherd streets that we removed yesterday.  Several excellent seal impressions were found here and we contined to define the west face of the adjacent N-S wall that forms part of the Phase 3 room, a36.  In k93, we continued to try to determine the organization of deeply founded stones separated by a gap that could be wall damage caused by the digging of a later phase pit.  In k2 we contined to explore for the Phase 2 floor which we have always expected to find under the brickfall.  Today, near the damaged wall where the tablet was found yesterday, we found portions of what had been a finished floor.

-sg now that we are relatively confident that we have two Phase 2 floors, we must explore the extent of the brick floor to the south and east.  In particular, we must try to find and identify the walls that bound that surface.  To that end we will continue to remove the remnants of the platform f214.  Beyond these anticipated boundaries, we need to resolve the ambiguities presented by the presence of grouped and scattered stones, some of which may be wall tops and others that may be reuse of robbed Phase 2 stones in later phases.  The biggest dilemmas are to the south and east of the platform.  We will make a final determination as to whether the stones comprising platform f208 are deeply founded, and if not we will remove them.

k 2
dy Muhammad Kher 1 began to excavate accumulation f553, which we assumed must overlay the Phase 2 floor in that space because we found the tablet with the wall plans at the edge of it.  Near the tablet findspot we found about a 1 sq meter patch of highly compacted or plastered floor surface f554 just under f553.  A number of possible seal impressions were found in the SW corner of the locus and are being cleaned and analyzed.

k 93
dy Ramadan continued to excavate an exploratory trench f549 to the south of the E-W line of large stones f537.  He on the north side of the trench he found that only the westernmost two are deeply founded, and we concluded that the others, some of which are quite large, had been robbed and reused in a later phase.  On the south side of the trench, he found another deeply founded stone in a N-S line with the ones on the north side.  In the process of cutting a section on the east face, he verified that the brick floor f558 discovered in k3 extended at least that far to the west.
sg we will continue digging down for at least 10cm to ascertain whether the middle "gap' was occasioned by robbing or represents a doorway.

k 3
dy Stef and Sa'ud cleared all the locus of accumulation f558 to the same level, except where the burial interferred.  After scraping and brushing, we began to see an extensive patch of bricks f558 laid horizontally, almost certainly a Phase 2 floor linked to the floor f554 west of wall f528 in k2.  One seal impression, which gb identified as being that of queen Uqnitum, was found in f558, leading to the conclusion that the floor f558 was associated with Phase 2.  After flp drew the skeleton, Stef removed the human remains i295 that were part of a40.

k 4
dy Ahmed and Mizar removed the lowest floor surface f533 enclosed by the walls of platform f214 and began to excavate the underlying packing f506 and fill f507 below it.  Mizar expanded the excavation to the west into k94, digging as far as a large stone that looks to be in line with those being identified in k93.  In the process he removed a small platform of unfounded stones f556 and the accumulation below f557.  Upon reaching the same level as f533, it appears to continue south to the large stone, perhaps providing some evidence that the Phase 2 brick floor below is similarly bounded.  With respect to the E-W line of stones on the south side, all appear to be deeply founded.  However, there is a gap that is filled with baked bricks.  The N-S wall on the east side seems to be made of mortar, a few baked bricks and unfounded large stones.
sg tomorrow, after removing overlying floors and packing, we will continue to carefully follow floor f558 to the south, east and west. There are indications that we are at the very top of these bricks.

k 13
dy Yestafad and Muhammad Kher 2 excavated accumulation f551, which lay below several levels of sherd pavements.  Copious amounts of pottery and three clear seal impressions were recovered.  At the same time, we continued to explore the southern extent of the wall foundation f544.  It seems likely to be associated with wall f520. To the south we are seeking to determine whether the stone and sherd work surface f208 is deeply founded.  If not it is likely to be no earlier than Phase 2 and will be removed.
sg tomorrow we will continue to excavate here to determine the extent of floor f557.  We expect to reach packing f505 and and fill f507 which can be seen in section and overlays f557 to the south.

f 549
df a
ds accumulation in a trench in the in the middle of k93 dug to explore whether large stones on the north side, f537, are deeply founded and are therefore likely to be part of the Phase 2 architecture.  We occasionally see signs of a pit cut, which may have been used to rob Phase 2 wall stones.
tc co f565

f 550
df w
ds E-W line of large dressed stones under the loosly laid top stones forming the south wall of platform f214 in k4.

f 214
tc co f550

f 551
df pc
ds hard-packed surface in k4 under sherd pavement f545 bounded on the east by wall f520 and on the west by the east face of platform f214.

f 552
df a
ds brownish red accumulation in k3 under the more gray accumulation f502.  It is similar in color to the clean fill f507 seen further to the south.

f 553
df a
ds brownish accumulation under f546 in k2.  It is very hard and contains few sherds.  On the other hand, it has yielded a number of seal impressions.  Part of a plaster floor f554 was found directly underneath, near the place where a tablet containing a diagram of a section of the building was found. gb believes that it was more than likely formed by material deposited after it ceased being cleaned for palace functions.
tc co f554

f 554
df fa
ds Strong-brown plaster floor extending to the west of structural wall f526 in k2. With brick floor f535, it forms the floor of room a38, anteroom to the palace formal courtyard.
nv Floor f554 and the surface f535 (the floor of room a38) are at the same elevation, 8542. One would have stepped down from the brick paving of room a41, f558, to enter room a38.

f 555
df a
ds Brown surface accumulation in k94 found to the west of the west boundary of platform f214.  It is very likely equal to accumulation f533 found immediately to the east but within the nominal boundaries of f214.
tc co f556

f 556
df st-is
ds Approximately 1.2 meter square formed of melon-sized stones flattened on the top in k94.  They were laid upon f557 and were not deeply founded.
tc co f557
P1 removed N822

f 557
df a
ds Yellowish-brown accumulation under f556 stones in k94.

f 558
df fa
ds Floor of unbaked mudbricks in k3 and k93 that forms the floor for room a41. Most likely linked to the plaster floor f554 in k2 by a shallow step which may have had a plaster face.
;tc co f570

i 321
df t
ds matchbox-sized tablet containing a diagram of the walls of a building, presumably the Phase 2 palace.
cn broken into at least the 4 pieces which have been recovered and being restored by the conservator.
in 20	edge	ESE
or ESE	edge
ro 6	complete break with fragments nearby