https://urkesh.org/MZ/A/A20/D/K/0004.htm

Unit Book A20

The eastern sector of the Palace - Version 1a

A20k4

Processed on 2024-11-15

1. OVERVIEW

Roster Date Author Record
Summary 2008-09-12 lR This was the last locus to be opened this excavation season. Findings in this locus resulted in exposing the corner of a mudbrick structure (walls f107 and f99) and another wall f129 in the north. To the north and west of the structure, a beautiful pebble and sherd pavement was found, f112, representing one pavement in a series of three found in the same area. Similar to k12, a small bin was found to the south of wall f107 containing different soil than the outside area likely forming a place to store things during the reuse period (the soil was quite clean) with possibly the structure being earlier in construction contemporary to the construction of a700. The orientation of the walls is similar to f97 wall to the north but differs from the orientation of the larger walls a700 and a701 suggesting that f97 could be the northern walls of this structure. [Input: S912LR.j]
Best image 2024-09-06 lC [Input: ZI906.j]

2. IDENTIFICATION

Designation

Roster Date Author Record
Description (summary) 2008-08-13 yM S of k14,E of k3 [Input: S813YM2.j]

3. STRATIGRAPHY

Recovery/Assignment

Roster Date Author Record
Daily notes about recovery of elements 2008-08-02 lR Opened k4 this morning after placing the baulk strings back in position (they were taken down for safety reasons). The east baulk was extended 50cms west as a precaution to add more room to the unstable eastern edge for it drops 5 meters into A19. This locus is also an additional meter shorter, excavated by A19 using a different grid system than A20 that cuts into the eastern side of k4. The topsoil, f66 was removed, approximately 30 cm down the compact brick melt layer was reached but only in patches was the surface as compact as f27 The locus was strung incorrectly this morning resulting in the distance between m4715 and m3415 measuring only 85cms. The mistake was noticed after the square was excavated and will be left as is. [Input: S802LR.j]
2008-08-03 lC After the removal of topsoil f66, we uncovered a layer, f67 with compact patches of brick melt. After one big pick run we uncovered two new features: a compact layer f69 in the northern and southern part of the locus and a soft material crossing E-W, maybe a fill of a channel or something similar to a cut. In the southern half of the locus, a row of three mud bricks were uncovered, labeled as f71. Tomorrow we will excavate to check if these mud bricks f71, are part of wall. Assuming that the soft layer f70 in the middle of the locus was the most recent we started to excavate it and we uncovered a possible sherd pavement f72 that seems to be the same of the pavement f35 in k3. [Input: S803LC.j]
2008-08-04 lR articulated the wall f71 today, excavated f69 finding f73 pavement below that is at the same elevation as f35. The pavement f73 contains lots of animal bone, with an almost complete jaw (animal unknown) lying on the surface. [Input: S804LR.j]
2008-08-05 lR Spent the morning articulating the pavement f73, exposing many fragmented animal bones embedded in the pavement. The pavement is irregular in level, likely a simple outdoor floor surface unintentionally created. Once the pavement was fully exposed, it was cleaned, and covered in plastic to protect it for a photograph tomorrow. In the south, f71 was defined, excavating north and south of the bricks. No more bricks were found with the material north of the bricks showing a grayish soil while to the south; f79 was brown, containing phytoliths. Since the soil between these two areas was so different, we created f79 as a new feature to separate between the soils, possibly fill within a bin. [Input: S805LR2.j]
2008-08-06 lR photographed the pavement f73 and f72, and covered it. The strategy is to remove the animal bones embedded on the surface which tend to be damaged more easily then we will draw the east baulk of k3 and remove it. I hestitate to remove the east baulk of k3 for the section shows nicely the brickmelt but the advantage of removing the baulk would be to show a continuation of f35 with f73. [Input: S806LR.j]
2008-08-14 lR In k4, bricks f99 were articulated today, these continue to run south forming a nice wall that intersects with f107 wall, running west to east. [Input: S816LR.j]
2008-08-16 lR In k4, we removed several centimeters to come towards the bricks of f99, exposing the faces from the west. Immediately, pavement f112 was found, west of f99. This pavement is under f90, forming a much nicer and more compacted surface than f35 pavement that was found in the same area but 10 cm higher in elevation. Lots of animal bones are sitting on this pavement, including a horn, mandibles, several long bones, and a skull of a smaller animal, perhaps a dog. [Input: S816LR.j]

Volumetric Localization

Roster Date Author Record
Elements within locus 2008-08-02 sE f66 (topsoil) [Input: S810LR3.j]
2008-08-02 lR f67 (layer) [Input: S810LR3.j]
2008-08-03 sE f69 (layer), f70 (fill), f71 (wall) [Input: S810LR3.j]
2008-08-03 lC f72 (pavement, type c) [Input: S810LR3.j]
2008-08-04 lR f73 (pavement, type c) [Input: S810LR3.j]
2008-08-04 sE f74 (accumulation A) [Input: S810LR3.j]
2008-08-04 yM f79 (fill) [Input: S810LR3.j]
2008-08-10 sE f107 (wall) [Input: S810LR3.j]
2008-08-18 yM i30 (bead) [Input: S819YM.j]
2008-08-02 sE q128 (bones, items, pottery) [Input: S805YM.j]
2008-08-03 sE q134 (bones, items, pottery), q138 (bones, items, pottery) [Input: S805YM.j]
2008-08-05 lC q142 (pottery) [Input: S805YM.j]
2008-08-05 sE q144 (bones, pottery), q147 (pottery), q148 (bones, pottery) [Input: S805YM.j]
2008-08-05 yM q154 (pottery) [Input: S805YM.j]
2008-08-07 yM q165 (bones, pottery) [Input: S810YM.j]
2008-08-18 yM q215 (items) [Input: S818YM2.j]
Extension of locus or q-lot 2008-08-13 yM m3415 [Input: S813YM2.j]
Length of two sides 2008-08-13 yM 300E [Input: S813YM2.j]
2008-08-13 yM 400N [Input: S813YM2.j]

6. REFERENCE

Analogical Record

Roster Date Author Record
View/drawing of locus

v49
2008-08-03 lC [Input: S811LC.j]

v50
2008-08-03 lC [Input: S811LC.j]

v50a
2008-08-03 lC [Input: S811LC.j]

v51
2008-08-04 sE [Input: S811LC.j]

v51a
2008-08-04 sE [Input: S811LC.j]

v63
2008-08-06 yM [Input: S812LC.j]

v63a
2008-08-06 yM [Input: S812LC.j]

v91
2008-08-17 lC [Input: S824LC2.j]

v91a
2008-08-17 lC [Input: S824LC2.j]

v90
2008-08-17 sE [Input: S824LC2.j]

v90a
2008-08-17 sE [Input: S824LC2.j]

v99
2008-08-19 lC [Input: S828LC.j]

v99a
2008-08-19 lC [Input: S828LC.j]

v99b
2008-08-19 lC [Input: S828LC.j]

v143
2008-08-28 lC [Input: S909LC2.j]

v144
2008-08-28 lC [Input: S909LC2.j]

v144a
2008-08-28 lC [Input: S909LC2.j]

v145
2008-08-28 lC [Input: S909LC2.j]

v151
2008-09-06 lC [Input: S915LC.j]

v152
2008-09-06 lC [Input: S916LC.j]

v153
2008-09-06 lC [Input: S916LC.j]

v154
2008-09-06 lC [Input: S916LC.j]

v156
2008-09-06 lC [Input: S916LC.j]

v156a
2008-09-06 lC [Input: S916LC.j]

w21
2008-09-13 lC [Input: S913LC.J]

w27
2008-09-13 lC [Input: S913LC.J]

w34
2008-09-13 lC [Input: S913LC.J]

w36
2008-09-13 lC [Input: S913LC.J]

w37
2008-09-13 lC [Input: S913LC.J]

w38
2008-09-13 lC [Input: S913LC.J]

v161
2008-09-15 lC [Input: S917LC4.j]

v161a
2008-09-15 lC [Input: S917LC4.j]
v163
2008-09-15 lC [Input: S917LC4.j]