Unit Book J3

J3-summary

Processed on 2024-07-27

Date	Author	Record
2006-09-20	jW	Now that the MZ19 (2006-Q) excavation season is over, we have accomplished the following: First, the south face of the revetment wall, f11, has been completely exposed. Now from an elevated platform just to the south of the locus, one can see the wall from the western part of Ji, through J3, to the manumental staircase in J2 to the east. Second, the apron, f10, has been completely exposed. In addition, the phases of its construction and use have been carefully documented. Second, we exposed additional portions of the baqaya glacis to the north and to the west. Somewhat to our surprise, there was a packed mud (wahal) glacis atop the baqaya glacis and a mud glacis with sherds and stones atop the packed mud glacis. At the north edge of the excavation, the wahal directly covered the baqaya. Nearer the wall to the south, there were additional layers of accumulation between the baqaya and the wahal due to aeolian deposition in the later phases of sacral use in the Mittani period. The final covering that we could identify was a mixture of sherds and pebbles in a mud matrix. Whether or not this was a natural deposition of material deposited by water run-off remains problematical. [Input: Q920JW.j]
2006-09-20	jW	Third, we discovered the remnants of a brick coating atop the baqaya glacis along the north edge of the excavated area. Although we had planned to excavate a locus closer to the temple to look for the brick coating and a sector of the stones that ringed the mound, gB pointed out that the bricks exposed by the recent German excavation in B6 had already melted. Therefore, we could learn nothing more without damaging the mound. Fourth, as of this date we are making satisfactory progress toward completing the Global Record. An unexpected result of the excavation was the discovery of a group of Uruq seal impressions in spoils dumped from the nearby excavation of a pit that was cut into the baqaya and the fill below which was used to build the mound behind the revetment wall. This coupled with the large quantities of Late Chalcolithic ceramics recovered from the probe beneath the baqaya last season and the fill below cuts of pits found this year confirm the existance of a substantial occupation of the site well before the Early Dynastic III period. [Input: Q920JW.j]
2007-07-09	jW	We encountered a number of problems during the work on templates and views. Perhaps the most significant, because it is not resolvable without consulting with wO who has yet to report, is missing photographs. In some cases, the photos were lost due to problems with the digital camera and its data cards. In a few cases, the view was listed, but the photograph was not taken. Unit J3 was divided into an east and west section during excavation to take advatage of the presence for a short period of time of vVE, who supervised the excavation in the east of the apron, f10, f532, f556, to the revetment wall, f11. mO and eI were part of the "east team" and are working exclusively on that part of the record. It is the east part that has the most missing photos, some of which may have been taken using west section numbers after vVE departed. [Input: R716JW.j]
2010-09-01	jW	By virue of the fact that the revetment wall, f11, can be dated to the EDIII perion, its abutting baqaya glacis, f50 and f109, can be likewise tentatively be dated to EDIII. There have been limited indications that the mound that the glacis covers dates to an earlier period. These include Uruk seal impressions and Late Chalcolithic sherds found in the vicinity of pit a10, which cut the glacis. Recently, ceramics analysis of soil features (f114, f120, f121, f151, f152, f209) which covered the glacis to a depth of 15 cm revealed the presence of a considerable number of LC sherds. The issue presented is: do these features, the glacis, and the mound beneath date to the Late Chalcolithic period? [Input: U901JW.j]
0000-00-00	MISSING	On U904, gB, mkB, fAB, pC, and jW met at unit J3 to discuss the size and location of the exploratory trench to penetrate the baqaya glacis (f109) and collect ceramics from the layers beneath. The ceramics would then be analyzed by mKB to date that part of the temple terrace and assist in understanding the presence of LC3 sherds in several accumulations above the baqaya. After considering proposals of a deep 2m by 2m trench centered along the north baulk of k13 (same N-S orientation as k104 dug along the north face of the revetment wall, f11), and a shallower excavation of the entirety of k13, we decided to excavate a 1m by 3m N-S deep trench along the east baulk of k13. This trench will be designated k110. This will allow us to add to the east section of k13 which has already been drawn. Also, the west section of k110 will complement the major temple terrace and revetment wall section being drawn by pC. [Input: U905JW1.j]
2010-09-13	jW	After excavation was completed on U913, gB, mKB, fAB, pC, and jW met on site to discuss the result and generally plan for the excavation over the next few days. mKB stated that there were an adequate number of sherds to date the glacis, f109, and features immediately below, to the Late Chalcolithic 3 period. The original plans called for us to excavate all of k110 to a depth of about 2 meters. However, since f346 and f347 appear to cover red baqaya bricks laid with brown mortar,f347, there is the possibility that it is either a pavement or a wall-top, neither of which we would want to destroy at this time. It is sufficient to note that it is an important LC3 feature. A better way to study this feature is to excavate all of k13 and scrape well the original surrounding features to gain a perspective of what f347 is and what function it served. [Input: U914JW1.j]
2010-09-14	jW	After the unit surface was clean, gB, mKB, fAB and jW met on site to discuss the implications of what we had already found and to review the strategy developed over the past few days. All ceramics excavated in MZ23 which cover f348 are from the Late Chalcolithic period, indicating that f348 may have been constructed earlier. We will try to find out when over the next several days. [Input: U914JW2.j]