June 28, 1984

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Photos and grid drawing of trench

121

Thursday 28 June 1984

Morning:

tile- 1 1/4

pottery- 2

The floor area and covertiles in SW 70-73 were swept off and cleaned first thing this morning.  In S-W 70-73 the area in T-U 70-73 appeared not to have been completely cleaned off.  Piece of fired cover and pan tiles in combination with plaster were observed positioned directly over the remains of unfired cover tiles.  this may be evidence of a roof collapse and will continued to be excavated more carefully.

The floor continued to be uncovered and in the baulk wall at O 82 at about 60cm right on the floor a "rabbit" head was found lying face down.  It was partially embedded in the baulk.  It was complete except for the flat part of the jaws, sima attachments and jaw struts.  Much of the surface was gone.  Some small pieces of slag were also found in this area.  After the head was lifted the area around the imprint was cleaned up to better show its position and baulk stratigraphy when a photograph is taken later this afternoon.

A new cut was begun in Y 72 to better clear down around the covertiles with the footprints directly to the north.  Except for a large piece of plaster imbedded in roughly the center of the meter the only material recovered was a few pieces of tile and plaster and very little pottery.  The soil was like topsoil in color and consistency - dark brown and rooty.  The cut didn't reach the floor

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and was 10-15cm in depth.

In OP 76 work continued clearing and lifting tile and plaster.  Of 1 cassetta of tile more than half was large plaster chunks.  Almost all of it was unburnt.  There was one piece that didn't come from the burn layer that was badly burnt.  It came from about 75cm in depth.  No burnt material was recovered and the burn layer wasn't worked in.  About one quarter cassetta of flat-edged plaster was recovered including two possibly painted fragments.  This was kept separate.

The cut to just above the floor was continued in V-W 59-61.  Almost no tile was recovered.  Most was unburnt although 2 amorphous pieces were badly burned.  Pottery recovered was insignificant and there didn't appear to be a heavy plaster layer in the soil.

Photographs were taken of the site.

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19840035

• Find #1
• O 82
• 60cm
• "rabbit" head
  • drawing
  • photo

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In situ photos of tile

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Afternoon:

tile- 1

pottery- 1

Work continued in Y 72 and covertiles in a very poor state of preservation were encountered.  The floor in Y 71 appears broken in some places but with a good finish in others.

The tiles in MN 77-82 and the surrounding floor continued to be cleaned.  The cut to just above the floor continued in V-W 59-61.  At W 60 under a stump that was removed a large piece of covertile was found protruding from under the floor.  A complete width preserved.  Further excavation showed that the floor dips right before (south) of W 60 and that this tile was embedded in a burn layer with unburnt tile and plaster surrounding it.  The floor itself and the tile did not appear burned.  Throughout the cut in V and W there were flecks of burned material and burned tile and pottery but never in any noticeable concentration.  There was a lot of plaster disintegrated in the soil particularly in 59.  Also more burned material appeared in 59.  The soil itself was brown and clay-like.  Photographs were taken of the covertile in W 60 and the head impression in = 82.  Much of one cassetta was plaster.

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19840096

• Find #2
• M-O 83
• 30cm
• incised bucchero fragment
  • drawing
  • photo

19840174

• Find #3
• R-S 59-61
• Ceramic Egg
  • photo

19840171

• Find #4
• S-T 59-60
• Fenestrated vessel fragment
  • photo