Roster |
Date |
Author |
Record |
Daily notes about recovery of elements |
2004-06-28 |
mH |
Yesterday we reached a level below topsoil the bottom boundary of which I considered to be a dark organic band also visible in k4. We spend a fair amount of time making sure we were level after which we continued down with big picks. f4 in k5 is similar to f5 in k4. It is mostly hard and compact with patches of softer soil where there is or was organic matter. We unearthed some pottery but very few other kinds of objects. [Input: O628MH.j] |
2004-06-29 |
mH |
We continued with f4 in this unit for most of the day. Compared with yesterday, however, the pebbles seem to have become larger. Half way through the day we located a large stone close to the middle of the northern baulk. We did not reach the bottom of it today. This stone seems to be there alone and probably has eroded down from the temple terrace to the north. It is definitely located much higher than we wound expect if it were an in situ part of the apron. Towards the end of the day I changed the feature in the whole locus into f8 although there was no change in the soil matrix. fAB suggested I do this in order to keep track of the pottery that comes from this unit better. Close to the southwestern corner of the unit we located a bird's nest with three dead birds in it. The nest seems to be quite big and thus has created significant disturbance to this area of the unit. The nest influences q15 and q19 excavated today and will continue to affect the first q-lot excavated in this unit tomorrow. [Input: O629MH3.j] |
2004-06-30 |
mH |
In k5 we continued clearing the whole unit one big pick full at a time. The feature continued as f8, which means that the soil was a mixture of harder and softer patches. It is clearly natural accumulation. Towards the end of the day we run into a line of stones running south from the large stone close to the middle of the northern baulk (f14). These stones are quite small but since they are clearly in a line they must be the result of human activity. To the east of this line two such stones are slightly visible on the surface. More of these stones are located to the west of the line. In case these stones delineate a working area or the like, I made the area 300 cm east and 400 cm south of m3604 into f16, which I termed a (accumulation). This area includes also the two stones visible to the east of the stone line. I had the workmen pick with a small pick to the west of the stone line (q31). As of now there does not seem to be any associated floor surface, but this will be determined tomorrow. Interestingly, it now seems that the large stone (f14) in the north is resting on another large stone. If this is indeed the case, it would seem that this stone is not an isolated stone but perhaps a part of a feature. [Input: O630MH.j] |
2004-07-01 |
mh |
We excavated more around the stoneline in f16. To the east of f16 I kept the feature as f8 with the provision that if stones would be revealed under q36, I would include this area into f16. We did not, however, find more stones in that area and thus I kept q36 within f8. After we had excavated q36 the unit floor was level. The stoneline discovered extends now from the big stone in the north to the middle of the unit. To the west and to the south of it there are scattered stones. I expect that the line extends further south although it does not do so now. The stone placements are clearly man made but since we have thus far been unable to locate any floor surfaces associated with the stones, it seems that this construction was only used temporarily. [Input: O703MH3.j] |
2004-07-04 |
mh |
We did not excavate in this unit today, but relayed the stones found here. I assigned them as f27 and defined that as lens type c. [Input: O704MH.j] |
2004-07-05 |
mh |
We took two photos of the unit with the stone feature f24 as the target. I also sketches them in on the plots I ran yesterday. We did not excavated here today. [Input: O705MH4.j] |
2004-07-06 |
mH |
I drew the northern baulk. [Input: O706MH.j] |
2005-08-08 |
mH |
We left a 40 cm wide ledge on the southern edge of the unit abutting the baulk in preparation for the stepped sectioning we will do later when we reach lower depths. [Input: P808MH.j] |
2005-08-08 |
sC |
Today we start digging k5. We delineated the area where to dig with a relay (r483) and we started to dig 350mEWx390NS. We assigned two feature numbers: f157 to the top 10 cm of k5 and f158 to the accumulation below this: the square has been contaminated by the dirt moved here during the past days (due to the presence of the elevator). f157 is characterized by a very soft and dusty texture and gray colour. One qlot was collected during the excavation of f157 (q408) and one during the excavation of f158 (q409) . [Input: P808SC2.j] |
2005-08-09 |
mH |
We started by removing soil only on the eastern half of the unit, which was left higher at the end of the day yesterday. We then continued down (both included in q410). The soil here was a combination of extremely hard patches alternating with significantly softer areas. This resembles the situatiuon at the same elevation in all units. After breakfast bP came to define the baulks and edges of the unit and thus the work here was stopped for a while. Since we started work here without the baulk lines, I had defined an area for excavation that was located securely within the unit. After bP had redefined the unit, we had about 30 cm wide area unexcavated in the east, 15 cm in the north and 30 in the west. We started removing them from the west (q416), continued in the north (q417), in the east (q418). In the east we were able to remove only an area 1 m long north-south before it was time to call it a day. sC and I returned to the field in the afternoon and draw the northern section. [Input: P809MH.j] |
2005-08-10 |
mH |
sC and I drew the norther baulk of k5 yesterday afternoon. This morning we removed it (q421). The baulk was not particularly high, but its edges were very soft and thus they were a safety hazard. Before bP had put the baulk markers in we had excavated well with the limits of the unit in order to make sure that we would not accidentally excavate into our baulks. Yesterday bP but the markers in and we started to excavate the areas in between the real baulk and our excavated area. Yesterday we were able to do most of it and today we finished this work on the east (q422). After that we continued going down the whole unit (q424, q426). [Input: P810MH.j] |
2005-08-11 |
mH |
We started the morning by excavating the southern half of the unit (q429), which was left higher up at the end of the day yesterday. When we removed the northern baulk on Thursday, we had removed the northwest baulk corner stake (m4037) and the northeast baulk corner stake (m4038). Today bP gave us new markers for these corners (NE baulk corner is m4050 and the NW corner is m4051). When that was done, we could straighten the section (q430). At the start of excavations here in k5 we had left a 40 cm legde along the southern edge of the unit in preparation for the stepped section. Because we decided yesterday that we would place the steps on fixed elevations, we did not need this ledge here anymore and thus we removed it (f163 q431). We gave it a new feature number (f163) but in actuality it consists of both f157 at the top and f158 below it. Afterwards we continued excavations in the whole unit (q434). [Input: P813MH.j] |
2005-08-13 |
mH |
We started excavating in the eastern half of the unit (q436), which had been left higher on Thursday. We continued by going down in the whole unit (q437, and q444) until we reached the 90 m elevation the ledge of which this unit is. While excavating q444, we found a metal item (i8). At the end of the day we moved the elevator from k15 into this unit since we stop the excavation in this unit at this 90 m level. [Input: P813MH2.j] |
2005-08-15 |
mH |
We removed the norther baulk of the unit (q479) and brought it level with the southern part of k4 left higher during last year's excavations. We also worked just east of the NE corner of the whole locus (f178 q488) in order to make our excavation area visually nicer. We also removed the corner formed by the northern and eastern baulks of k5 (f180 q493). [Input: P815MH.j] |
2005-08-23 |
sC |
Today we started to remove the E baulk of k5. On in the top of the baulk a floating limestone (f222, r678, r679) has been removed. [Input: P823SC.j] |
2005-08-24 |
sC |
Today one team of workmen (Omar, Abdrhim, Adel, Abdrhman and Ahmed) continued to remove the E baulk of k5 (f220). The elevator was not working propely almost all the day, therefore some of the workmen took some time from the work in order to help to move the elevator outside of the excavation area before breakfast. f220 is characterized by a medium loose soil on the top surface mixed with layers with more compact texture. It is grayish and light brown in colour. It is poor in pottery sherd and bones. Today we dig aproximately 400N and 80cm E, and a large area still need to be removed: part of the E baulk, in fact, is bound with a ledge of soil that extends toward E for about 1,30m. Due to the breake of the elevator the workmen needed to move the sirty from the the square by passing the baskets, and this made the work slower. [Input: P824SC.j] |
2005-08-25 |
sC |
Today Omar, Abdrhim, Adel, Abdrhman and Ahmed continued to remove the 1,3m ledge of soil extending toward E in the E baulk of k5 (f220); this feature is rich in pottery sherds and in q-items (qlot597, qlot603 and qlot605). It is still characterized by a medium loose soil mixed with layers with different texture, more compact. It is grayish and light brown in colour. [Input: P825SC.j] |
2005-08-27 |
mH |
We finished removing the remainder of the east baulk (f220 q612). Since the plan in k4 and k5 was to go as deep as the apron (f131) steps take us, it was no longer possible to leave the whole of k5 onto the 90 m elevation. We need to excavate this locus so that it will eventually contain the 86 m ledge, slope between the 86 m and 88 m ledge, the 88 m legde, the slope between 88 m and 90 m, and the 90 m ledge. The 90 m ledge will be located along the southern edge of the locus. I measure 2 meters in from the northern edge of the ledge-to-be and instructed the men to dig within this 2 m stretch. We could not excavated all the way to the northern edge of the locus today, since the northern face still needs to be drawn. We continued with the feature we finished with a while back and excavated three q-lots (q619, q622, and q628). These were all located to the east of the elevator, which occupies roughly the center of the locus. [Input: P827MH.j] |
2005-08-28 |
mH |
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). [Input: P828MH.j] |
2005-08-29 |
mH |
We went down in three different locations defined by the presence of the elevator approximately in the middle of the unit and the fact that we had had to save the edge for drawing, which we finished yesterday. We excavated to the west of the elevator (f164 q662 and q665), next to the edge both west (f164 q664) and east of the elevator (f164 q656, q670, and q672). These q-lots procuded several lithic artifacts and q670 even contained a piece of a tannur. [Input: P830MH.j] |
2005-08-31 |
mH |
We continued removing f164 in various areas of k5. We started in the northeast corner of the excavation area. This is not the real northeast corner of the locus, but approximately 2 m to the east. The northeast corner of this qlot (q678) is r942. We then excavated due north of the elevator located approximately in the middle of the unit (q685) and in the northwest corner of the locus (q686). [Input: P831MH.j] |
2005-09-04 |
sC |
Today we continued to dig f277 in k5. Firstly we start by removing soil only in the western area of k5, which was left higer since yesterday (q730, q735), then we continuing down in the whole unit. After breakfast Omar was picking in the eastern area of k5 (q738, and E to the elevator) while Mamu and Shallal in the western part of the unit (q743, W to the elevator). In the afernoon we continued excavating here. First we define the limits in k5 of (for the sections) in the S and in the E the area of k5, leaving 40cm along the southern and westsern section of k5, then we start by removing the soil only in the southern part of the unit, which was left higer from the morning excavation (q749), and we dig W to the elevator (q753) for just one pickrun; we stop digging in k5 because we move Shallal in k [Input: P903SC.j] |
2005-09-05 |
sC |
After breakfast we continued to dig f164 in k5 in the northern area of the unit, where we dug a ledge that was higer (q697) and that abut the E baulk of k15. We removed also a "pseudo baulk" in the E baulk of k5 (aproximately 3m S and 1mW from r942) to which we assigned another feature number, f261 (q675, q678). [Input: P831SC.j] |
2005-09-05 |
sC |
Today we continued to dig f164 in k5 by removing it firstly in the NW corner the unit (q705, q708 and q711). Then we change feature number, and we labeled all the area as f277. We then start to dig f277 (that is the same of f164: we change because we were digging f164 since a lot of days) by removing it firstly in the area of k5, W to the elevator (the pottery recovered has been collected in the following qlots: q719, q724; q724 contains the pottery recovered in the excavation of a little area E to the elevator -0,10cm E and 0,10cm S from r961- that was left has been better defined). [Input: P901SC.j] |
2009-08-05 |
cJC |
Today we only worked in k5. We went down only about 20 centimeters because we are working with the small pick. We have 2 pickmen working in the square. We had only 2 features and 2 q-lots. [Input: T805CJC.j] |
2009-08-13 |
cJC |
We are finished excavating in this locus. It will be backfilled at the end of the season. [Input: T815CJC.j] |
Strategy (projected or implemented) |
2004-06-29 |
mH |
Tomorrow we will continue with the big pick since there does not seem to be anything going on in this unit. We will leave the stone pedestalled once we reach its bottom. [Input: O629MH3.j] |
2004-06-30 |
mH |
We will carefully clean the area excavated last today (q31) and excavate the rest of the unit with small pick looking for a floor or the like. Outside f16 I will still use f8 until it becomes necessary to change it. The stones are quite small and after we have excavated the rest of the unit, they are on the surface of the unit. At this point we will take a picture of the situation and if no clear floor level has emerged we will remove the stones and continue down with a different feature number in the whole unit. [Input: O630MH.j] |
2004-07-01 |
mh |
We stopped the excavations here temporarily so that other units can reach this level. Once we have done so, we will resume excavations here. [Input: O703MH3.j] |
2004-07-06 |
mH |
We will take down the northern baulk tomorrow. [Input: O706MH.j] |
2005-08-09 |
mH |
On further consideration I came to the conclusion that we should not have left the 40 cm legde at the southern edge of k5. Instead we should continued 2 m down from the southern edge of the J2 (which is simultaneously the southern egde of k5), move south 90 cm, continue down 2 m, and then cut a slope so that only 50 cm remains of the 90 cm ledge we left. Repeating this procedure we should be able to make the stepped section we are planning. [Input: P809MH.j] |
2005-08-15 |
mH |
Whereas most of k5 will remain at the 90 m level, the northern baulk will be excavated until the 88 m level thus it will first be brought level with the southern part of k4 and then we will continued together in these two areas. The joint area will be labeled under k4. [Input: P815MH.j] |
Argument |
2005-08-23 |
sC |
in order to define the localization of f222 we took only two relays because of the lack of markers point in this moment in and close to this area. [Input: P823SC.j] |
Formal inconsistencies |
2009-08-26 |
cJC |
After plotting the J2 loci from MZ22 it became apparent that they do not exactly match the squares of the previous years. This is not totally unexpected as we had many problems at the beginning of the season trying to reestablish the squares due to the small number remaining markers in J2 as well as the depth of J2 compared to the remaining markers. The differences are not substantial but should be noted. [Input: T826CJC.j] |
Roster |
Date |
Author |
Record |
Elements within locus |
2007-07-18 |
pC |
a5 (installation) [Input: S206PC2.j] |
2004-06-30 |
mh |
f2 (topsoil), f4 (layer), f8 (layer) [Input: O630MH3.j] |
2004-07-29 |
mh |
f14 (stone), f16 (lens) [Input: O807AP3.j] |
2004-07-04 |
mh |
f24 (lens type c) [Input: O807AP5.j] |
2008-01-31 |
pC |
f44 (mixed) [Input: S131PC3.j] |
2007-07-20 |
sC |
f82 (accumulation D) [Input: S131PC2.j] |
0000-00-00 |
ap |
f123 (mixed) [Input: O808AP3.j] |
2005-08-08 |
sC |
f157 (accumulation D) [Input: P912MH.j] |
2005-08-08 |
aL |
f158 (accumulation D) [Input: P912MH.j] |
2005-08-08 |
mH |
f160 (accumulation D) [Input: P912MH.j] |
2005-08-11 |
vVE |
f163 (lens type d) [Input: P912MH.j] |
2005-08-11 |
sC |
f164 (lens type d) [Input: P912MH.j] |
2005-08-14 |
sC |
f177 (lens type d) [Input: P912MH.j] |
2005-08-15 |
vVE |
f178 (lens type d), f180 (lens type d) [Input: P912MH.j] |
2005-08-23 |
sC |
f220 (accumulation D), f222 (isolated stone) [Input: P913MH.j] |
2005-09-01 |
aL |
f277 (accumulation D) [Input: P913MH.j] |
2009-09-02 |
cJC |
f338 (mx) [Input: T830CJC.j] |
2009-07-25 |
cJC |
f340 (brickfall), f342 (brickfall) [Input: T822CJC2.j] |
2009-07-26 |
cJC |
f343 (mx), f344 (floor, type b) [Input: T822CJC2.j] |
2009-09-02 |
cJC |
f359 (floorsurface in general) [Input: T830CJC.j] |
2009-08-01 |
cJC |
f360 (mx), f361 (floor, type d) [Input: T822CJC2.j] |
2009-08-02 |
cJC |
f362 (pavement, type c) [Input: T822CJC2.j] |
2009-08-03 |
cJC |
f363 (floor, type d) [Input: T822CJC2.j] |
2009-08-05 |
cJC |
f364 (floor, type d) [Input: T822CJC2.j] |
2009-08-06 |
cJC |
f365 (floor, type d), f366 (erosion cut), f369 (floor, type c) [Input: T822CJC2.j] |
2009-08-12 |
cJC |
f376 (erosion cut) [Input: T822CJC2.j] |
2005-08-13 |
vVE |
i8 (unknown) [Input: P913MH4.j] |
2005-08-25 |
mH |
i20 (ceramic vessel) [Input: P913MH4.j] |
2005-08-29 |
aL |
i23 (andiron) [Input: P913MH4.j] |
2005-09-07 |
sc |
i26 (ceramic vessel) [Input: P913MH4.j] |
2009-08-01 |
cJC |
q859.1 (IS) [Input: T823SH.j] |
2004-06-27 |
mH |
q6 (pottery), q8 (pottery) [Input: O627MH3.j] |
2004-06-28 |
mh |
q10 (items, pottery), q12 (items, pottery) [Input: O628MH2.j] |
2004-06-29 |
mh |
q15 (items, pottery), q19 (items, pottery) [Input: O629MH.j] |
2004-06-30 |
mh |
q24 (bones, items, pottery), q31 (pottery) [Input: O630MH2.j] |
2004-07-01 |
mh |
q34 (bones, items, pottery), q36 (bones, pottery) [Input: O703MH.j] |
2004-07-08 |
ap |
q95 (pottery) [Input: O710MH.j] |
2004-07-11 |
ap |
q104 (items, pottery) [Input: O711MH.j] |
2004-07-22 |
mh |
q230 (pottery) [Input: O724MH.j] |
2014-01-17 |
cJC |
q408 (pottery) [Input: Y117CJC.j] |
2014-01-17 |
aL |
q409 (pottery) [Input: Y117CJC.j] |
2005-08-10 |
mH |
q410 (pottery), q416 (pottery), q417 (pottery), q418 (pottery), q421 (pottery), q422 (pottery), q424 (pottery) [Input: P909MH.j] |
2005-08-10 |
vVE |
q426 (pottery) [Input: P909MH.j] |
2005-08-11 |
vVE |
q429 (bones, pottery), q430 (pottery), q431 (pottery), q434 (bones, pottery) [Input: P813VVE1.j] |
2005-08-13 |
sC |
q436 (pottery), q437 (bones, pottery), q444 (bones, pottery) [Input: P813VVE1.j] |
2005-08-14 |
sc |
q451 (pottery) [Input: P909MH.j] |
2005-08-14 |
sC |
q465 (pottery), q467 (pottery) [Input: P909MH.j] |
2005-08-15 |
vVE |
q479 (bones, pottery), q488 (bones, pottery), q493 (bones, pottery) [Input: P909MH.j] |
2005-08-23 |
sC |
q566 (pottery) [Input: P908MH2.j] |
2005-08-24 |
sC |
q575 (pottery) [Input: P908MH2.j] |
2005-08-25 |
sC |
q597 (bones, pottery) [Input: P908MH2.j] |
0000-00-00 |
sC |
q603 (pottery) [Input: P908MH2.j] |
0000-00-00 |
vVE |
q605 (bones, pottery) [Input: P908MH2.j] |
0000-00-00 |
sC |
q612 (pottery) [Input: P908MH2.j] |
2005-08-27 |
sC |
q619 (bones, pottery) [Input: P908MH2.j] |
2005-08-27 |
aL |
q622 (pottery), q628 (pottery) [Input: P908MH2.j] |
2005-08-28 |
sC |
q634 (bones, pottery) [Input: P908MH2.j] |
2005-08-28 |
aA |
q641 (pottery), q643 (pottery), q645 (bones, items, pottery), q656 (bones, pottery), q662 (pottery), q664 (pottery), q665 (pottery) [Input: P908MH2.j] |
2005-08-29 |
mH |
q670 (bones, pottery) [Input: P910MH.j] |
2005-08-29 |
aA |
q672 (bones, pottery) [Input: P910MH.j] |
2005-08-31 |
aL |
q678 (pottery) [Input: P910MH.j] |
2005-08-31 |
mH |
q685 (pottery) [Input: P910MH.j] |
2005-08-31 |
aA |
q686 (bones, pottery), q688 (bones, pottery) [Input: P910MH.j] |
2005-08-31 |
sC |
q697 (pottery) [Input: P910MH.j] |
2005-09-01 |
mH |
q705 (pottery) [Input: P910MH.j] |
2005-09-01 |
aA |
q708 (pottery), q711 (bones, pottery) [Input: P910MH3.j] |
2005-09-01 |
sC |
q719 (pottery), q724 (bones, pottery) [Input: P910MH3.j] |
2005-09-03 |
mH |
q730 (bones, pottery) [Input: P910MH3.j] |
2005-09-03 |
aL |
q735 (pottery), q738 (pottery) [Input: P910MH3.j] |
2005-09-03 |
sC |
q743 (bones, pottery) [Input: P910MH3.j] |
2005-09-03 |
mH |
q749 (bones, pottery) [Input: P910MH3.j] |
2005-09-03 |
aL |
q753 (pottery) [Input: P910MH3.j] |
2005-09-04 |
mH |
q754 (pottery) [Input: P910MH3.j] |
2005-09-04 |
sC |
q767 (bones, pottery) [Input: P910MH3.j] |
2005-09-04 |
aL |
q769 (bones, pottery) [Input: P910MH3.j] |
2014-01-17 |
cJC |
q773 (pottery) [Input: X925CJC.j] |
2005-09-05 |
sC |
q775 (pottery) [Input: P910MH3.j] |
2005-09-05 |
mH |
q787 (bones, pottery) [Input: P910MH3.j] |
2005-09-05 |
aL |
q789 (pottery), q792 (pottery), q796 (pottery) [Input: P910MH3.j] |
2005-09-05 |
sC |
q800 (pottery) [Input: P910MH3.j] |
2005-09-06 |
sC |
q810 (pottery) [Input: P910MH3.j] |
2005-09-07 |
sC |
q825 (pottery) [Input: P910MH3.j] |
2009-07-25 |
sH |
q836 (pottery), q838 (pottery) [Input: T729CJC3.j] |
2009-07-26 |
sH |
q841 (bones, pottery) [Input: T729CJC3.j] |
2009-07-26 |
cJC |
q842 (pottery) [Input: T729CJC3.j] |
2009-08-02 |
cJC |
q862 (pottery), q863 (bones, pottery), q864 (bones, pottery) [Input: T804CJC.j] |
2009-08-03 |
cJC |
q865 (bones, pottery), q866 (bones, pottery) [Input: T804CJC.j] |
2009-08-03 |
sG |
q867 (bones, pottery), q868 (bones, pottery) [Input: T804CJC.j] |
2009-08-03 |
cJC |
q869 (bones, pottery) [Input: T804CJC.j] |
2009-08-05 |
sH |
q870 (bones, pottery) [Input: T826CJC2.j] |
2009-08-05 |
cJC |
q871 (pottery) [Input: T826CJC2.j] |
2009-08-06 |
sH |
q872 (pottery), q873 (bones, pottery), q874 (bones, pottery), q875 (pottery) [Input: T826CJC2.j] |
0000-00-00 |
cJC |
q876 (bones, pottery) [Input: T826CJC2.j] |
2010-08-19 |
cJC |
q902 (pottery) [Input: TX6HQ.j] |
Relays (applicable to elements) |
2005-09-01 |
sC |
r957 (39044 50254 - 9022 / Relay location: top) [Input: P913MH3R.j] |
2009-08-01 |
cJC |
r1083 (38794 50674 - 8775 / Relay location: SW corner eastbaulk ) [Input: T820CJCR.j] |
2009-08-01 |
cJC |
r1083 (38794 50674 - 8775 / Relay location: SW corner eastbaulk) [Input: T820CJCR.j] |
Elevation |
2005-09-12 |
mH |
8893 [Input: P913MH7.j] |
2005-09-12 |
mH |
8908 [Input: P913MH7.j] |
Extension of locus or q-lot |
2004-06-27 |
mH |
m3594 [Input: O627MH2.j] |
Length of two sides |
2004-06-27 |
mH |
400e [Input: O627MH2.j] |
2004-06-27 |
mH |
400n [Input: O627MH2.j] |