.bk J02
.fl P816mH.j
.fd daily journal
.rd P816
.ri mH
.ed P816
.ei mH

-wk I got a new team of workmen. They are Faraz (pick), Mehdaui (dirt), Muhammed (dirt), Ibrahim (dirt). Ahmed from k15 left around 7 in the morning with gB's blessing and came back after breakfast.

-eq We had serious problems with the elevators today. Elevator in k100 was broken most of the day, but ran for about an hour, an hour and a half in the afternoon. Elevator in k14 ran periodically, but most of the ddirt generated in k13 and k14 was removed with sambils or small buckets. Elevator in k5 worked best todat but even there we had to rely on sambils and buckets quite often.

-mt Since the elevator in k14 had serious problems most of the day, most of the dirt was removed with sambils and buckets, which obviously made excavating slower.

-mt Yesterday we had decided upon taking a look at the q-lot pairs coming from the excavator of k101 and from the sifter today in order to determine whether we miss a lot of material by just relying on the eye of the excavator as we usually do. If we do not miss much, we could safely stop sifting. Because we had a problem with the elevator located in k14, sifting the material from 101 presented logistical problems of getting the dirt up to the sifter fast and safe. I thought this was a good time to make the determination of whether to continue or not. mKB and I looked at the materials recovered yesterday and concluded that although the sifter does recover more smaller pottery pieces than the excavators normally do, these small pieces really do not add to the information obtained from excavated pottery to the extent that would justify the effort of sifting. We presented our conclusions together with the logistical problems we were having to gB and jO and both agreed that there was no need to continue sifting in k101. The decision was reached just when we decided to stop excavations in k101 for the time being. Once we start again in a couple of days we will not continue sifting.

k 13
dy At the start of the morning gB came to take a look at the area formed by k101 and k13 and shown in v87. The elevation this plane in k13 is m3965+42-138 = 88.65 m, i.e. the same elevation where f150 in k4 is currently and where samples q397, q398, and q399 were taken. He was of the opinion that we are definitely excavating in a use area. He told us to continue excavating with a big pick but paying attention to possible surfaces. At this point we had been excavating in f171 for 30 cm and thus we decided to change the feature (f183) although the brown soil with ash concentrations seemed to continue. Right at the start of the excavation of the next pick run (f183 q496) we ran into what seems to be a pebble and sherd pavement or floor just south of the stone and next to f127. At the sight of this we decided just to remove the dirt that Kamiran had loosened and not excavate further. At this point we do not know whether the pavement/floor continues beyond the exposed area of approximately 40x30cm. At this point we were at 88.47m, i.e. 20cm lower than the current surface of f150 in k4.
sg Once gB heard that we had exposed a pavement/floor surface he suggested that we should aim for a large horizontal exposure of the use area formed by f150 in k4, f171 and f183 in k13, and f174 and f182 in k101. This necessitates going down in k14, in the southern part of k4, and north baulk of k5. Thus stopped excavating in k13 and k101, and moved the team to k14.

k 101
dy At the start of the morning gB came to take a look at the area formed by k101 and k13 and shown in v87. The elevation this plane in k101 is m3965+39-138 = 88.62 m, i.e. the same elevation where f150 in k4 is currently and where samples q397, q398, and q399 were taken. gB also took a look at the white layer (v87b). He determined that it was vegetable fibers. Their preservation does suggest that this surface was once a horizontal plane. We took a sample of this material (q496.1) and continued excavating. At this point we had been excavating in f174 for about 35 cm so we decided to change the feature (f182), although the brown soil with ash concentrations seemed to continue. After we had dug one pickrun (q494 below and q495 by the sifter), developments in k13 resulted in stopping the excavations there and in k101 temporarily until k14, remaining part of k4 and the north baulk of k5 have been brough to the same level as f150 in k4, f171 (f183) in k13, and f174 (f182) in k101.

k 14
dy After stopping the excavations in k101 and k13 we moved the team here in order to reach the level of features f150 in k4, f171 (f183) in k13, and f174 (f182) in k101. We continued with the feature we had stopped in earlier, feature f162, which is a sandy water deposit. We are only excavating in an area 400 cm east and 250 cm south of m4031 since the elevator is in the south part of the unit. The first and second q-lots were contaminated. These two q-lots also had labelling problems. Back at the house Diadin noticed that two bags had the same label q502 when one of them should have been q504. We now do not know, which one is which thus pottery data from these two q-lots are unreliable.The last q-lot of the day (q506) was located in the eastern part of the unit 100 cm east and 250 south of m4034. This q-lot already started approximately from the starting elevation of f150 in k4 (f150 started from 89.18 m whereas q506 started from 89.14 m), it remained as the sandy water deposit of f162. From the southern section of k13 and k101 we can see that we have still a couple of pickruns to go before we reach the use-area deposit if it is to be found here.
sg This unit will be a transition area between the target elevation 85 m, a required 60 cm ledge at 86 m, a 2 m slope betweeen 86 m and 88 m, and the 88 m ledge. I have planned to position these so that the vertical section between 85 m and 86 m will be at the north baulk line and the 60 cm wide ledge at 86 m will be the just south of the baulk line. We will use the next 40 cm of horizontal extent south of the ledge for the slope, and the southern 3 m will be at the 88 m elevation. Thus, in search for the possible use-area deposit relating to f150 in k4, f171 (f183) in k13, and f174 (f182) in k101, we can go down without compromising the stepped sections planned for this locus.

k 15
dy We continued going down in the whole unit (q500 and q505). Progress was rather slow since we had problems with the elevator located in k5 and jointly used by k15 and k4 (+northern baulk of k5). The north-east corner of the unit is still contaminated by a German trench.

k 4
dy We first started by bring the northern baulk of k5 down to level with the southern part of k4 (f181 q497, q501). We started labeling the northern baulk of k5 below the 90 m level as k4 since it is excavated together with the southern part of k4. We then continued down in this whole southern area of k4 (q507). Just in the area of the corner of northern and eastern baulk of k5 we found small pieces of broken bricks.
sg We are getting close to stone feature f144. From the section it seems that there is a layer of bricks just above them during their whole length. This layer of bricks then seems to slope down towards west after the stones end. Tomorrow we have to pay close attention to the surface in order to detect these possible brick.

k 5
nl We started labeling the northern baulk of k5 below the 90 m level as k4 since it is excavated together with the southern part of k4.

q 497
ds Contained small pieces of brick.

f 144
ds The stones used in this feature is marble-like. Some surfaces are very smooth to touch. The northern face of some of the stones is reddish. This red seems to be part of the stone, but it is curious that the upper surfaces do not have this reddish color.

q 502
nl Two bags were labeled with this number when one of them should actually have been q504. Thus pottery data from both qlots (q502 and q504) are unreliable.

q 504
nl Two bags were labeled as q502 when one of them should actually have been q504. Thus pottery data from both qlots (q502 and q504) are unreliable.

f 171
ar After the excavations were stoped in k13 temporarily I had a look at the southern section of the unit, where soil color and texture changes were clearly visible. In the section we can see a gray deposit, which is clearly natural. This we had labeled f140. Underneath that is a browner layer with a crumbly texture. At the time of excavation we labeled this as f171. At first this feature contained plenty of tannur pieces, bone, gypsum pieces and ash. About 15-20 down the soil turns more compact and contains even more ash and charcoal. While excavating these changes were not as pronounced thus we kept the same feature number through this change. The tannur pieces, bone, ash and charcoal all indicate, however, that this feature as a whole was a use area.

.rd P814
q 455
ds During excavation we noted plenty of tannur pieces but not the actual installation in situ.

q 462
ds During excavation we noted plenty of tannur pieces but not the actual installation in situ.

q 459
ds During sifting we found some tannur pieces.