https://urkesh.org/MZ/A/J05/D/K/0100.htm

Unit Book J5

The Mittani Staircase - Version 1a

J5k100

Processed on 2024-11-03

1. OVERVIEW

Roster Date Author Record
Best image 2009-03-13 jW [Input: T313JW.j]
2009-03-31 jW [Input: Y331JW.j]

2. IDENTIFICATION

Designation

Roster Date Author Record
Description (summary) 2008-08-06 jW A truncated, sawtooth-shaped block of soil which obscures the sightlines to the revetment wall, f3; the various platforms associated with it; the stone staircase, f21; the stone wall, f41; and the glacis associated with it, f74. [Input: S806JW.j]
2008-08-20 jW Removed upper portions of the northern projections, f110, to provide proper sightlines for the viewing platform. [Input: S820JW.j]
2009-03-18 jW An irregularly shaped polygon whose NW corner is m4966. This locus was excavated to clear sightlines into J5 from an observation platform built directly to the southwest. [Input: T318JW1.j]

3. STRATIGRAPHY

Recovery/Assignment

Roster Date Author Record
Daily notes about recovery of elements 2008-08-06 jW Excavated the baulk, f110, consisting of previously documented layers of soil which formed the locus, to a depth of 40cm below the surface. [Input: S807JW.j]
2008-08-06 jW Removed approximately 40cm of the stepped baulk line using workmen from J1. [Input: S807JW.j]
2008-08-09 jW Workmen temporarily detailed from J1 excavated natural accumulation, f110 in this locus. About 30cm were removed before they departed. [Input: S809JW.j]
2008-08-13 jW A crew from A20 resumed the excavation of the volumetric material, f110. [Input: S813JW.j]
2008-08-16 jW We continued to excavate natural accumulation, f110. It is very similar to natural accumulation, f136, in the adjacent locus, k32. [Input: S816JW.j]
2008-08-17 jW We continued to excavate natural accumulation, f110. We need to adjust the north and south borders of this locus to improve the sight-lines from the observation platform. [Input: S817JW.j]
2008-08-18 jW We exended the locus to the southwest by 150cm to improve the sightlines from the new observation platform south of k32. [Input: S818JW.j]
2008-08-19 jW Two crews excavated here, removing the projections to the northeast of the locus in preparation for excavating f157 to find the eScarpment linking units J5 and J1. We found two rows of stones. Unfounded f155, running northeast to southwest off the corner of revetment wall, f3, and f161, running north to south. [Input: S819JW.j]
2008-08-21 jW Finished excavating the northern projections of unexcavated baulks, f110. Near the south face of revetment wall, f3, continued to excavate natural accumulation, f157, to find the escarpment which we have found to the west, f74, which abuts wall f41 and to the east, features 189 and 239 in unit J1. gB believes that we will have to dig deepaer to reach it since it slopes severely from northeast to southwest and from north to south. [Input: S821JW.j]
2008-08-24 lH We started digging the topsoil, f159, of the southwestern extension of this locus in order to see the stone structures in k22, k23 and k24 more clearly from the Panorama to the south of J5. [Input: S824LH2.j]
2008-08-25 lH The strategy of the last three excavation days includes digging the southern edge of this locus to make it sloping. This work required extending the southern edge of k11 about 1m towards the south, so the slop can be done. The slope was done at the end of the excavation time today, with extention includes the southern edge of the southwest triangle of this locus (temporarily identified as locus 31) that had been removed for better view from the panorama to the south of J5. [Input: S825LH1.j]
2008-08-25 lH We removed the rest of the northeastern triangle (temporarily identified as locus 31) which we started digging yesterday for a better view from the panorama which is to the south of J5. Then we extended its southern edge 1 m to the south, in order to make it sloping at the same angle of the southeastern edge slope of formerly excavated parts of this locus. [Input: S825LH1.j]
2008-08-26 lH we removed the eastern part which used to be part of J1. The hight of this part is about three meters from the natural accumulation of f158 which coveres the compact floor accumulation, f169, that coveres the escarpment of the revetment wall in k12. Removing this part was in order to build a staircase that leads from the plaza near the revetment wall in J1 to the additional revetment wall, f3, and the stone structures in J5. [Input: S826LH.j]
2008-08-27 lH We removed the rest of volumetric accumulation, f159, in the eastern part of the upper step of this locus. We also removed the rest of the volumetric accumulation, f174, in the eastern part of the lower step of this locus. [Input: S827LH.j]
Strategy (projected or implemented) 2008-08-18 jW We will dig out the northeast teeth to within 100cm of the old baulk line. Also, we will excavate the northeastern two thirds of the southwest extension to the level already excavated along the northeastern edge. Then, we will slope the remaing 50cm slice from the surface on the southwest to the lower level to the northeast. [Input: S818JW.j]

Volumetric Localization

Roster Date Author Record
Elements within locus 2008-08-07 sNP f110 (volumetric material) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-08-19 dL f159 (volumetric material) [Input: S914LH.j]
2008-08-26 lH f174 (volumetric material) [Input: S914LH.j]
2009-07-21 sE f204 (volumetric material) [Input: T901SE.j]
2009-07-27 eA f213 (floor, type b) [Input: T901SE.j]
2009-07-28 sE f216 (isolated stone), f217 (isolated stone) [Input: T901SE.j]
2009-08-03 sE f235 (volumetric material) [Input: T901SE.j]
2009-07-30 sE i49 (chariot model) [Input: T820SE2.j]
2009-07-30 eA i50 (polishing stone) [Input: T820SE2.j]
2008-08-07 sNP q162 (bones, pottery) [Input: S807DL3.j]
2008-08-09 dL q171 (pottery) [Input: S809DL1.j]
2008-08-13 sNP q187 (pottery), q194 (pottery) [Input: S813DL1.j]
2008-08-16 dL q211 (pottery) [Input: S816DL1.j]
2008-08-17 dL q212 (bones, pottery) [Input: S817DL1.j]
2008-08-19 dL q223 (bones, pottery), q226 (pottery), q229 (bones, pottery) [Input: S819DL.j]
2008-08-20 sNP q230 (bones, pottery) [Input: S820DL.j]
2008-08-20 dL q232 (bones, pottery), q233 (bones, pottery) [Input: S820DL.j]
2008-08-21 sNP q237 (pottery) [Input: S823DL1.j]
2008-08-24 sNP q248 (pottery) [Input: S824DL.j]
2008-08-25 dL q257 (pottery) [Input: S825DL1.j]
2008-08-25 lH q259 (pottery) [Input: S825DL1.j]
2008-08-26 lH q265 (pottery), q267 (bones, pottery) [Input: S827DL.j]
2008-08-27 lH q276 (pottery), q281 (pottery) [Input: S827DL.j]
2009-07-21 sE q291 (bones, pottery) [Input: T725SE1.j]
2009-07-21 eA q293 (bones, pottery) [Input: T725SE1.j]
2009-07-22 eA q298 (bones, pottery) [Input: T725SE1.j]
2009-07-26 eA q312 (bones, pottery) [Input: T802SE.j]
2009-07-27 sE q314 (bones, pottery) [Input: T802SE.j]
2009-07-28 eA q318 (bones, pottery) [Input: T802SE.j]
2009-07-31 sE q323 (bones, pottery), q325 (bones, pottery) [Input: T802SE.j]
2009-08-03 eA q341 (bones, pottery) [Input: T805SE1.j]
2009-08-05 eA q346 (pottery) [Input: T805SE1.j]
2009-08-06 eA q354 (pottery) [Input: T810SE2.j]
2009-08-06 jN q360 (pottery) [Input: T810SE2.j]
2009-08-08 eA q362 (pottery), q370 (bones, pottery) [Input: T810SE2.j]
2009-08-09 eA q372 (pottery) [Input: T810SE2.j]
2009-08-10 eA q380 (pottery) [Input: T813JN.j]
2009-08-26 sE q482 (pottery) [Input: T829SE.j]
Relays (applicable to elements) 2009-08-23 jG r1527 (42428 45688 - 9118 / Relay location: NW corner) [Input: T823JW.R]
2009-08-23 jG r1528 (41779 46243 - 9066 / Relay location: Notch N) [Input: T823JW.R]
2009-08-23 jG r1529 (41691 46214 - 9098 / Relay location: Notch S) [Input: T823JW.R]
2009-08-23 jG r1530 (41626 46383 - 9100 / Relay location: Notch E) [Input: T823JW.R]
2009-08-23 jG r1531 (41545 46452 - 9097 / Relay location: NE high corner) [Input: T823JW.R]
2009-08-23 jG r1532 (40974 46198 - 9182 / Relay location: SE high corner) [Input: T823JW.R]
2009-08-23 jG r1533 (41114 45614 - 9205 / Relay location: SW high corner) [Input: T823JW.R]
2009-08-23 jG r1534 (41896 45658 - 9211 / Relay location: Mid-west corner) [Input: T823JW.R]
2009-08-23 jG r1535 (42155 45535 - 9225 / Relay location: NW corner) [Input: T823JW.R]
2009-08-23 jG r1540 (41400 46580 - 9004 / Relay location: NE low corner) [Input: T823JW.R]
2009-08-23 jG r1541 (40893 46411 - 8993 / Relay location: SE low corner) [Input: T823JW.R]
Extension of locus or q-lot 2009-03-18 jW m4966 [Input: T318JW1.j]
Notes on volumetric localization 2009-03-18 jW The perimeter points that define this locus are, proceding counterclockwise from the NW corner: m4966, r740, r741, r543, r542, r541, r540, r539, r538, r537, r536. [Input: T318JW.j]

6. REFERENCE

Analogical Record

Roster Date Author Record
View/drawing of locus

v64
2008-08-09 lH [Input: S809LH.j]

v73
2008-08-11 lH [Input: S811LH.j]

v73a
2008-08-11 lH [Input: S811LH.j]

v73b
2008-08-11 lH [Input: S811LH.j]

v125
2008-09-22 jW [Input: S922JW.j]

v125a
2008-09-22 jW [Input: S922JW.j]

v125b
2008-09-22 jW [Input: S922JW.j]

p1
2009-03-23 jW [Input: T323JW1.j]

v150
2009-07-21 jN [Input: T728SE1.j]

v150a
2009-07-21 jN [Input: T728SE1.j]

v160
2009-07-28 sE [Input: T729SE.j]

v161
2009-07-30 sE [Input: T804SE.j]

v166
2009-08-01 sE [Input: T804SE.j]

v172
2009-08-03 jN [Input: T805SE2.j]