.bk J02
.fl P828mH.j
.fd daily journal
.rd P828
.ri mH
.ed P828
.ei mH

-wk fAB gave us two more pickmen: Massud to work in k100 together with Mizar, and Sa'ud to work in k24 together with Jihad.

-eq We placed a large sifter below the elevator located in k15. We sift the soil coming from various locations. Sifting q-lots will be indicated within daily descriptions of loci.

-lb We combined k101 and k103 into k104 today.

k 104
dy We started following the gray layer and thus removing f246 in the whole unit (q638). We found what might be roofing pieces in q638, although nobody seems to be quite certain of the function of these things. Underneath we discovered a new brown soil layer (f253), which is shown in v110, v110a, and v110b. The feature slopes heavily towards south/southwest. The starting elevation at the highest point in the northwest was m4170 +84-154 = 88.03 and in the northeast it was m4170 +85-154 = 88.04. In the southeast corner, which is the lowest point, it was m4170 +75-154 = 87.94 m. While removing it (q642), we discovered two sealings (i16 and i17). After removing f253 the only feature left was f248 (=f247) and the difference between the northern edge of k104 and the southern end had increased significantly. In the north the elevation is m4169 +71-133 = 88.09 and in the south it is m4169 +41-133 = 87.79 m. For a couple of days now the pottery that has come from this area (previously k101 and k103) has been third millennium. Although the amounts of diagnostic sherds has been low, no later material has been found in these lots. Thus, gB and mKB thought it would be best to stop the excavation here for the time being and continue in k14 to the south of k104. We did than during the last hour of the day.
ar Yesterday gB suggested that rather than being a use-area, this area might actually be a dump area formed by the corner of f127 and f128. He suggested that perhaps refuse from the activities associated with the apron (f131) and perhaps located in front of it were dumped here behind f127. fAB paid attention to the apparent downward (south) slope of f127 and suggested that we took photos of f127 with a line and a line-level in place showing the slope. This we took. They are v110, v110a and v110b.

k 5
dy We continued going down in f164 on the eastern side of the elevator for one q-lot (q164) after which we moved to the western side of elevator. There we excavated one q-lot (q645) in which we found a glazed pottery piece (i20). 

k 15
dy We still had some of the northern baulk left thus we spent most of the day removing it. Its removal has taken us quite a few days due to the hardness of the soil in this location. q633 was collected by the pickmen, while q639 and q654 were recoved during sifting. After we finished removing the baulk, the northern edges of k5 and k15 were parallel. sC drew these sections. We then moved back on top of the loci and started preparing the ledges, which in this unit are diagonal sloping from northwest to southeast with the southwest corner remaining at the 90 m elevation. We continued with the same q-lot we had finished here a few weeks earlier (f193) and excavated one q-lot (q649) with one additional q-lot coming from the sifter (q649).

k 14
dy After reaching third millennium levels in k104 we moved Kamiran and Massum back to k14. We were only able to do a small q-lot today (f200 q652) with an additional q-lot (q653) recovered at the sifter. We continued with the use-area feature f200 we finished with here a while back.

k 23
dy We started excavating it (q636) during the excavation which we found a pit approximately 50 cm in diameter close to the southern end of the excavation area (v111 and v111a). The pit is feature f254 and its fill is f255. We then excavated the pit fill (f255 q644) and found a what seemed to be a Nuzi cup at the bottom (v113 and v113a). At the end of the day the bottom elevation of the area varies between 90.15 m closest to the north and 90.08 in the south.

k 24
dy We finished removing the top soil (f243 q637) and continued with the layer below topsoil (f252 q640). Abutting the southern edge of the unit was a semi-globular ashy lense. I relayed the southern edge of it (r756). It was approximately 63 cm east-west at the widest and approximately 27 cm high north-south. Within that area we found what seem to be a modern pottery handle.