Introduction

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T-43A INTRODUCTION

During the 2001 season a wall, thought to be a retaining or terracing wall, was discovered in the area known as T-28. Further exploration of the area around this wall was conducted in 2002 and 2003.

The 2001 excavations of T-28 North undertaken by Theodora B. Kopestansky revealed a three course rock packing that she and the excavation director identified as a terrace or defensive wall (TBK II 57, 79-80, 139-141)). A rock packing had previously been identified in T-27. The decision to dig in the area of T-28 was undertaken based on magnatometer readings that revealed some unusual readings in this area (TBK II pg. 1). It was later determined that the low points of the magnatometer readings corresponded roughly to the course of the wall. The rock packing that was later identified as the wall was initially uncovered throughout meters 79S 195E to 199E though extensions of

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the trench in the 2001 dig season enlarged that area to include 77.5S - 80.5 S to 195-199 E. Subsequent excavations of this area were undertaken in 2002 by Kedar Tamhankar (KT II) and in 2003 by Ely Levine and David Caccioli (EL/DC I).

At the beginning of the 2005 dig season, trenches T42 A, B, and C were sunk in an effort to determine the course and extent of the wall. Traces of the wall were uncovered in all three trenches. The decision was made to try to continue to trace the wall by dropping a trench to the east of T-42 C. A large dirt dump is located immediately to the east of T-42C, so the decision was made to skip over the dirt dump and two contiguous 2 x 4 trenches, T43 A and B, were created to the east of the dirt dump. They are T42 A, to be excavated by Sonia Rohter, located at 222-224E/68-72S and T43 B, to be excavated by Jill Harrison, located at 222-224E/72-76S. The large size of the trenches, combined they form an 8 x 2, was deemed necessary

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in order to increase the chances of encountering the wall since the area immediately beside the already uncovered wall segments of T 42 A, B and C is inaccessable due to the dirt dump.

T-43 B aims to locate and trace the continuation of the retaining wall while continuing to search for possible chronological indicators. The search for a kiln and for additional architectural features are further aims of this trench.