https://urkesh.org/MZ/A/A16/D/A/0006.htm

Unit Book A16

The Courtyard of the Tupkish Palace (Version 2)

A16a6

Processed on 2024-12-04

1. OVERVIEW

Roster Date Author Record
Best definition 2001-06-28 !! ^ structure [Input: L724LR.j]
Summary 2007-07-16 sG Vaulted structure in loci k2 and k3 containing scattered animal bones. This structure is thought to have been a burial or perhaps a cistern, but further excavation will be required in order to resolve the question. [Input: R716SG.j]
Best image 2007-07-16 sG
v44 [Input: R716SG.j]
2007-07-16 sG
v48 [Input: R716SG.j]

2. IDENTIFICATION

Designation

Roster Date Author Record
Definition 2001-06-28 lR ^ structure [Input: L724LR.j]
Description (summary) 2001-06-28 lR vaulted structure [Input: L724LR.j]
2002-07-30 sB *** room [Input: M730SB2.j]

3. STRATIGRAPHY

Recovery/Assignment

Roster Date Author Record
Daily notes about recovery of elements 2001-07-02 tR gB stopped by to check on our progress and give us some suggestions as to how we should proceed in our excavation of the box structure which is aggregate a6, subsuming f72, f73, f74, and f75. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-07-04 fAB k2 and k3 have a very puzzling structure, a6. This, which we call the 'box' for lack of a clearer understanding of the nature of this structure, seems to be vaulted, as a tomb might be, but with plaster at the base. More excavation will tell what this structure is and what its link to the surrounding area might be. [Input: L704FAB.j]
2001-07-08 lR In a6, the box structure, 80cms has been excavated inside. The fill of the box contains broken bricks, pottery, and animal bones. The northern face shows clear brick faces with a mud plaster coating. The faces suggest a vaulted shape inside the structure. The brickfall to the west of the structure was also excavated which exposed a clearer view of the platform at the base of the box structure that protrudes one brick and a half west of the box. [Input: L708LR.j]
2001-07-16 lR We resumed excavations in the box structure (a6) today since the burial found in a9 was found 93 cm below the beginning of the bricks. This depth suggests that perhaps we have not dug deep enough to encounter the burial of a6. We initially stopped digging in a6 since we were already at 80cm and found no signs of its use nor human remains. The workman Ahkmed is working in this area and has come down on the remains of several scattered animal bones lying close to the tomb walls. The walls of the structure are still going down and we will continue to excavate until we reach the bottom of the walls f72, and f73. [Input: L818LR.j]
2001-07-16 lR We temporarily halted excavations inside the "box structure" since we are 80cm deep with no indication of function. We had anticipated coming down on a burial, but to date we have not encountered any material to classify this structure as a tomb. However, since the recent discovery of tomb a9 which yielded a burial at 93cm (below the top of the tomb walls) and we presume that the box structure and a9 are contemporary, than there is still a possibility that we are simply not deep enough. We have thus reopened the "box structure" today with Ahkmed currently working in this area who has come down on several scattered animal bones lying close to the tomb walls (we took several nice photographs of these bones). The bones appear to be grave offerings, but no human remains yet. The walls of the structure are still going down and we will continue excavating until we reach the bottom of the walls f72, and f73. [Input: L818LR.j]
Strategy (projected or implemented) 2001-07-02 tR We intend to approach the box structure from the West and from the South to try and understand better its construction and also to see more clearly its relationship to f77 which is an ash layer that can be seen in the N section of k6 and has also been reached in k2. We are still uncertain of the box structures function. fAB at first thought it was a grave; after some excavation I thought it may be a cistern of some sort connected to the drainage system in k4. At this point it is still unclear. [Input: L630TR.j]
2001-07-08 lR For the box structure a6 we plan to excavate the triangular area f160 between f73 and the North baulk to see if we can find the Northern face of the structure. [Input: L708LR.j]
Notes on recovery 2001-07-02 tR This morning while cleaning fAB discovered a layer of plaster covering which would seem to indicate that it was a freestanding structure and would argue against it being a cistern or a drainage system. It may be that we are looking at 3 phases of construction: phase I being a wall with plaster covering and possibly a bench, phase II a wall that has collapsed or been disturbed by the construction of phase III which would be a cistern or burial; or it is all one construction and makes no sense as of now. If we do indeed have 3 phases of construction we would divide the phases into seperate aggregates. Either way only further excavation will answer our questions. [Input: L630TR.j]

Volumetric Localization

Roster Date Author Record
Locus 2001-06-28 lR k3 [Input: L724LR.j]
2007-07-16 sG k2 [Input: R716SG.j]
Relays (applicable to elements) 2001-06-28 lr r64 (41450 38000 - 9014 / Relay location: top of wall) [Input: R7QFAB1R.j]
2001-06-28 lr r65 (41556 38034 - 9135 / Relay location: top of wall) [Input: R7QFAB1R.j]
2001-06-28 lr r66 (41159 38059 - 8342 / Relay location: top of wall) [Input: R7QFAB1R.j]
2001-06-28 lr r67 (41231 38079 - 8472 / Relay location: top of wall) [Input: R7QFAB1R.j]
2001-06-28 lr r68 (41384 37973 - 8395 / Relay location: top of wall) [Input: R7QFAB1R.j]
2001-06-28 lr r69 (41388 38135 - 8385 / Relay location: top of wall) [Input: R7QFAB1R.j]
2001-06-28 lr r70 (41264 38104 - 8332 / Relay location: top of wall) [Input: R7QFAB1R.j]
2001-06-28 lr r71 (41255 37984 - 8956 / Relay location: top of wall) [Input: R7QFAB1R.j]
2001-06-28 lr r72 (41297 37983 - 8315 / Relay location: top of wall) [Input: R7QFAB1R.j]
2001-06-28 lr r73 (41309 37941 - 8250 / Relay location: top of wall) [Input: R7QFAB1R.j]

Spatial Aggregation

Roster Date Author Record
Features within aggregate 2000-12-18 !! f72 (^ wall), f73 (^ wall), f74 (^ accumulation), f79 (^ platform), f87 (plaster), f140 (^ floor, type a) [Input: A-CUMUL.j]
Items within aggregate 2000-12-18 !! i35 (sealing impression), i38 (^ jewelry item) [Input: A-CUMUL.j]
q-lots within aggregate 2000-12-18 !! q148, q159, q178 (s), q209 (bones, pottery), q216 (p,b,o), q226 (bones, pottery), q297, q308, q316, q322, q327, q334, q341 [Input: A-CUMUL.j]

Time Sequencing

Roster Date Author Record
Stratum (to which element belongs) 2000-12-18 !! s245AAH [Input: A-CUMUL.j]
Phase (to which element belongs) 2000-12-18 !! h6mAAH [Input: A-CUMUL.j]
2015-05-20 !! h6mAAH [Input: ZA520CJC.j]

6. REFERENCE

Analogical Record

Roster Date Author Record
Photo of context (v view)

v22
2001-06-28 lR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v18
2001-06-28 sV [Input: -M726-A.j]

v18a
2001-06-28 tR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v19
2001-06-28 tR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v28
2001-07-05 lR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v28a
2001-07-05 lR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v19b
2001-07-07 tR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v29
2001-07-07 tR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v29a
2001-07-07 tR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v32
2001-07-08 lR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v34
2001-07-11 lR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v34a
2001-07-11 lR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v34b
2001-07-11 lR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v38
2001-07-16 tR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v38a
2001-07-16 tR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v39
2001-07-16 tR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v39a
2001-07-16 tR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v44
2001-07-19 sV [Input: -M726-A.j]

v46
2001-07-19 sV [Input: -M726-A.j]

v48
2001-07-22 tR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v48a
2001-07-22 tR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v48b
2001-07-22 tR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v49
2001-07-22 tR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v49a
2001-07-22 tR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v52
2001-07-23 tR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v73
2002-07-17 lR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v73c
2002-07-17 lR [Input: -M726-A.j]

v77
2002-07-30 lR [Input: L818LR2.j]

v79
2002-07-30 lR [Input: L818LR2.j]

2002-07-30 lR [Input: L818LR2.j]
View/drawing of aggregate

v144
2007-08-03 pC [Input: R803PC.j]

v146
2007-08-03 pC [Input: R803PC.j]