Daily Log

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Tuesday July 1, 2014

AM

Work began with a pick pass in the southern meters of the trench, in an area that was not excavated yesterday. Soil here, like yesterday, is brown in color, claylike in texture, and is overlaid by a dark brown, loamy humous layer. Soil is hand sorted directly into buckets in the trench using trowels. Small amounts of roofing tile and pottery fragments were recovered, but four larger rocks, with max dimensions of approximately 30cm, were exposed in the southern meters of the trench.

Another pick pass was made, beginning in the northern meters of the trench and moving south. Soil remains medium brown in color and claylike in texture. A few larger roots were exposed and approximately 1.5m from the northern border of the trench. In the central meters, another larger rock, similar in size to those found in the southern meters of the trench, was revealed. Soil continues to be hand sorted with trowels directly into buckets in the trench, and small quantities of tile and pottery were found. A shotgun shell was found as well, indicating that we are not yet in a secure ancient context.

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Trench diagram

The rocks found in the southern meters of the trench continue to the south into T60. At this time though, the rocks appear to be erosional, as they are spaced too far apart to form a wall or another architectural feature.

While picking in the southern meters of the trench during this pick pass, more rocks were felt in the southern meters of the trench, in between where the rocks previously had been exposed. Therefore it was decided to use trowels to define these rocks. Numerous smaller rocks were revealed in between the larger, exposed rocks. Soil continues to be predominately brown and claylike, but with patches of lighter, yellowish soil. Soil

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continues to be hand sorted directly into buckets in the trench, and slightly higher quantities of tile and pottery were found, as well as the first few fragments of bone.

As the rocks in the south of the trench were defined, high points in the northern part of the trench were lowered using hand picks and trowels. Additionally, baulk walls began to be trimmed, and as we are still in Locus 1 , materials from the baulk walls will be kept with materials from the locus. Soil continues to be medium brown in color and claylike in texture and is sorted directly into buckets in the trench. Small quantities of tile and pottery were recovered.

PM

Another pick pass was begun in the afternoon, once again moving from north to south. This pick pass will only extend as far south as the cluster of rocks, in order to determine if the rocks are only confined to a discrete area or if they extend to the north. Soil in the northern meters of the trench continues to be medium brown and claylike, with some roots but fewer small rocks than previously. Soil continues to be sorted by hand directly into buckets in the trench using trowels. Small amounts of tile and pottery were recovered

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as well as a small fragment of vitrified terracotta (Find #1) and a second fragment of vitrified terracotta (Find #2) while picking in the southern part of the trench. Some more rocks were observed extending to the north and so these rocks were defined. From now on, work will move from south to north, from the exposed northern extend of the rocks, in order to define the full extent of the rocks and remove the remaining topsoil.

For the remainder of the day, high points of the trench were removed using hand picks and trowels. Closing elevations for the day were taken.

Special Finds

\xb7 Special find #1

\xb7 Locus 1

\xb7 39.16S/94.16E

\xb7 29.06m A.E.

\xb7 Vitrified terracotta

\xb7 Drawing

\xb7 Special find #2

\xb7 Locus 1

\xb7 40.48S/93.34E

\xb7 28.95m A.E.

\xb7 Vitrified terracotta

\xb7 Drawing

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Closing Elevations:

\xb7 NW corner: 29.15m A.E.

\xb7 NE corner: 29.13m A.E.

\xb7 SE corner: 28.65m A.E.

\xb7 SW corner: 28.68m A.E.

Locus 1 :

\xb7 Tile: 2/3 bowl

\xb7 Pottery: 28 sherds

\xb7 Bone: 2 fragments

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