Unit Book J3

J3-introduction

Processed on 2024-07-27

Date	Author	Record
2005-08-01	jw	Area B is dominated by the ruins of Temple BA which sits atop one of the seven mounds which form the top of Tell Mozan. The temple has been excavated and securely dated by ceramic analysis to the Early Dynastic IIIB period. Although later temples were probably built atop this one, their remains have been completely eroded. However, Temple BA is a critical point of reference for excavations of the mound because except for surface accumulations and later repairs and modifications, everything upon which it sits was deposited no later than the temple itself. A geophysical survey conducted on and in the vicinity of the mound indicated that it was comprised, in part, of a wall of stones. Excavations in unit B6 defined the temple complex as an artificial structure, with a brick cover and a stone perimeter. Excavations in units J1 and J2 exposed parts of a monumental wall and stairway leading up to the temple from the east. In J2 there is a stone apron along the top of the wall and a section where the stonework is of inferior quality indicating that modifications to the structure may have been made as late as the Mitanni period. To provide data to guide excavation strategy for future years, we must determine the nature of the material contained by the wall. Is it brick, with the stones a decorative face? Is it compacted fill contained by a more substantial wall? Was it formed by accumulations from earlier periods? [Input: P801JW.j]
2005-08-15	jW	gB and faB discussed the relationship between fallen stones and occupation of the tell. From modern times to antiquity, large, cut stones from visible parts of ancient structures and lying on the surface are re-used when they are found by later occupants. The 'floating," displaced stones that we see probably were carried down the sides of the temple mound by water erosion and deposited where we find them today. They were subsequently covered by loess. The fact that they remained were they were deposited means that there were no occupants of the tell at the time of deposition and covering to carry them away and re-use them to construct houses, paths, and other structures. The many stones we see at different elevations strongly suggest that the wall was maintained right up to the time of abandonment. Structures then deteriorated gradually and the stones were deposited at different levels in the stratigaphic column. [Input: P815JW.j]
2006-08-12	vVE	During MZ17(2004-O) and MZ18(2005-P) at Tell Mozan the revetment wall of the temple terrace had been exposed in three excavation areas: J1, J2 and J3. From the information provided by these excavations it could be deduced that the temple terrace was in continued use from EDIII times to the end of the Mitanni period. Furthermore, through all these centuries of use the terrace must have been well maintained. After the plaza in front of the terrace had started to accumulate deposits during the second millennium BC, there was probably a rebuilding of the monumental staircase to which the second apron was added. During this 2006 campaign we will try to further complement our knowledge of the temple terrace and thus of the Monumental Urban Complex at Urkesh by focusing on three issues. 1) In the sounding through the baqaya-glacis covering the temple mound, Late Chalcolithic sherds were found. We will attempt to clarify the context of these sherds. The working hypothesis is that these deposits were brought in from a nearby settlement to construct the temple terrace and are therefore out of their primary context. 2) The exact shape of the temple terrace remains uncertain despite the information available from the geomagnetic survey performed by the German excavation team from Tuebingen and the information from the recent excavations. Therefore we will expose further the top of the revetment wall. 3) On the basis of the results of last year's excavations it has been hypothesized that the second apron was added to the revetment wall during the Mitanni period, probably at the start of phase 6a. This hypothesis will be tested by further exposing the second apron and investigating its connection to the revetment wall. [Input: Q812VE1.j]
2006-08-12	vVE	Many loci will be excavated in J3 during this campaign with several supervisors who will take care of the administration. If we would record everything in one binder, this could create some unnecessary stress and lines of people who need to record observations. In order to avoid this we will record the administration in a different binder that will still be part of book J3. We will let all of our records start at 500 to avoid overlap. Only the relays will start at 1000, since so many relays are triangulated each season. Our book will be called J3 East, because we will excavate the eastern-most loci. In this area we will try to expose the revetment wall and the second apron and try to establish the stratigraphic and chronological connection between the second apron and the revetment wall. [Input: Q812VE2.j]
2006-10-10	eDB	The finishing numbers for various elements in the global record are as follows: aggregates = a15; composites = 0; features = 327; items = 26; special loci = 109; plots = 20; q-lots = 408; relays - the first series ended at 1000, restarted at 2000 and ended at 2560; views = 163; drawings = 37, sketches = 59. [Input: QX10JW1.j]
2007-07-06	jW	On 6 July the entire Mozan staff met to organize the work for the next two months. The main purposes will be to: (1) bring to publication the Urkesh Global Record for as many excavation units as possible, starting with the most recently completed or ones that are almost ready for publication; (2) continue the ceramic analysis with a focus material from pre-Mittani periods; (3) expand the program of wall conservation to include the systematic confirmation of the location of each component. Personnel resources have been allocated to the publication projects for the following units: A7, A16, J1, J2, J3 (eI, mO, and jW). Our approach will be to work in a cycle of stages of 3 days each. For each cycle we will meet on the morning of the first day to cover theory, then concentrate on a particular aspect of record preparation. Short meetings follow over the next two days to discuss progress and problems. Again, on the first day of each new cycle we will discuss theory, then proceed as before on a different aspect. At the end of seven cycles, we will have a large list of completed items and a precise idea of what must be done over the second month to complete the project. Although the initial effort will be devoted to the material accessed from the right hand side of the web version of the UGR (features, drawings, plots, etc.) the supervisors will also concentrate on developing an overall understanding of the excavated material. This analysis appears on the left hand side of the UGR. [Input: R716JW.j]
0000-00-00	MISSING	The starting numbers for J3 consitituents for excavation in MZ23 are: Aggregates a19, Features f346, Items i27, Loci(irregular) k110, Plots p41, Q-lots q409, Relays r2588, Views v167, Drawings w38. [Input: U905JW.j]