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2009-7-25 | yM |
Today we started by cleaning the erea and then we took pictures of the k104 section because we are planning removing the stones f197 of the bin a7 and also excavating the pit f192, located under it. In order to remove the stones we removed first the back fill behind them; then we removed the stones and gave them a feature number f197 and continued removing the back fill. We excavated the soil around the stones together with some of the soil under them and kept the same feature number, which is f196. During the second work period we took pictures to show the situation after the stone removal, and then we started excavating the pit f192 that contained a big amount of pottery, but we did not reach the buttom of it yet. This work will be continued and probably finished tomorrow.
[Input file: T722YM.J / T722YM.-J]
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2009-7-25 | pC |
We removed the 4 western stones of the Bin, f191, wich are the same as J4 f193. They have been already drawn in season MZ19 from J4 team. Just under the stones we found the continuation of pit f192. Therefore pit f192 was dug slightly before the construction of the bin. f192 is a large pit characterized by a lot of pottery, some tannur pieces and fragments of a seal impression i22. The soil is dusty, ashy and soft
[Input file: T725PC.J / T725PC.-J]
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2009-7-25 | yM |
Today we started by cleaning the area and then we took pictures of the k104 section because we are planning removing the stones f197 of the bin a1 and also excavating the pit f192, located under it. In order to remove the stones we removed first the back fill behind them; then we removed the stones and gave them a feature number f197 and continued removing the back fill. We excavated the soil around the stones together with some of the soil under them and kept the same feature number, which is f196. During the second work period we took pictures to show the situation after the stone removal, and then we started excavating the pit f192 that contained a big amount of pottery, but we did not reach the bottom of it yet. This work will be continued and probably finished tomorrow.
[Input file: T801YM.J / T801YM.-J]
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2009-7-26 | pC |
today we continued to remove the pit fill f192 and we found a new feature in the same pit f200: f200 is located in the latest 20 cm of the pit and is characterized by the presence of ash lenses and some red lenses wich are probably pieces of feature f164, into wich pit cut f199 was dug. In the fill of the pit we found other tannur pieces and a lot of pottery, which was sended to mKB to analyze. The pottery dates mostly Phase 4 but there are several Mittani sherds which date the pit to Mittani. This means that the pit was dug directly into 3rd Millennium strata f164. f164 in this area is very high, while is sloping.
[Input file: T725PC.J / T725PC.-J]
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2009-7-27 | pC |
today we removed accumulation under stones f203, which covers a compacted surface which was interpreted as a floor f204, probably same as glacis f63 or floor f140. This surface covers the pit f192. We removed f204 and we started removing the remaining portion of the pit fill f192, which is always the same as the previuos day: is full of pottery, bones, tannur pieces, lot of objects, two sealings and some bricks.
[Input file: T725PC.J / T725PC.-J]
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2009-7-28 | pC |
today we continued to remove the fill of pit f192. As in the previous days we removed one stone of the bin f197 and we found a natural accumulation 5 cm thick and then floor f206, wich is the same as f204. directly under the floor f206 we found the continuation of pit f192. f192 is full of pottery, tannur pieces and some ashes. After removing this part of the pit we could see that the pit conutinues under the stones f201 to the north. Therefore we decided to change strategy and to continue excavating to the north in k82.
[Input file: T725PC.J / T725PC.-J]
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2009-8-1 | yM |
Today we continued excavating the pit f129 which we are approaching from the south to the north very sloly in an atempt to follow the red layer that runs under it f164. we also found a broken tannur f220 within the pit fill, that was removed after taking a picture of it. pC and sD drew the north section of k72 before we started removing the baulk to its north to try and uncover the line of stones runing north of it and forming an angle under the west part of the baulk and which we presume its the continuation of the revetment wall as m Omo suggested. this change of strategy is going to give us the chance also to follow the glacis layer that was discoverd last season. it will also allow us to find out if this presumed wall is in fact the eastern boundary of temple terrace. during the second work period, the excavation of the pit f192 continued in k104 until reching f200 which is also fill. on the other hand in k71 we started removing the surface of the baulk f223 which is a natural accumulation. in k73 we leveled the northen section which is actually a mud brick wall and sD and yM drew it because we are planing on removing the mud brick wall soon and the whole bin a7 eventually.
[Input file: T722YM.J / T722YM.-J]
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2009-8-2 | pC |
Today we removed the last 5 cm of f200, which should be the bottom of the pit f199. Directly under f200 I reconized a bricky lens f226 in the northern corner, abutting wall f129. I scraped it ad was melted brick material. I decided to change feature number because was not similar to f200, even if f200 has also some pieces of bricks. f226 is a red bricky soil, compact and wet which comes out in chunks with brick fragments. It is still unclear if f226 is inside the pit f199 or under it: tomorrow we will finish to remove f226 and clear if it is part of the pit or not. In the northern portion of the locus, while removing f226 came out a line of stones f227, perpendicular to f129, but almost 1 meter deeper than wall f129. It is located also 70 cm under the line of stones f201,which we thought was the revetment wall.
[Input file: T802PC.J / T802PC.-J]
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2009-8-2 | yM |
Today we are starting by moving the baulk around the floating stones f225 that we are going to relay in order to be able to remove them. while we continued excavating in k104 we came arose a brick layer in the western part of the locus and covering the red material f164. while removing this layer f226 approaching it form the south to the north. we found two rows of stones on top of each other that could be part of the presumed continuation of the revetment wall. the difference in elevation between the top row of stones f197 that we presumed at the beginning that its the continuation of the revetment wall and this new rows of stones f227 is very big (72cm) compels us to keep in mind the possibility of this not being a wall and that f197 stones are not memory stones. further excavations will give us the ability to clear. we excavated also the north east corner of k104 where we had accumulations until we reached the wall f227, but we didn not see any sign of stones in the eastern section.
[Input file: T804YM3.J / T804YM3.-J]
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2009-8-3 | pC |
Today we continue to remove f226 and reached the bottom of the pit. Yesterday a thought that the bottom of the pit was f200, but today I recognized that under the bricky layer f226 there is f164 which is still cut. Therefore f226 is still part of the pit cut f199. f226 had some patches of ashy soil in the center of the square and characterized by the presence of some white small pebbles (>1 mm). We excavated also the eastern portion of the square f231, left over in the previous days because we thought that the pit was cutting some feature in this part of the square, but after removing f231, which was a bricky melted layer, I recognized that was the same as f200 and still the fill of the pit. In fromt of wall f227 was found under f226 a new feature which is not the glacis f164. After observing it well at first with fAB we thought that it was the foundation trench for the wall f227, while it seems that f164 is cut to put stones f227 and f232 should be the filling. after looking well the south section of k104 I could recognize that f232 is the same feature as the one under f164 (same as J4 f158, excavated in J4 k100 in season MZ19), which slopes gently to the south and therefore should reach the wall f227. If we will continue to dig in k104 we should know if this is the same feature. whith gB and fAB we decided to stop digging in k104 and instead level the southern section of k104, which is still irregular from the excavation of MZ19. We decided to dig it in features while the piece to level is 40 cm whide. f235 is the grey glacis under f164, which should be the same as f232. It is a grey soft layer with pieces of melted bricks. After circa 30 cm there was a change, visible also in section and therefore I decided to change feature number: f237 is under f235, probably also a glacis, as f164 and f235 with the function to protect walls f129 and f227. It is a reddish bricky layer, wet and soft.
[Input file: T803PC.J / T803PC.-J]
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2009-8-16 | pC |
Today we started the sounding east of wall f129, which is almost 1 meter whide. first was removed f164, which was very soft and dusty on the top and after 30 cm became chuncky and very red. Under it was f296 which is the same as f235 (excavated in the north baulk of k104, and under it was found f297, where stones f299 sit. f297 is a mixed ashy and soft accumulation. Wall f299 is composed by 2 large sones in line perpendicular to wall f129
[Input file: T816PC.J / T816PC.-J]
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2009-8-18 | yM |
today we continued excavating the tow remaining features in k104 which are f318 the red layer full of inclusions and f320 which is a compacted floor surface type b. by removing these tow features we now reached the level of the late calcolithic sounding.After a discussion with gB and faB we decided to scrape underneath the last stones that we see in order to find the rest of stones of wall f129. by scraping back the section under the stones we realized by doing a nail test that the stones are very deep so we stopped and gave up on the idea, for reasons that has to do with the safety of the wall and conservation issues.
[Input file: T818YM.J / T818YM.-J]
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