Daily Trench Journal

Area I

Trench 2

July 7, 2004

J. Henecke

Today we continued to dig in arbitrary 25 cm intervals, beginning L8 and 9. L8 seems to have a soil change from the previous layer, although Bradley continues to identify pottery from the 2nd millennium. There is the possibility that one fragment is an EB pedestal. An incised sherd was removed from the eastern profile, but it also indicates a later date for this level. After 25 cm, we began L10 and 11, although the actual excavation of L10 will not begin until tomorrow. In the upper centimeters of L11 an obsidian tool was uncovered but the entire locus lacked distinguishing pottery fragments. Little work has been done on L3, which has defiantly extended north into L8 and 10. A 2nd millennium applied rim jar fragment is visible below the line of stones in this outcrop, but no other remains have been uncovered. We removed all loose soil from the top of L3, in order to articulate the stones, and by doing so it no longer appears to be a road. Rather it seems more likely to be a retaining wall. The area is scattered with stones, pebbles and large ceramic sherds laid flat, but besides the outcrop it does not extend beyond a 1 m north south direction. Tomorrow it may be necessary to remove this locus. Examination of the profile of the northern step revealed an reddish stain in the NE corner, which may be mudbrick debris. It is still unclear whether further excavation will reveal any evidence for the Ubaid in this area, and as the digging becomes more difficult in the narrow trench, it is more likely that we will soon close the sounding.