; File processed on 2025-10-01 ; A15-daily -inc 2001-07-13_L818okk.j sb Today we are putting relay tags on the ground to relay all structures. We already have the plot of the locus, although 3 baulk corners need to be retaken (the elevation of one of the markers was wrong). -inc 2001-08-29_L829jlw2.j jlw 1 pick and 1 in support for the work today -inc 2001-09-02_L902jlw.j jlw began to wrap up loose ends of A15 south. Things to be done include preparation of templates and completion of the view log. -inc 2001-09-05_L905jlw.j jlw continued to work on preparing view descriptions for kiln photographs. -inc 2001-09-06_L906jlw.j jlw did minor trim and cleanup work at the site. -inc 2001-09-13_L913jlw.j jlw spent the last several days cross-checking features and feature descriptions to assure that the global record will be complete. This journal contains descriptions for 4 additional features that arose out of that review. -inc 2002-10-07_Mx07jw.j jw in a continuing review of the documentation available at Tell Mozan that may assist in the compilation of the A15 global record, jw found sketches that had not been scanned. Ten sketches from MZ14 were assembled, uniformly numbered, and scanned into the record (W15a). -inc 2003-07-20_N720MS.j ms got two new shovelmen, Jawan and Muhammad. Continued going down in all loci. -inc 2003-07-21_N721MS.j ms No specific new strategy. Continue going down in all loci as yesterday. We have 3 less workmen, Faris, Suleiman and Muhammad H all went to Qatna with the Germans. There may also be a problem with the relays of some to the q-lots because there was a lot of activity and lf and ii got a little behind and confused. Will continue looking a MZ14 books to find correlation of features still extant. -inc 2003-07-23_N723MS.j ms continue as usual going down in all loci. bwp gave us new points -inc 2003-07-27_N727MS.j ms two new dirt removers. Continue large scale dirt removal. Had conversation with mkb about connections between stone platforms, sherd floors, pebble streets of MZ14 and current a34 and w f413. She suggested jo do a sketch of this. -inc 2003-07-28_N728MS.j ms meeting with gb, fab, mkb, jo, jw, ms. Continue with trench in k15 but also dig across in levels which will have different feature numbers. Continue removing kiln waste in k13, k14. Keep looking for transition with ph5, ph4 and ph3. Discussion about phases. k5 a34 is ph3, k15 is ph4 and k14 and k13 is currently ph5 material coming down right onto ph3, most likely. Primary concern is still how the kiln waste and kilns were cut, into what were they cut and where are the relationships now. We are getting close to this area now so are paying particular attention in k14 and k13. -inc 2003-07-29_N729MS.j ms ms spent much of the day drawing section of n baulk of k13 and k13 prior to tearing it down. Muhammad Omo assemble protection for a34 in k5. We covered it with bags of dirt, then built up the perimeter with cement blocks. Then put a layer of poles across the blocks and covered it all with a sheet of hard plastic. This should protect the jars during baulk removal. -inc 2003-07-30_N730ms.j ms we took down the e baulk of k5 and the n baulk of k13 and k3. We used all the workmen of A15, A12 and A14. ms went to the house at 8am and spent the rest of the day doing work on the computer. -inc 2003-07-31_N731MS.j ms each morning will will uncover the jar installation, a34 so that the photographer can document how we are coming down in k15 and uncovering the room on that side, we hope. ms mapped more of A15 to include old installations of MZ14. Began laying out squares to ne, A17. -inc 2003-08-03_N803MS.j ms meeting with gb, fab, jo, jw, ms to discuss the overall layout of the area and what we have after recent excavations. We have uncovered a stone/sherd pavement, f467 in k13, which seems to be at the same level as the street and the other stone/sherd pavement, f208. There is red bricky material seen in section in the baulk which is very similar to the melted red brick feature n of the baulk in k2, f476. The new stone pavement may represent ph3. We do not seem to have any ph4 in this area. The red brick material in section of a30, the kiln, may be a wall or not. There are alrge stones at the ne corner of k3 which go into the baulk. These may be froundation ston for a wall. They seem to be in line also with possible wall, f471 in k13. Ph4 is well documented in k15. -inc 2003-08-04_N804MS.j ms keep going down in all areas including new excavations in k2. -inc 2003-08-06_N806MS.j ms we took overhead photos towards the end of the day so work stopped early to clean the area. -inc 2003-08-07_N808MS.j ms ms spent most of the day in the house. Bruna Mariani, bM, will join the A15 team in the mornings, from 5-9. Stopped work at 12:15 because today is payday. -inc 2003-08-11_N811jw.j jw work in k15, k14, k13 and k3 continued from the previous day. The baulk between A15k12 and A17k2 needs to be removed to test the hypothesis that there is evidence for a Phase 5d Khabur settlement in A17. -inc 2003-08-12_N812jw.j jw work continued in k2, k12, k14 and k15 from the provious day. Except for the work in k12, we are removing accumulations atop what we believe to be Phase 3 and Phase 3 uses of the palace. Accumulations in k14 and k15 have been either bounded or capped, so the pottery is being carefully segregated and analyzed. In k2, we are clearing debris and surface accumulations from a floor which was made from the dense reddish brown clay commonly found in roofed palace rooms that have previously been excavated. -inc 2003-08-13_N813jw.j jw we began to systematically remove measured and numbered pieces of the possible plaster face of what we beleive to be a fallen wall f489 in k2. There, we also continued to remove accumulation f501 to the south of the brick wall face f489. In k3 we continued to clear the earlier floors of recent debris f510. We continued to excavate accumulation f486 from room a36 in k14 and clear the accumulation f491 in k15 which we hypothesize overlays jars similar to those of a34 in k5. In k12 we removed wall f42 and contined to remove the north baulk. gg photographed the southern part of the area with a camera attached to an overhead wire. -inc 2003-08-14_N815jw2.j jw work continued in all active loci as before. We accelerated the pace in k15 by assigning a pickman trainee. In k14, we contined to excavate carefully because the accumulation f486 has a good chance of being that atop a Phase 2 floor. We finished removing the E baulk of k12 and the workmen returned to excavating A17k2 adjacent to the north. We put our two best pickmen on the project in k2 to remove the plaster surface from fallen wall f489. -inc 2003-08-16_N816jw2.j jw work continued in k2, k14, and k15. In k2, we finished identifying which sectors of f489 had the plaster coating and removed three to the conservation laboratory for cleaning. In k14, three pickmen worked to excavate f486 more quickly. In k15 we identified a wall that possibly bounded the room on the east where the large storage jars were found in k5 to the west. -inc 2003-08-17_N817jw.j jw work continued in k2, k14, and k15. In k2 we removed more sectors of fallen wall 489 which appear to have a plaster surface. In k14, we continued to excavate the possible Phase 2 room, but we changed feature numbers of accumulations above the anticipated floor due to the fact that it became cleaner and contained more whole ceramic vessels and fewer sherds. We also found the east face of the the N-S companion to wall f483, which bounds the room to the north. In k15, we removed the last remnants of the fill of a deep, late phase pit, and began to excavate the accumulation f521 which is bounded to the east by wall f508 and which is expected to overlay additional component jars to those in a34, just to the west. Worked in the afternoon with a six-man crew to finish this task. We continued to remove the accumulation to the east of wall f508, which is relatively soft compared to f521. In the early morning we deployed the train crew to assist Muhammad Omo in building a berm to the east of A15 to keep winter rains from washing over the east baulk and down into the deep excavation. -inc 2003-08-18_N818jw.j jw 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. -inc 2003-08-18_N818MS.j ms removed jars from installation a34 -inc 2003-08-19_N819jw.j jw this was a busy day in all loci except k1, k11 and k12. We cleaned for an important series of photographs that documented the completion of most of the excavation in k15, k14, and k13. Also we took overhead photos by wire of the wall f214 to be used in an experiment to draw directly from a photograph registered to the grid with AutoCAD using Freehand. We removed a number of additional jars of the a34 collection in k5. We reached the floor f534 in k14 and we feel certain that, along with walls f457, f483, and f520 they define a room a36 that was in use in either Phase 3 or Phase 2 or both. We began to remove wall f214 in k4 and hope to finish it tomorrow. In k3 we removed more of the debris surrounding the burial a37. We took overhead photos of the remains i295 superimposed on a provenience square so that it can be drawn later using Freehand. In k2 we finished removing the plaster coating i479 on the fallen wall face f489 and began excavating the accumulation f532 below, which is probably the debris from brickwork behind the face. We also found what may be a floor f535 which goes with wall f528 and wall f536 (a38). jw took a series of elevations to assist in anticipating the levels of floors in various phases of architicture that we are excavating. -inc 2003-08-20_N820jw.j jw today we finished excavating the room a36 in k14, having reached a serviceable floor. In k5, we tentatively finished excavating the room a39 in k5, having located the south, east and west boundary walls as well as a stone threshold on the north side. No floor surface was reached, but we stopped at the elevation where last of the cache of jars a34 was located. In k4, we excavated around and within the space enclosed by the walls of platform f214. There was no discernable west wall, the north wall appears to be made of mudbrick, the south wall appears to be made of stone founded on dirt, and the east wall apperars to be made of stone, founded on large stones. -inc 2003-08-21_N821jw.j jw the day was incredibly busy, as we attempted to identify and clarify the locations of stone founded Phase 2 and Phase 3 walls amid the debris from weathering, re-use and pit intrusion. We began to remove platform f214 which is the focus of our attention. We removed sherd streets which lay to the east and south of the platform. We excavated the material contained by the north, east and south walls, reaching the level of a floor comprised of several baked bricks laid on crumbly red packing. We removed the north wall which was made of inferior bricky material overlaid upon sherds. In the interior, we reached lines of large stones underneath the surface cover on the east and south sides. Clearly they demark the SE corner of a room and the fact that the baked bricks are at the same elevation as the floor of room a35 probably links the two. We excavated in the NE corner of k3 to look for wall foundations/stone components. We found what appears to be the corner stones for f520 and the west end of E-W wall f547, whose deteriorated brick top we had seen in section in the N baulk. We contined to excavate the accumlation under the wall fall in k2. Among the significant finds were a fish carved from bone and a tablet containing a floor plan, probably for part of the palace. We continued to probe the NW corner of k93 to see if the line of stones f537 was founded and if so, what the relationship with the wall system might be. -inc 2003-08-22_N822jw.j jw 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. -inc 2003-08-23_N823jw.j jw today we focused on finding the extent and the boundaries of the brick pavement f558 discovered yesterday in k3. To that end we continued to remove the remnants of later phase platforms f214 and f208, as well as the accumulations between the east side of platform f214 and the west face and foundation of wall f520. We also removed the east "wall" of the platform. As we excavated in the area to the east of platform we discovered foundation stones for another wall underneath and aligned more easterly than the foundation stones for f520. In k4 we removed several large stones that overlaid part of the burial a40 and removed the rest of the human remains. An intact Khabur pot was found in a corner that had been covered by the stone. In k3 we continued to excavate the accumulation that overlays the damaged plaster floor of room a41. In k94 we continued to search for the foundation stones for walls on the north edge of the locus. At the end of the day we began to clear accumulation away from the large collection of stones in the southern part of k4. A small workforce under the direction of Muhammad Omo will continue to clean and remove debris from atop those stones. In addition, they will remove the chuwals that served as steps for removing dirt as well as the spoils from the last half hour of excavation today. -inc 2003-08-24_N824jw.j jw today the work focused on clarifying several remaining issues. First, we cleared several small patches of accumulation from the edges of the brick pavement f558. Next we excavated west of N-S wall f520 to trace its foundations and determine its relationship with the offset line of stones f539 directly below. As we moved north, we explored for the next lowest layer of stones on the east side of E-W wall f550, whose top stones had apparently been robbed in antiquity. We found that the bottom stones of f550 abutted the offset line of stones. We also needed to find the southern face of wall f550, the north face having already been found during the removal of platform f214. Careful cleaning revealed that f550 is approximately 180cm wide. We finished clearing the accumulation f553 from the floor of a41 and explored the eastern extent of wall f528 as seen against the north baulk of k13 and k3. We also removed two unfounded stone strucures, f568 and f569. This afternoon Muhammad Omo supervised a crew that removed the large unfounded stones of f537, which were an obvious later Phase addition. -inc 2003-08-25_N825jw2.j jw Ken Garrett, the photographer for NG was on hand to take a series of pictures of the jar cache, a34. Muhammad Kher 1 exposed a patch of fist-sized pebbles f574 in k3 that may be the southern passage between N-S wall f528 in k2 and a possible northward extension of N-S wall f520. Masaud exposed a platform f575 made of large flattened stones that do not seem to be founded. The other workmen thoroughly cleaned all loci, including k12 and k11, in preparation for a series of photographs that will continue for about a week. -inc 2003-08-26_N825jw2.j jw ms and jw worked at home to finish the stratigraphic assignment of all features before ms departed for the US at 0730. gb reviewed it with jw and approved it with minor changes in phase assignments. Stef misunderstood some preliminary instructions about when to remove the accumulation surrounding the plaster face of N-S wall f528 in k2. (It was a project that was being saved for real-time photography.) He performed the task during the period when ms and jw were not at the site. He recovered two seal impressions, i338 and i339. Fortunately, sb was nearby and she assured that relays were taken and that the objects were immediately brought to the house to be processed. -inc 2004-08-17_O817jw.j jw jw described two features, f214 and f426, whose q-lots are being analyzed in connection with the visit of Dr. Hans-Peter Uerpmann, a paleozoologist, who is studying selected animal bone lots to determine the environment and living conditions during the time the palace was occupied until the tell was abandoned. Specifically, he is looking at what animals were present and how they were used during different phases. Included in this is a search for evidence of when the horse appeared at at Mozan, the bones of which were found in lots associated with these features (which were not described in MZ14 or MZ16.) mkb is analyzing the pottery from these features to determine their phase. Also, jw described a fragment of a zoomorphic vessel. Finally lr, in her comprehensive review of skeletal remains found one lot, previously thought to contain human bones, consisted entirely of animal bones. It will be re-labeled and returned to proper storage. -inc 2004-08-18_O818jw.j jw mkb analyzed the pottery from features 214 and 426, in which Prof. Uerpmann found horse bones. Both had sherds that were tentatively associated with Phase 3. -inc 2002-10-09_ZH823jW.j jw took hardness measurements with a soil penetrometer on elements of the platform in k12 and k13 that were south of the kilns, a30 and a31. At the end of last season, it was postulated that the hard, dense material along the north and west edges was either clay in a varigation tank or was alkaline kiln ash that had been dumped near the kiln. However, observation this year (2002), after weathering, lead to a different conclusion. Now, it appears as if the platform may be the northwestern corner of a room of a building whose walls had been constructed of pise and mudbrick. There is a sharp contrast between the hard outer material (which has linear interior edges) and the soft accumulation contained within. Also, there is a patch of very soft, fine ashy material in the SW corner, which may be the fill of a pit that was dug into the accumulation. The pise walls are a minimum of 30cm thick (the outside edges had been cut during excavation) and appear to be founded on a floor surface, the details of which may be revealed by analysis of the ceramics conained within the accumulation. ; A15-equipment -inc 2001-07-28_L812jlw1.j jlw train installed to remove backdirt from k15 and k5 as well as other nearby A15 worksites. -inc 2003-08-25_N825ms.j ms all feature and object colors have been done using the 2000 edition of the Munsell color chart. ; A15-introduction -inc 2001-06-23_L629OKK.J okk 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. -inc 2003-07-19_N719MS.j ms this week we will continue trying to understand the relationships among all the structures, as well as continue to go down in k13 and k14 to find the end of the kiln deposit f373. We got two more workmen, Nasm and Masood, who can be used as pickmen if necessary. Started Harris matrix for k13 and k14. ; A15-labeling -inc 2001-06-23_L629OKK.J okk 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. -inc 2001-07-30_L730okk1.j okk After the removal of baulks and the addition of the southern squares k5,k15 there is very little access between the northern area and the southern area. So we have decided that sb will start with a separate set of pottery q-lot numbers so that it won't be so difficult to manage. She will start with q1000. Currently southern A15 is in the 500 sequence, and Jim started at q600, so there will likely be gaps between the pottery lots. -inc 2001-09-15_L915okk2.j okk Due to a miscommunication with yt, there was an overlapping of the drawing numbering sequence. The number of the file label of a few of the files will not correspond with the number written on the scan. The following is a list of the changes. A15w16 was changed from A15w5; A15w17 was changed from A15w6; A15w18 was changed from A15w4; A15w19 was changed from A15w14. ; A15-marker -inc 2003-08-25_N825jw2.j jw a makeup crew, sufficient to run the train and perform minor excavation, was assigned. ms worked at home much of the day to finish parts of the project for which she was responsible. -inc 2003-08-26_N825jw2.j jw a small number of workmen were detailed for further cleanup under the general direction of Muhammad Omo. ; A15-methods and techniques -inc 2001-08-26_L826okk1.j okk Notes on collection of pottery and samples; particularly for features 41, 103, 167. In all cases of stratified material we directed the workmen to collect all pottery and samples. The only cases where we did an initial sorting of pottery in the field were features from the gully or wadi wash, and in some cases topsoil. In these cases the manpower it would take to process such a large amount of sherds (in wadi wash, as much as 6-8 times the quantity of an accumulation feature) was weighed against the value of the information from such a study. In the case of wadi wash it is such an inherently mixed feature that the stratigraphic value of the information is quite small. Still, we know the quantity of body sherds and have kept diagnostics: rim sherds, bases, handles, spouts or other applied parts, and incised or painted wares. Regarding the collection of samples, particularly kiln waste, we collected small quantities of kiln waste as q-items or lots, and to some degree the collection practice varied with context. If it appeared to be a feature which was not associated with any structures and the material was spread out homogeneously we kept a representative sample. In the case of the features 41, 103, 167 there was such large quantities of kiln waste and overfired brick pieces that we kept a representative sample of these from each feature, usually one full bag. All of these features were accumulations with no clear association with structures. Misfired sherds or "kiln wasters" would usually have gone into the pottery q-lots and then processed by the sherd yard. In a few cases where they were identified immediately we kept them as q-items. An item of note; there has been some confusion about what to call kiln waste, as it has been called alternatively slag or kiln waste. In addition, there was often no clear differentiation between "kiln waste" and "kiln waster". After the first week or two of excavation we determined that slag was incorrect as it refers specifically to the by-product of metal production, and is a mix of metal and surrounding components. To distinguish it, it is usually quite small pieces, is heavy and black or dark grey in color (yt). We have been calling kiln waste two different items which are both by-products of ceramic production; the first, green vitrified globules, and the second, dark grey-green chunks with air bubbles and calcium carbonate which look similar to basalt. The distinction between these two is that the green vitrified globules are usually light green in color and seem to be melted from over-fired ceramic sherds. This is based on a sherd that we found this season, which had large melted drops of this green material melting from the sherd. Also in the kilns this year there is a dark green vitrified material that is from the high temperature firing of the soil. The second material is the result of the earth around a kiln being fired and is usually dark grey in color. One of the verifications of this is the large pieces of calcium carbonate in this material which is found in large quantity in the local soil. In addition, yt identified some important items to collect, particularly any evidence of kiln wasters or misfired sherds and any evidence of the fuel used such as animal dung or bones which is sometimes fused in the kiln waste material. -inc 2001-09-17_L917okk2.j okk due to a faulty scope, the relays prior to L710 have incorrect elevations. It is unclear whether the scope was broken from the beginning of the season, or part of the way through, but the type of error cannot be easily corrected. We retook key elevations for features using the levelleer, so only a few unrecoverable accumulations and items would be effected. -inc 2002-09-25_M925jw.j jw jW finished describing and storing all the objects which were held over from MZ14. Most were associated with the analysis of the kiln by the ceramic manufacturing specialist, yt. As part of the process of wrapping up, jlw noticed that no routing log entries had been made during the entire season of A15 South excavations. In the process of completing the log, he also noticed that not all the objects recovered during the regular season (L726 to L804) in A15 South had been described in the record. It is possible that vp did indeed describe them and did not enter the data, but that cannot be verified. Four q-items(620.1, 628.1, 645.1(all grindstones) and 683.2(wheel)) are noted in the q-item log as being recovered in the field but nothing further is in the record about what happened to them in the house. Similarly, four items(206, 207, 208(large, possibly restorable jars) and 218(clay object)) lack descriptions in the record or accounting for what happened to them once they left the field. It is likely that the jars are in the pottery incoming area, but we must wait until next season to check them as all such material will be moved to a new storage room that is being built. The small wheel, i220 was described by yt, but is not in storage. In the future units must track objects through all stages of processing. There is a tendancy to assume that if objects go to a specialist straight from the field, total responsibility for the object shifts to the specialist. Of course, the unit staff has the ultimate responsibiltiy to record progress. Better registration systems are now in place and they must be supplemented by daily diligence in keeping records by the unit. Specialists must also make available to the units information about what is happening to the objects. ; A15-notes on time sequencing -inc 2023-12-12_ZHz12jW.j jw The supervisor's individual notes on pits a8, a11, f132 and their components including f130 and f131 are very confusing. In addition the photography is not particularly helpful. In the opinion of the editor, the best interpretation of the situation is that there were a series of pits dug in the same location at various times. A late occupation pit a8, was cut into the fill, f131 of a larger pit, a11. The cut of a11 was designated as f132 and at its bottom, it cut the formal flagstone courtyard, f216. No feature was assigned to the fill of pit a8. ; A15-procedures -inc 2023-04-07_ZH407jW.j jW When a seal, seal impression with iconography, or other high value item is excavated, a field record is made and the item is hand carried to the subject matter expert (SME) for further evaluation and safekeeping. When the SME's work is completed, the results are sent back to the unit supervisor for incorporation into the UGR. ; A15-recording -inc 2001-07-25_L725okk.j okk Starting log numbers given to jlw for the excavation of A15(south) are: f300, q600, r400, a100, v150 -inc 2023-12-08_ZHz08jW.j jw The original aggregate log for the north portion of A15 was published on L916 by the supervisor, oKK, after the excavation terminated for the season. It did not include some signficant objects and included others not generally relevant such as accumulations. Based on the journal entries and the views (no templates were in the record), I have revised the aggregate log for that period to reflect what was clerly said and shown. As part of my analysis I prepared templates for the most significant and illustrative views. ; A15-storage -inc 2002-09-20_M922jw.j jlw in MZ14, the ceramicist, yt, assembled all of the objects, bones and pottery associated with the excavation of the north(a30) and south(a31) kilns to analyze their operation and output(q696 thru q716 and related items). Unfortunately she had to depart before her results could be completely entered into the record. Such things as object descriptions, complete pottery analyis, photography and drawing, and registration of objects were to be accomplished in future years. In MZ15, jlw and mkb described objects, including whole vessels found in the kilns, and jlw oversaw photography, drawing, and registration. Insufficient resources forced the postponement of pottery analysis for another season. Of the q-lots, q706 and q708 were not among the group that yt examined, but we presume that they are in the general pottery storeroom with the sherds and bones from A15 in MZ14 awaiting processing. If not, it is possible that she examined these two lots, as she did all the others, decided that there was nothing of interest and discarded them. The log indicates that both pottery and kiln waste were contsituents of these q-lots. Since kiln waste from these two lots was processed in MZ15, we can be relatively certain that that the pottery lots were also brought to the house for analysis. ; A15-strategy -inc 2001-06-23_L629OKK.J okk 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. -inc 2001-06-23_L629OKK.J okk 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. -inc 2001-06-24_L629OKK.J okk 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. -inc 2001-06-26_L629OKK.J okk Today we will excavate in k1, k11, k4 and possibly k3. -inc 2001-06-26_L629OKK.J okk 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. -inc 2001-07-03_L704okk.j okk We began this morning with the consideration of taking photographs to document all of the concepts that we had talked about yesterday with gb, particularly the gully wash and the path of the gully. This secondary path of the gully appears strongly in k3 and k4. -inc 2001-06-26_L708okk.j okk gb, sb and cc had a discussion about the area this morning. In particular we talked about where 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 the main locus of the village there are small storage areas and such. The nature of the settlement here mgiht be of a larger scale than originally anticipated, which is indicated by the recent find of a large platform in A9 of this period. This platform is interpreted as being of a public or civic nature. We might also find phase 4 occupation, of the Isin-Larsa period. -inc 2001-07-07_L709okk.j sb in A16 there are no baulks, it's all phase b. We could do the same, expose all phase b, then photograph and remove. -inc 2001-07-13_L713okk.j sb Today we are putting relay tags on the ground to relay all the structures. We already have the plot of the k, although 3 points are wrong. -inc 2001-07-11_L722okk.j okk There is a possibility that we might want to take out the northern baulk of k4 and k14, we are now drawing the baulk in case we want to do this. Yesterday Barbara also put in a new vertical control point to the east of k13, so it will make it easier to do elevations in the higher squares. -inc 2001-07-14_L722okk.j okk We are taking relays today so we have spent most of the morning doing a relay sketch and putting in the relay tags. This relay sketch will encompass all the significant structures of A15, which include all the structures of Khabur phase 5c. -inc 2001-07-22_L722okk.j okk Today we plan to continue excavation in k1,k2,k3,k4 and k92. -inc 2001-07-24_L725okk.j okk gb has suggested a shift in strategy for A15 for the last week and a half of excavation. This is to enlarge the excavation by two squares to the south of A15, which would be k5 and k15. The rationale is that after seeing the evidence in k4 of possible rooms which might be phase 2, it appears that more phase 2 structures would be centered to the south. gb has asked jlw if he would conclude excavations in A9 and come over to dig these squares in A15. The A15 team would continue complete excavation of k3, k4, and partial excavation of k1,k2,k93,k94. In k3 and k4 we are planning to further excavate the areas in the south which could be small rooms of the palace. At this point k1 and k2 are considerably higher than k3 and k4, and it is a strategic priority to reach the level of the flagstone floor, which is 3m below current level. So we are planning on excavating only the western half of k1, with the eastern baulk of k91; and the western half of k2, with the eastern baulk of k92. In the northern area this will be an effective are of 3m EW by 9m NS. As there are only 9 more days of excavation, we will need to work quickly and it will be necessary to have a supervisor for the northern and southern areas who can be there at all times. sb will be the supervisor for the northern area, and cc for the southern area. This separation is also necessary as there will be a large group of workmen coming from A10 and A9 who need direction. I will concentrate on the larger strategic decisions, operational necessities, and some of the paperwork such as relays and plotting which are time intensive. ed will work as the registrar for both areas, but primarily in the southern area which has a greater number of workmen assigned to it. gb also plans to be in the area for much of the time in order to closely supervise the excavation. -inc 2001-07-23_L727okk.j okk We are working in k1,k2,k3 and k4. -inc 2001-07-30_L730jlw.j jlw the overall strategy is to dig as fast as possible in k5, k13 and k15 to reach the level of the palace, Phase 2. We will document, then remove features as they are encountered. We do not expect to encounter anything of major significance because the loci are in the deep part of the gully that formed after the palace was abandoned. At the levels where we presently are, we are seeing lots of Khabur pottery. -inc 2001-07-30_L730jlw.j jlw at the end of the day, gb and jlw updated the excavation strategy for the last few days of the excavation. Discovery of the foundation stones for a large wall just to the west of k13 and several meters below, means that it is even more important to excavate k13 to that level. So, we will temporarily abandon work in k15 and shift the crew to double team the excavation of k13. Excavation of k5 will continue as we are only about a meter above the level of the foundation in that locus. -inc 2001-07-25_L811jlw.j jlw we will assist the A15 excavation by working on the tier of loci that are south of the presently excavated set. This may include k95, k5, k15, and k25. The purpose of our work is to explore the possibility of a southern component of the palace that would occupy the south side of a modern gully whose north side has cut and covered portions already excavated. We will only have a little over a week to work, so we must proceed quickly but carefully. In each of the loci there are more than two meters of material that would be covering any palace components. In addition, we expect to find Phase 5 Khabur material not far under the surface if this part of the tell mirrors that to the north. We must also be alert for Phase 4 and Phase 3 components. -inc 2001-07-26_L812jlw.j jlw today we will clear the backdirt from k15 and begin excavating. It may be possible to reach a portion of the main entrance or south section wall to the palace, which some applications of symmetry already found to the west lead us to expect here. -inc 2001-07-28_L812jlw1.j jlw in a meeting on the evening of L727, gb proposed to use A9 excavators to work in k13 and k14 to the north of k15 since there was an indication that the palace wall may well extend into these loci. This would be in lieu of opening up either k25 or k95 to the east and west, respectively of where we are presently working in k5 and k15. okk preferred to use her own workforce for k14, so we will deploy only to k13. It is on the outside perimeter of part of the Khabur settlement further to the north in A15 and A16, but only a doorway and a set of low entrance walls appear along the north baulk of k13, which has been partially excavated this season. -inc 2001-07-29_L812jlw2.j jlw overall, we will continue to excavate as fast as is consistent with documentation of features before removing and proceeding to successive strata. -inc 2001-07-29_L812jlw2.j jlw a review of progress by jlw and gb at the end of the day, L729, resulted in a decision to concentrate excavation for L730 and beyond at the border of the deep excavations already conducted by A15. This means that we will excavate the north halves of k5 and k15 as well as the west half of k13. -inc 2001-08-01_L813jlw.j jlw gb noted that there was no longer reason to believe that there were significant architectural elements in the portion of k13 that we were excavating. Therefore we will stop digging there, level the locus and shift those resources to other parts of A15 under the direction of okk. There is still a good chance of finding a southward extension of the palace in the portion of k5 we are digging, so we will put extra resources there to expedite removal of the north baulk and to take the north half of the locus the 75cm or so further down to match the palace floor level to the north. -inc 2001-08-28_L828jlw1.j jlw we will finish several small excavation projects in a number of loci in A15 to prepare for final photographs and to help plan excavations in future seasons. -inc 2001-08-29_L829jlw2.j jlw tomorrow we will finish the cleanup and will begin to excavate the fill, f365, of a pit in the far NE corner of A15k1. This pit cut the stones of the plaza. -inc 2001-09-15_L915okk3.j okk There are a few baulks which we are not going to draw at this point, because they are quite small in size and do not add much more to our understanding of the area. They would better be drawn when further excavation has occurred. These baulks are: E baulk of k13, E baulk of k14, (less than 1/2 meter), N baulk of k13 and the E baulk of k1 (only about 30cm). -inc 2003-07-12_N712MS.j ms cleaned and scraped entire area to get a sense of what is going on. This area, A15 k3, k4, k5, k13, k14, k15 has not been dug since MZ14. Meeting with gb, jw and ms on N711 to discuss strategy for the season. It is unclear what is going on between ph 2, 3 and 4. Do we have a long ph3, or reuse of ph2 with the same layout but different usage. Three goals this season: 1. A15S: understand area; take down to level of walls. 2. A15N: k1, come down to level of palace and understand structure. 3. A15E: new squares continuation of A18 down, time permitting. Sense of A15: four distinct occupational definitions. There was probably a wadi here because there are no houses. The houses are higher up and this could be an explanation of why the wadi was there. Same situation as in AK, no houses in lower elevations. Phases: 6:Wadi 5:Outside of houses, kilns and burials. This is the talus of the settlement - outside of the settlement. Also no large pits as in A16 settlements. 4 and/or 3: Sherd pavement and good cement pavement. Clearly not palace. Possible relation to A9. Ph3 building as it was without changes. Ph4, no palace and rebuilding. 2: Palace might begin to 'lurk' with stones, pavement and well. -inc 2003-07-16_N717MS1.j ms meeting with gb, fab, jw, jo and ms to discuss situation in A15. There are two new questions. Why is ph5 so low in 15S? And, what is the original boundary of the gray material to the south of the 'clay bin'? A15S phases: Ph5a is the coarse dump from the kilns. 5b is the clay bin and kilns. There is less dumping. 5c is the structure seen in section, f377. Ph4 is the small stone structure and street. In A15N ph3 is the melting down of palace walls, blocking and destruction/tear down. ph 4 is layering not linked to anything in particular. 15S baulk seems to be boundary of the kiln area. Strategy is to remove the 15N baulk and the k5 baulk. Try to find gray area boundaries. -inc 2003-07-22_N722MS.j ms we will consult with gb regarding k5. Will continue going down as usual in otehr areas. There was no time for gh to draw the n section of k3 k13 before she left. -inc 2003-07-24_N725MS.j ms meeting with gb, fab, jo, jw, ms. Decide to take down gray accumulation seen in section of north kiln in k13. Will see where red level goes. In k5 we will leave jars in the ground until entire room is exposed. This requires taking down the baulk. MKB suggest we stop exposing vessels until entire room is exposed. -inc 2003-07-26_N726MS.j ms meeting with gb, fab, jo, jw, ms to discuss next steps. We know the kln fill f373 goes very deep. It is strange how low this ph5 is. We will cut a trench into f373 parallel to the e baulk to see if it continues there. We know it is in section at the we section of k13 and k14. The ph3 street is right there at the w portion of k14 and k13 and assumed to be ph3. It is extremely important to see where this kiln fill ends and what relationship to ph3 and any ph4 there is. This will also help with speedier dirt removal since we do have a long way to go. We decided also to put a trench in k15 to see what is below. We have about a meter of dirt to remove toget to the level of a34, f411, the jars in k5 w of the baulk. We will not remove the jars until we come down to the presumed other side of the room. We must also remove the n baulk of k13, k3. -inc 2003-08-03_N803jw1.j jw gb, fab, ms, jw, and jo met at the site to analyze the stratigraphic implications of the material being excavated in k2, k13, k14 and k15 in light of the working hypothesis about the distinct phases of occupation of Tell Mozan. Late Khabur houses are just below the ground and can be seen in section high in the east baulk of k13 to k15. They were built atop a massive dump of kiln waste (early Khabur) to the north and a cleaner fill to the south. Particularly in the south, we found some evidence of Phase 4 occupation, namely a large paved surface (f451) and a stone/sherd deposit (fin k15. Pits for the kiln waste were dug into reddish material seen clearly in sections of the east and north baulks of k13. Yesterday we found a stone and sherd pavement (f467) just below the bottom of the northernmost of two pit kilns excavated in MZ14. It is at elevation 8634, approximately the same as the elevation of the stone and sherd pavement in front of a cache of large jars in k5 (8645), which are probably Phase 3. The k13 pavement was covered by a reddish layer resembling brickmelt (f469) and this in turn was covered by a thinner clean, brown accumulation (f468). The sections of k13 and k2 show the deep red associated with brick walls in the Phase 2 palace. jw suggested that a sequence of post-palace occupation consisting of immediate re-use of the open areas in Phase 3 while the walls were extant, followed by abandonment of this region of the tell during which the walls melted over the Phase 3 structures may explain what we see. At a later time, limited Phase 4 occupation was established (seen in k15 and possibly destroyed by the Phase 5 pits in k13 and k14). In the next few days we will carfully remove the melt in k2 and k13 (a blend of red and fine-grained brown material) to look for the walls whose possible presence is indicated by disturbed foundation stones in line with extant foundations and the deposits of deeper red, which include some bricks and the crumbly red matrix from which they are made. -inc 2003-08-03_N803MS.j ms based on meeting with gb, fab, jo, jw, ms, we will remove the red bricky areas throughout k13 as some of this may be kiln transition. We will then scrape well the area and see if anything comes to light. -inc 2003-08-05_N805MS.j ms meeting with gb, fab, jo, jw and ms to discuss the rest of the season. Our options were to stay at ph3 and wait for A18 to also get there so we would have ph3 across the board, or to keep going to ph2. The problem would be waiting for A18 and since there are time constraints it was decided that we will remove any ph3 and get down to ph2. -inc 2003-08-09_N809MS.j ms paying extremely close attention to all the interconnections among the features is of the utmost importance now as we are out of phase 5 and coming down to ph4, ph3 and maybe even the top of a ph2 wall. -inc 2003-08-14_N815jw2.j jw as we enter the final scheduled week of excavation, we must resolve the phasing in k14 and k15 so that we can clear the destruction debris to the west in k3, k4, k93 and k94 which was uncovered in MZ14 but not fully excavated. It is the overall goal this season is to expose the Phase 2 architecture in this part of the unit. -inc 2003-08-17_N817jw.j jw gb, ms and jw met late in the day to discuss the strategy for the last days of work and to review resources and schedules. In k15/k5, we need to remove the rest of the f521 accumulation and finish defining the extents of wall f508. Then, after special photography by the specialists from Rome and an overhead photograph, the jars will be removed and conserved. We will clear the rest of k15 to the elevation of the floor associated with the jars and stop there for the season. In k14 we must continue excavating accumulation f518 until we reach the floor associated with walls f483 and f520. We also need to find the north face of wall f483, the north face of wall f457, and the west brick face or at least the underlying stones of wall f518. In k14, after photographing the building foundation f214 and the associated street to the east of it, we will remove both and begin to search for additional elements of Phase 2 architecture below. In k3, we will excavate from west to east to remove the accumulation f510 to the west of the expected lower portions of wall f520 in k14. It is not certain whether we will encounter a floor or if so, whether it will be that of a covered or an open space. We will also excavate from east to west, approaching the well in the SE corner of k93 to find if there is a large Phase 2 surface associated with a drain in the southern part of k93 that shares the same elevation as a small platform inside the well that was found by jw in MZ14. In k2 we must finish removing the plaster coating from the underside of fallen wall f489, then excavate what lies beneath to reach what we anticipate is a Phase 2 floor associated with the major N-S wall f492/f494. Portions of vertical plaster coating can be seen. With respect to resources, more pickmen and dirt removal personnel will be required. If they can be made available on N818, we have a good chance of finishing on schedule at the end of the week, perhaps with afternoon work sessions. This is particular true if we can close A17 at the end of N818. -inc 2003-08-17_N817jw.j ms early in the day meeting with gb, mkb, fab, ms and jw. Four days left of digging. Priorities are to find the other half of the jar installation and remove all of the jars. Also want, if possible to find wall faces of maybe associated first floors. Want to take down square stone area, f214. It's assumed this is Phase 3 so we will be looking for Phase 2 below. There are stones to the west of f214 that seem to make no sense so perhaps we would have a better understanding after removal. Also attempting to find Phase 2 floor by removing accumulation in k2 and moving up to Phase 2 wall. -inc 2003-08-18_N818jw.j jw 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. -inc 2003-08-19_N819jw.j jw ms and jw met several times during the day with gb and mkb to plan the work schedule for N820. We will stop and clean the room a36 in k14 for final photographs. In k5, it appears that we may have reached the floor in the room that contained the collection of jars a34. We will continue to excavate carefully there and anticipate finishing that tomorrow. In k2 we will finish removing the accumulation that was below the fallen wall f489 and will seek to define the limits of the room a38 whose east and south wall faces are seen in the SE corner of the locus. In the SW corner of the locus there is a line of stones f537 that were once thought to be reused. Now, they appear to be in line with an E-W line of plaster coating wall f536 that is perpendicular to wall f536 along the eastern edge of the locus. Now that the material f533 contained by platform f214 has been removed, we will systematically remove f214, starting from the north and working south, then from the east and working west. We will put all available resources on this to finish and clear to the next organized surface beneath by the end of the day. As resources permit we may detail individuals to A17 to finish removing the north and south baulks there. -inc 2003-08-20_N820jw.j jw ms and jw met several times during the day to adjust plans for the last days of excavation. gb proposed that we work three more days; Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The work during the added time will focus on clarifying the relationship among the various Phases represented by the architecture. The walls and possible associated floors in k2, k3, k4, k93 and k94 will receive the most attention. We must attempt to define the space confined on the east by wall f439 and on the south by wall f537 (which we originally believed to be a line of stones). In k3, we need to determine if the wall f544, whose SW corner is defined by baked bricks, stones and sherds is deeply founded and therefore is a candidate for inculusion into the Phase 2 wall system. In k4 we must remove platform f214 and explore the material below it. In k93 and k94 there are a number of large stones whose function is unclear. ms and jw will provide a list of workmen needed to perform these tasks. -inc 2003-08-21_N821jw.j jw gb, mkb, fab, ms and jw met several times during the day to revise the excavation strategy. Tomorrow we must remove the temporary backdirt pile in k4 so that we can continue to explore the organization of the numerous large stones which are lying in the open space created by previous excavations and runoff from the gully above. We will continue to excavate around and eventually remove the platform f214. The stones beneath its south wall are large, well cut and arranged in a line, which suggests Phase 2 use. We will continue to excavate in k2 and continue to look for a major E-W wall which should lie along the north baulk of k93. As time and resources permit, we will explore the area around the well to determine the phases in which it was used. -inc 2003-08-22_N822jw.j jw 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. -inc 2003-08-23_N823jw.j jw gb met several times during the day with ms and jw to revise plans for the final day of excavation. Our efforts will focus on defining the possible architecture in the southen part of k4 that is linked to the brick paving f558. To do that we will follow the floor to its southern, western and eastern limits. We must remove a small lump of accumulation atop a N-S line of stones which may form the western boundary for the paving. We will contine to define the southern face of the E-W line of stones f550 which we believe bound the paving on the south. We will follow the paving to the north to see whether it is bounded by wall f520 or by the wall whose foundation is f562. We will follow the stones of f520 to the south to see where that wall turns and the function, if any of the narrow bricky strip, f433. -inc 2003-08-24_N824jw.j jw a limited amount of touch-up work is necessary to close the unit for this season. We need to expose better the south side of wall f550. It may clarify a construction discontinuity at the west end where baked bricks were roughly laid in about a two meter strip on the north side and the stones here are not cut smooth at the top like the eastern part. There is a hint that this may be the entrance to this room a42, which was plugged in later Phases. However, there may not be enough time to explore this possibility in MZ16. We must contine to clean the SW corner of k94 and clean its south baulk which, although deteriorated, provides protection to the underground structure in A12 directly to the south. We must also finish searching for the plaster on the west face of wall f568. -inc 2003-08-26_N825jw2.j jw jw contacted jjj to arrange for final photographs on N827. ; A15-surveying -inc 2001-07-25_L811jlw.j jlw bwp installed and surveyed four new specially designed metal posts at the corners of the four meter square portion of k5 that would be normally excavated when N and E baulks are maintained. They are designed to replace both the metal stakes usually placed at the corners and the wooden stakes usually placed in the middle of the N and E baulks that are used for relays within the locus. jlw believes that they are a major improvement. First, since they are in each of the four corners, they give more flexibility in maintaining good geometry for measurements in any part of the locus. Second, since the posts are considerably longer and are offset from the corner, they will stay in place as the excavation proceeds. Third, they do not sit in the middle of the baulk like the wooden stakes do and are thus not nearly so liable to be accidentally dislodged by people or equipment. The only aspect that is of limited utility is the pole with the meter scale scotch-taped to it, that is placed on a post at the back of the stake for elevation measurements. The pole is inviting to lean on and is a hazard to the tents. jlw has a portable surveyor tape with a much larger scale which is easier to read at a distance in varying light conditions that seems more effective. -inc 2001-08-28_L828jlw1.j jlw checked new relay/markers. Found large errors in markers m5530 to m5532. Remeasured and entered the results, which cross-checked within one cm. Also found large errors in markers m5523 to m5529. Have not yet remeasured. Took elevations in k5 and k13. -inc 2001-08-29_L829jlw2.j jlw re-measured markers m5525 to m5529. okk stated that she was confident that m5523 and m5524 had been properly measured from good control points. Their measured separation distance was within one cm of the calculated value. Recalculated, plotted, and cross-checked among the markers. In all but one pair, the calculated and measured distances agreed to within 3 cm. However, pair m5525 and m5526 disagreed by 7 cm, although they were acceptable when paired with other markers. We can only conclude that the coordinates of each of the pair are within acceptable limits and that in this particular case the errors all happened to compound in the same direction. -inc 2001-09-06_L906jlw.j jlw Compared the elevation of the post-palace stone wall foundations, f191, in A15k4 with similar stone foundations in A9, which represent the first buildings we know of that were built over the NW courtyard. The elevations differed by 36cm (8677 in A15 and 8713 in A9). One can conclude that they were closely associated and part of the same phase, perhaps early Phase 4. It also shows that the extensive build-up in elevation and terracing on the part of the mound containing A9 occured after the phase that used stones for building foundations, but for some reason did not extend to the part of the mound containing the southern part of A15. ; A15-workmen -inc 2001-07-30_L730jlw.j jlw 7 picks and 18 in support reported for work. Kamiran complained of a severe headache all morning. Gave him aspirin. When that didn't help, sent him home. Muhammud Hammud had an abrasion on his shin. Patched it and he returned to work. -inc 2001-07-31_L731jlw.j jlw 7 picks and 18 in support from A9, plus four removal personnel from A15 and A16. Had two extra picks on loan from A10 for 3 hours. Ramadan departed after breakfast to take his daughter to the hospital and did not return. -inc 2001-07-25_L811jlw.j jlw 6 picks and 18 in support reported for work. In addition, Abd'el Rahman was added from A10, which had finished excavating. Deployed all but 5 to clear the backfill from k5, the most likely place to begin work. The others, under the supervision of Anwar, returned to A9 to finish excavating the floor of k24, which was discovered at the end of the day yesterday, L724. -inc 2001-07-26_L812jlw.j jlw 7 picks and 18 in support reported for work. Deployed the majority to preparing k15 for excavation. -inc 2001-07-28_L812jlw1.j jlw 7 picks and 18 in support reported for work. Ramadan, from A15 detailed to us to help organize overall dirt removal. -inc 2001-07-29_L812jlw2.j jlw 7 picks and 17 in support reported for work. Ramadan and two others from A15 assisting in dirt removal. -inc 2001-08-01_L813jlw.j jlw 7 picks and 21 in support reported for work. -inc 2001-08-01_L813jlw.j jlw took 6 workmen who were excavating in k15 and sent them to clean A9 in preparation for final photographs. After breakfast, assigned them to okk. -inc 2001-08-01_L813jlw.j jlw 2 picks and 3 in support returned for afternoon work to continue baulk removal. From time to time Adnan and Hussein from A15 north provided extra pick support by working on the north side of the baulk. -inc 2001-08-02_L813jlw1.j jlw 7 picks and 21 in support reported for work. Assigned 3 picks and 3 support to okk to help with final cleanup on this, the last day of excavation in MZ14. -inc 2001-08-18_L823jlw.j jlw two picks and 2 in support reported for work. -inc 2001-08-19_L823jlw.j jlw two picks and 2 in support reported for work -inc 2001-08-20_L823jlw.j jlw 2 picks and 4 in support reported for work. -inc 2001-08-21_L823jlw.j jlw 2 picks and 2 in support reported for work. -inc 2001-08-28_L828jlw1.j jlw borrowed one pick and one-half support from A16 -inc 2003-07-12_N712MS.j ms have 18 workment including 5 pickmen. -inc 2003-07-22_N722MS.j ms three workmen were taken to work in J1, Ahmad, Jawan and Lorenz. Ibrahim Ismail is now full time administrator. We will work closely with him while he is getting used to the job. He seems to be doing very well. This is also the last day for gh as she is going to work in Damascus tomorrow. -inc 2003-07-26_N726MS.j ms Rashid and Majid K left to work with the Germans so we are down to 18 workmen, including six pickmen. Three of the pickmen are new pickmen, Mas'ud, Nasm and Median. So far they seem to be working well. Castro also came today and we had him start working on the section of the n baulk of k13 to k3. We are bringing back Steff and Yestafa to work on the trench in k15. Will get more dirt removers as we need. -inc 2003-07-30_N730ms.j ms had Jl's workmen for the day as he had no digging in his area. -inc 2003-08-03_N803jw1.j jw Muhammad Khir departed to work in J1 as a pickman and was replaced by M'hd Turkey. fab took Muhammad Juma and Muhammad Turkey to work on the joint A15/A17/A18 dirt train. -inc 2003-08-11_N811jw.j jw Ju'an Ismail excused by gb and departed for home at breakfast due to illness. Safwan Hussein's absence continued and was excused by gb on N808. ms spent most of the day working at home on computer data entry and processing. bm continued to spend the first half of the morning assisting jw and ms. -inc 2003-08-12_N812jw.j jw all assigned workmen reported except Safwan, who remained on absence granted by gb. Yasar departed at 1100 due to illness. fab notified after the fact. -inc 2003-08-13_N813jw.j jw Muhammad Kher and Aldare reported for work from A10. Safwan gave notice that this will be his last day of work. -inc 2003-08-14_N815jw2.j jw all assigned and detailed workmen reported. Hamza was excused for one hour before breakfast. -inc 2003-08-16_N816jw2.j jw Masum, Abd el-Karim and Ferhad were detailed to us for the day from A12/A14. -inc 2003-08-17_N817jw.j jw Ramadan, Runi, and Sadiq excused by gb for various appointments in town after breakfast. In mid-morning we temporarily stopped excavating A17k2 and diverted Sa'ud to work with Muhammad Hair in k14 to speed work there and Muhammad Kher to work in Ramadan's place in k15. -inc 2003-08-18_N818jw.j jw 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. -inc 2003-08-19_N819jw.j jw two new workmen reported for duty. Muhammad Hair excused at 0600 due to illness. -inc 2003-08-20_N820jw.j jw Muhammad Hair continued out sick. Adil excused by gb due to an eye injury. Faraj reported from A14. Ahmed temporarily detailed from J1 East to assist in looking for more door seal fragments. -inc 2003-08-21_N821jw.j jw all workmen assigned to A15 and those on loan from other units yesterday reported for work. During the day, eight were temporarily deployed to assist in the removal of the iron frames for the wall covers. -inc 2003-08-22_N822jw.j jw 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. -inc 2003-08-23_N823jw.j jw all assigned workmen reported as well as a few from the general detail who are cleaning the entire site and removing the backfill for photography. -inc 2003-08-24_N824jw.j jw a variety of extra workmen, in addition to the regularly assigned A15 workforce, reported for duty to carry the extra spoils from an intensive day of excavation. ms and jw hosted a brief second breakfast to thank everyone for the hard work this season.