Excavation and Documentation in May 2010
     The depot was opened up in May to allow work on the documentation and conservation of finds to start in the spring (Fig. 157).

The aniconic stele that stood in the west corner of the Middle Tower toppled over when the adjacent wall collapsed (Fig. 158). The stele was carefully wrapped up and brought down from the site in the Land Rover to be stored in the stone conservation workshop for full documentation and preservation (Figs 159, 160 and 161).

     Restoration and Installation of Additional Artifacts in the Yozgat Museum
     In a continuing effort to promote tourism, the restoration and installation of two major artifacts for permanent exhibition in the Kerkenes Dağ Gallery of the Yozgat Museum were completed this year (Fig. 162). These large stone objects were the semi-iconic Cappadocia Gate stele and the upper step of its stepped base (Figs 163 and 164) and the best preserved exemplar of the semi-iconic idols from the Monumental Entranceway to the Palatial Complex (Fig. 165). Work on this multi-year project of conservation and restoration was completed by both our conservation staff and the head preparator from the Oriental Institute Museum in Chicago, Erik Lindahl. Extensive stabilization and reconstructive work was required to complete the restoration of both pieces for public display (Figs 166, 167 and 168).

This is the only idol that bears incised Phrygian characters, reversed Cs, one on the burnt fragment at bottom centre, the other at lower right. These idols are two-sided, but there are no incised marks on the lower portion of the reverse.

     Conservation and Illustration
     Additional work focused on the conservation and drawing of artifacts uncovered in 2009 and 2010, as well as limited join finding and conservation of the remaining architectural blocks and structural elements uncovered in the Monumental Entrance to the Palatial Complex in earlier seasons. The iron door straps from the Monumental Entrance to the Palatial Complex were hermetically sealed in storage bags specially constructed from ESCAL barrier film (Fig. 169).