Rationale for the 2010 sounding
below third millennium glacis surface

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Introduction

The quantity of LC3 material in some of the strata of J3 that are found immediately above the third millennium glacis was surprising. It belonged to several accumulations, that had a substantial amount of exclusively LC3 sherds, laid horizontally. Since it was certain that the glacis itself belonged to the ED III period (because it has elsewhere is overlaid by ED III material and because it abuts the revetment wall that has ED III material at its base), the LC3 strata could not have been deposited in LC3 times. And yet, their quantity and the general nature of the accumulation suggested that this was not a casual and limited fill.

For this reason I suggested that we open a sounding that would pierce the seal provided by the third millennium glacis, to explore the possibility that immediately below it there may have been its fourth millennium equivalent. The very thought that there may have been such a high monumental structure in the middle of the fourth millennium is astounding, but it is not unfounded.

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Background

Since the beginning of our interest in Mozan we have been researching the nature and extent of the settled area in all the time periods of the occupation of the site. Initially we conducted in the spring of 1985 a surface survey of the High Mound and in the winter 1985-6 a foot survey of the entire Outer City (results of both were published in Mozan 1, 1988).

It was clear to us from our first visit to the site in 1983 that the High Mound was bounded on all sides by a city wall. Our first inspection of the topography indicated that the sides of the High Mound were too steep to be explained by a natural slope. In addition a recent clearing of part of this wall by local people excavating for soil to make mud bricks had exposed part of this wall. Our subsequent excavations in K1 and K2 detailed part of the history of the wall on the eastern side of the city.

The prominent topography of the High Mound with its seven higher portions around a central depression was appreciated immediately. Also immediately noticed was the fact that the central portion had very few sherds on the surface in comparison with the remaining areas of the High Mound. Based on the evidence collected in the first survey we concluded that the mound was extensively occupied in the mid to late third millennium, that the Ninevite V period was well represented, especially on the northwestern portion of the site, and that some fourth millennium presence was indicated.

From this first survey and subsequent excavations it has been proven that the whole of the High Mound was covered with the mid to late third millennium occupation. The Ninevite V occupation of the mound was investigated in the well sounding (S2) on the north, the excavations at the base of the slope of the mound on the north (S1), the burial in F2, and the soundings connected with the revetment wall and monumental stairway.

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The shape and extent of the mound in the Halaf period

At the bottom of the small but deep well sounding (S2) there were Halaf sherds. Also on the southwestern perimeter of the Outer City there is a small mound with Halaf pottery. Halaf pottery is sometimes found out of context in the excavation unite. While none of these places has yielded many Halaf sherds, the number and the widespread nature of the finds indicates that there was a Halaf presence both in what later became the High Mound and in the Outer City.

The Outer City examples from the south west of the site may represent another, outlying, site not physically connected with the one below the High Mound. We know from our survey of the sites in the surrounding 10 KM area that this was a very important Halaf settlement zone and that the nearby site of Hajji Nasr was probably the most noteworthy site in the area in that time period. It appears then that a small site existed at least under the northeastern portion of the High Mound.

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The shape and extent of the mound in the fourth millennium

While we did have evidence for the fourth millennium from the first survey of the High Mound (Mozan 1, p. 45), it was only with the excavations of JP that we have begun to investigate its nature and extent. In 2005 we excavated a large amount of LC3 pottery and some seal impressions in J3, on top of the temple terrace bounded by the revetment wall. The deposits containing pottery and seal impressions were relatively high on the slope inside the encircling revetment wall GET. After this finding we have discovered this season during the analysis of all the ceramics from J3 that there are a number of high features containing LC3 pottery (f 114, 151, 152, 120, 121, 107, 209, 513) with an elevation near and above 9260. These features are significant in that, with the exception of f513, they make up a stratum above the baqaya stratum that seals the lower deposits. While some of these features are mixed with some later sherds, this is to be expected because there was no secure seal above this stratum. However many of the features only contain LC3 ceramics and therefore we can consider that the large amount of LC3 pottery gives us the date to this stratum.

From this evidence, so high in elevation under the ED III temple, we have concluded that the highest part of the mound in LC3 is under the later temple and probably contained a temple at its summit , the highly plausible reason for its construction in such an early period. This very high monument must have been a point of reference for all the surrounding area, both local residents as well as travelers in the entire region. It is interesting to look at these travelers (originating locally or from farther away). If they are traveling north, on most days the gap in the Tur Abdin at Mardin is easily apparent, guiding them in that direction. If they are going south, both the Jebel Sinjar and the Jebel Abdl Azziz could be points of reference, however many of the parts of the Jezirah along such a route are low lying, making the outlines of these two hilly regions impossible to see. Also while in the early morning, with little haze, these high hills are visible, later in the day and in the evening they are nearly always obscured. However if the traveler is going east-west, the high terrace in the area of Mozan is extremely useful in judging the amount of space covered. Based on these considerations it can be suggested that the high terrace in the city was a chief organizing landscape element for most travelers in the region (Bradley). While there were many religious, political, socio-economic reasons for expending the resources to build such a monumental terrace, its dominance as a constructed monumental marker for travelers must have been of importance to the city.

The extent of the fourth millennium settlement on the High Mound cannot yet be determined but given the resources expended to construct the terrace and given its position in the landscape along major trade routes we are expecting that our research in the coming years will uncover a major fourth millennium settlement on Mozan.

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Goals for the 2010 season

With these considerations in mind we have decided to excavate a 2 by 2m trench in the northeastern corner of J3. This trench will line up with the deep sounding made on the southern side of the area just inside of the revetment wall. For reasons explained elsewhere in the J3 UGR, this deep sounding did not reach the goal of dating the mound just below the surface in that area. With the analysis of the new features dating to the fourth millennium we have now determined that there is a stratum above the baqaya that is homogenous in terms of the large number of ceramics dating to the LC3 period. It is not easy to explain how this stratum was deposited above the baqaya but its early date is indicated by the type and number of ceramics. In order to determine the date of the temple terrace in this area, this new sounding will be excavated to extend our knowledge of what is below the baqaya , hoping that the ceramics in the baqaya and especially below it will date the temple terrace in this area.