J1 topic
Final summary in 2009
The home for this page is J1
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Introduction
Main results
Introduction
The excavation in J1 was directed this year to check the nature of the stones found last year at the very end of the season in the small sounding k128 and to investigate the earlier levels, probably belonging to the Late Chalcolithic period, below the ED III structures belonging to the terrace complex.
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Main results
The results are very interesting. First of all the structure f288 found in the sounding is clearly a wall running in an easterly direction. Moreover this EW wall is bonded to another wall, preserved even at a higher elevation and running north to south. Since last year we were assuming on the base of the stratigraphy that these two walls could be contemporary and in fact they are. So wall f288 and f259 form an L shaped structure that we are assuming, on the base of its nature and location it could have the same purpose of the later ED III terrace complex. Unfortunately the date for this structure is not sure yet. In the small sounding k130 we reached the base of wall f288 and we removed the accumulation f355 abutting its base with pure LC3 sherds. So far just few sherds were recovered and more extended excavation is required to have a sure date. But in general it seems plausible a same function for these structures assuming the existence of a Late Chalcolithic mound and a Late Chalcolithic plaza, involving an extraordinary continuity of meaning and use for this sacral area. The situation in the northern half of J1 is complex because of the later cuts and the strong erosion that damaged in antiquity the structure at the base of the revetment wall f72. So it is very difficult to reconstruct the depositional history of this area at the base of the temple terrace. Another important result was the clear definition for the date of the escarpments. The first escarpment ^esc1 is dating to the ED III like the following ^esc2. The reconstruction of the escarpment after a short period of time is due, not to the rise of the plaza, but to the big erosion that damaged deeply the surface of ^esc1. So in order to protect the base of the wall a much higher escarpment was built using dumping bricky material, in which have been found many sealing impressions (i71, i72, i78, i79, i80). This massive erosion also created a break in the northern portion of wall f259 excavating a sort of channel f344. In k129 we checked the already recorded direct over position of Mittani pavement and accumulations on top of Ninevite 5 levels. In fact these natural Mittani accumulations abut the southern eroded surface of the ^esc1 and ^esc2 and the Mittani pebble and sherd pavement f325 is directly on top of sloping Ninevite 5 natural accumulations and floors. In k131 was excavated a small sounding to check the width of wall f259 and the stratigraphy to the west of it. These natural levels abutting the western face of wall f259 show a pottery mixed with LC and Ninevite 5 sherds. My explanation is that the wall, being a sort of retaining wall, was built against some material, but in a second moment the water erosion removed these levels and brought other mixed material forming these natural accumulations abutting the wall.
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