.bk J02
.fl P825sC.j
.fd daily journal

.rd P825
.ri sC

-sf vvE worked at home (on templates). mH stayed at home because she was ill.

k 4
dy Today we did not exacavate in this area of J2; we took a picture of wall f232 (gv103, gv103a) and aL and AA relayed it (r718-r742).

k 23
dy We continued to dig f203 in k23; as usual the work is a bit slow in this square. The soil is still characterized by a compact and hard surfaces (the same we had at this elevation in all the square), difficult to remove; f203 is not rich in pottery; only one qlot have been collected (qlot593; starting elevation m4167 +12 -162).

k 5
dy 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. 

k 101
dy Before start excavating, I assigned a feature number (f234) to the surface find yesterday under f228 (f228 is the top 5 cm of soil belonging to the last feature exacavated in this area, f182, contaminated by the excavation held in k14 last week). f234 is very well defined in terms of consistence (very compact respect to the accomulation above) and texture (very fine). f234 cover the whole unit and that it extends also in k103 (where is defined as f231), and slopes toward south. In general the north area is generally higer of 7 to 10 cm than the southern one both in k101 and in k103. In k101 there is a difference of 10 cm between the top elevation in the N and the top elevation in the S area of the square. For example, the top elevation of feature f234 in the N area of k101 is m3953 +12 -165, while in the S is m3953 +5 -165. 
ar We have the same situation also in k103: all the feature exacavated today are characterized by a general difference in hight between the top elevation (aproximately 6 to 10cm) in the north and the south area of the square. Therefore, I decided to take record of both elevations in k101 and k103 for each feature assigned today, in order to have a better idea of the sloping of the accomulations in this area. This may also help in case we need to check the records of the elevations of the qlots; somethimes it has happened, in fact, that we had some difference in the elevation before/after excavating (with the second higer that the first). f234 is rich in pottery (two qlots have been collected: qlot596 and qlot600; for this qlots  the top elevation in the N area is m3953 +12 -165 while on the S is m3953 +5 -165.). After two pickrun another surface have been exposed in the NW corner of k101: f239. f239 has a bricky melted consistence and texture and is greyish in colour. At this point, I decided to stop digging in k101 and move Masum in k103: here a different situation have been exposed since we started to dig today. I preferred to move Masum in k103 in order to help Kamiran to dig f235. I prefer to go down at the same elevation in both areas to expose a larger area at the same time and therefore have a better understanding of the stratigraphy in the two squares.  

k 103
dy Today we continued to dig f231, after having removed f227 on the north-eastern area of the square (the layer of pottery sherds; yesterday we collecet one qlot -qlot558-, and today another one, qlot594). f231 is a compact surface with a fine texture, well defined in term of texture and consistence from f229 (above it), and therefore very easy to differenciate from the accomulation above. It is the same of f234 in k101, altought they differ in elevation: probably, this could depend by the general slope that characterized this area. f231 is a bit plastic (when wet) leaving a light brown colour on fingers, while dry it has a grayish coloration. like f234 (in k101) also f231 presents a difference between the top elevation in the N and the top elevation within the square: the top elevation of f231 in the N area is m3953 +31 -165 while on the S is m3953 +21 -165. f231 covered another well defined surface f236 (with a very fine texture and compact consistence, reddish-brownish in color), that was overlayed, on the south-eastern area, by a layer thick layer of pottery sherds and pebbles (f235, which limits have been defined with a relay, r743). I moved Masum in k103 in order to help Kamiran to expose this layer of pottery sherds.
ar Altough there were a lots of pottery sheds lying in a horizontal way, especially in the periferics edges of f235, I considered f235 as an accomulation rather than a floor surface; there were some pottery sherds lying in a vertical way (expecially in the central area). Also f235 presents a slope toward the south area of k103: the top elevation of f235 in the N area is m3953 +21 -166 while on the S is m3953 +12 -166. It is a thin layer : about 3-7 cm; the soil between the sherds has a clay loam texture (sticky and a bit plastic). Once exposed we took a picture of f235 and of f236 (gv104, gv104a and 104b) and we start to remove f235 (qlot 604, qlot 608 and qlot 609). Therefore we start removing f236: before start digging the feature we remove the dirty from the the two animal holes (f250 and f251) that intruded f236 in the south and central area of k13. 
ar Toward mid day vvE came in the field for let me know that the last qlot from the pottery colum have been dated by mKB to phase 1 (altought we need to wait before thinking that we area really in phase 1, because just 5 shapes have been recognized by mKB and the sherds are prevantly wall of pottery vessels).