Journal / Summary:D-5-2005-Summary

Final Trench Summary

Area D. Trench 5.

Introduction

D 5 is a continuation of the 10 x 5m trench last excavated in the 2002 season on the eastern slope of Kenan Tepe. At the end of the 2002 season the trench was divided along north-south lines with excavated features of Ubaid domestic architecture (including L5139, L5140, L5149) and an oven (L5126, L5127) in the southern section. However, there were a limited number of features in the northern section, except for a human burial (L5137) in a later pit in a slip trench in the northwestern area. At the beginning of the 2004 season there was an expectation that these Ubaid features might overlie an earlier phase of habitation in the form of a separate house and that the northern section of the trench might also provide additional Ubaid contexts with further excavation. To further investigate these possibilities a new parallel 6 x 4m trench, D9, was also opened to the east of D5 aiming to capture any continuation of the Ubaid contexts.

Summary of the excavations

The primary method of excavation was by the use of small picks to strip 3-5cm increments of material from tightly designated areas with troweling employed during the fine excavation of surfaces and features. Where possible each surface was also sampled following guidelines set out in the Kenan Tepe Household Archaeology Protocol.

On average, during the 2004 season the level of the trench was lowered to 586.13m in the northern section of the trench and 586.52m in the southern section from average starting levels of 586.8m and 587.15. However, in the last three days of the season a 1 x 1m sounding (5202, 5203, 5204) was excavated in the southwestern corner of D5 with a final level of 585.31.

As a guide the northern and eastern baulk sections provided an idea of the orientation of the paleo-landscape of the eastern side of the Tepe - pronounced ashy layers in the northern baulk and a layer of gravel in the eastern section that makes a sharp dip downward at approximately the 2m mark from the northern baulk. The ancient slope of the hill ran in a generally southwest to the northeast direction.

As a result of this it will probably be more useful to summarize the excavations in D5 by dividing the trench into a southern, a central and a northern section. The main reason for this is that the ashy layers in the northern baulk section showed as a blackish line running northwest-southeast across the trench. As the excavation continued from south to north we were therefore progressing "downhill" in stages.

The southern section of D5

This section was characterized by thick layers of fill (5164, 5167, 5190) between the 2002 contexts and significant features especially in the southwestern section of the trench. During troweling it was possible to distinguish boundaries in this fill through consistency and compactness of material leading to the hypothesis that this area had been artificially leveled in advance of the construction of the 2002 Ubaid house. These fill levels were contained by wall 5170 that followed the orientation of the 2002 west-east wall although this feature had only a thin horizontal slice remaining and was not connected by any mud brick courses to the wall above.

Although the Ubaid domestic context had been divided into interior and exterior areas in the 2002 season the 2004 excavation revealed a number of floor surfaces (5169, 5185, 5194) that were initially considered to be interconnected. These were different from the compacted silt surfaces of the 2002 season in that they were readily visible as compacted silt and pebble layers and the overlying fill could be slowly levered off with a trowel. Although floor 5169 in the southwestern section was relatively level in terms of the orientation of the trench both 5194 and 5185 sloped from west to east into the baulk shared with D9. During excavation it was also noted that 5185 bonded with wall 5170 but that this wall overlaid 5169.

In the southeastern corner of the trench the Ubaid contexts were cut both by the edge of the oven found in trench D9 and by a mud brick lined pit (5180) both of which were later period.

There was therefore no clear evidence of an earlier Ubaid structure, although the surfaces, pits, layers of fill and wall suggested the 2002 house had gone through a number of construction phases.

With the lack of evidence for a separate house it was decided to test the hypothesis that the 2002 house was resting on virgin soil and a sounding (5202, 5203 and 5204) was dug in the southwestern corner of the trench to a depth of 1.3m below the final locus level (5197). However, as well as continued pottery finds, in the eastern section of the sounding pieces of mud brick showed through between 75 and 80cm below the level of 5197 and two pieces of corrugated tile (KT2, 5204) were recovered from the lowest level.

The central section of D5

The preliminary dominant feature in this area was the oven excavated in 2002 as a tripartite structure – a central core (5156), a surround of fill (5155) and a hemispherical section of mud outer-walling (5157). Although the oven had been proxy dated to the Ubaid from a spatially adjacent feature’s carbon sample a surface scrape of the central core immediately showed two potsherds that implied that the oven might be later. The central core was therefore excavated as a series of layers (5171, 5173, 5178) that were derived from a section cut from the front of the feature (5172) and pottery and carbon samples collected for analysis.

Although 5157 contained mud brick debris the oven structure in trench D9 provided an outline of how a later oven might be preserved in section with a thick beehive of ashy material and distinct mud brick layers for the surrounding containing wall. The eastern baulk section for the D5 feature showed that the central core was the active element of the tripartite structure and it was not clear whether there was a surrounding ashy fill that had been contained within a constructed outer shell. The excavation of the fill surrounding the core suggested that this material was similar in color and consistency to fill encountered in other areas of the trench and not primarily ashy. Having excavated all the features of the oven a circular indentation was noted that identified locus 5191 as a pit. The hypothesis was therefore that the oven was actually the central core area alone and had been built onto or into an earlier pit.

In the western section there were a number of indicators that this area had been used as an activity area in the Ubaid period (5174, 5198). Firstly, it underlay the chaff-covered surface from the 2002 season and abutted wall 5181. Secondly, as the excavation proceeded it followed a south-north slope identified by flat-lying sherds and a complete decorated cooking vessel (KT40, 5174) and a smoothed stone (KT8, 5199) under which grain impressions were preserved.

As more concrete proof a thick layer of rocks, 1.5 x 1.1m in area, embedded in compacted silty material was excavated and HAP sampled. This contrasted sharply with the floors in the southern section of the trench in area and description of material within the silt.

The northern section of the trench

The aim in the this area of the trench was to excavate beneath the thick ashy layer noted in the northern baulk section and to assess whether this layer provided a useful stratigraphic indicator of the boundary between the Ubaid and later periods.

Two walls, one below and one resting on the ashy layer were noted toward the end of the season. 5183 rested on the ashy layer and was associated with Chalcolithic pottery (KT9, 5199). 5201 was only visible in plan except in the half-section of pit 5201 where mud brick outlines were recorded beneath the ashy layer.

A notable find in the northeastern corner of the trench was an inscribed cylinder seal or bead (KT10, 5182) inscribed in a zigzag pattern in two registers.

Interpretation of the results of the season

Although there are limited opportunities to discuss dating a general summary of hypotheses could be put forward. The southern section of the trench revealed interior features that were part of an earlier phase (or phases) of the 2002 house that were then covered with fill to provide a level base for later occupation.

Associated with this is the hypothesis that the activity area in the central section of the trench, exterior to the house, was also used before the chaff-covered surface of the 2002. However, it seems unlikely that the cooking vessel and the smooth stone grinding surface would be abandoned, although any ritual explanation would be hard to argue.

The later pits and the oven along the eastern side of the trench imply that this area is associated with trench D9 rather than with the Ubaid and again it is worth considering the slope of the ancient hill which may have moved further eastwards over time. Therefore during the Ubaid the side of the hill may have been more flush with the 2002 house and then, having been filled in over time, employed in a more "industrial" capacity in later periods.

Another possibility connected with the slope of the hill is that wall 5201 in the northern section of the trench may act as a retaining wall rather than in any domestic context and, if Ubaid in date, be associated with the exterior activity area to the north of the 2002 house.

The results of the excavation in D5 in the 2004 season have therefore been determined by the transformation of the shape of the hill in requiring the leveling of areas in earlier periods and the shaping of the Tepe by human occupation that allowed new areas to be exploited.

Journal / Summary:D-5-2005-Summary

Kenantepe 2005        Page 1

Datum: 587.95

Trench: D.5

Date: June 10, 2005

TRENCH D.5 SUMMARY FOR 2005 SEASON

Trench D.5 was reopened for the season 2005 on May 16th and work was stopped on June 8th. There were a few goals for working in this trench. One of them was to continue horizontal excavations in order to see whether there was any earlier Ubaid architecture below the Ubaid house found during 2002 season. If there was any, we hoped to expose preserved building remains and record them as much as possible and compare them with the later one. Along with the comparisons of the artifacts, we hoped to distinguish any temporal change in spatial arrangements, architectural style and function of the meaningfully established spaces. The second goal was to document the change in settlement size in this part of the mound as we go deep. The last goal was to see how deep the Ubaid occupation layers continue and at which level the virgin soil could be reached in this part of the mound. With these questions in mind, we also reopened the trench D.9 in the E of D.5.

Unfortunately, the first goal was not achieved this year. Excavations showed that below the Ubaid house, there was not any architecture built in this part of the mound until we stopped the excavations at about 585.69 m. This indicates that during the earlier phases, the Ubaid occupations were elsewhere and the area where the trench D.5 was probably used as the open-air activities. I was able to detect some surfaces (L.5216 and L.5218) that were preserved only in small areas less than 1m2. The concentration of very hard, fine clay mixed with pebbles and large size chert flakes (L.5209) in the western part of the trench and the pile of very coarse sand mixed with small pebbles (L.5219) to the NW of the trench indicated to me that, perhaps, there were multiple activities. They may have been different types but consecutive related to one major task, such as preparing mud-bricks for wall constructions. The other possibility is that the activities may have been different and for short duration. Maybe that is why the surfaces L.5216 and L.5218 were very small. After completion of one short-term activity, the surface might have been left for good and the next activity might have been taking place nearby. It is important to note here that the nature of the outdoor activities are unknown, although we seem to have been documenting the remnants of them this year. It seems that human activities were intense and this area was repeatedly in use allowing for the accumulation of more than one meter thickness of fill.

The most significant discovery of the outside activities is the food preparation and possibly baking and cooking found in the S of the trench. Number of grinding stones, stone balls, and some hammers and pestles found near to each other in L. 5226 and L.5228 and their association with the hearth, which had two heavily burned plaster surfaces built on top of each other, implicated that firing activity was distinct. Additionally, ashy soil texture visible in the W section with more than 10cm thickness confirms that the hearth was used for a long time and hearth was rebuilt and the plaster

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was regularly renewed. It seemed to me that the heart was built higher than the living surface around it. The finds associated with it were begun appearing at similar level but more and more of them were recovered in the following 15cm as the excavations went on. Some of those finds were turned up side down implying that they were not in situ and moved. I suggest that this might be related with the natural slope of the mound that may have moved the artifacts and the living surface around the heart was adjusting itself with the downward form of the mound over the course of time. Thus, the slope was probably causing the actual surface disappear and disturbing the location of the finds.

In relation with the slope of the mound, the wall L.5212 deserves a note. It was initially found in earlier seasons and it was clear that the wall was continuing further down. At the end of the excavations in this trench, it was not clear if we had reached its bottom. A test I made on its n side showed that it may not be continuing further down and its bottom might be at the depth of 585.91 meter. If this is true the height of the wall becomes almost a meter. It has only one row of bricks but the size of the bricks is not obvious. The brick near the W section seems to be 70x22x5-6cm. This wall might have been built to draw the edge of the site and protect the area just S of it against erosion.

We excavated about one meter in this trench and there was no significant change observable in the size of the Ubaid settlement. However, I believe that the edge of the settlement in the NE got 40 cm shorter. It, thus, seems that the settlement was probably not enlarging so distinctively but the debris from ongoing activities was accumulating over time. If we can excavate in this trench next year, we may have better understanding about whether the site was smaller or not in the earlier phases.

In order to find out the depth of the Ubaid mound and locate the depth of the virgin soil, we continued digging in the SW sounding. We started at the depth of 585.31m with L.5214 and by changing the locus number every 25 cm, we reached to the depth of 583.48 m with L.5234. It is certain that the virgin soil has not been reached yet and the artifacts continued appearing with varying amounts in every locus assigned to the sounding. We found two distinct features in the sounding. Topmost one is L.5222 burned plaster surface found at the level 585.04-585.00 m. It is SE quadrant was found in the sounding but its structure was very similar to the hearth surfaces L.5225 and L.5227 found in the S of the trench. It was free of artifacts and a few sherds collected with its locus number may or may not be associated. The pottery from this sounding has not been studied yet and it is impossible to talk about the differences in the use of pottery that may imply change in style and more.

Due to not achieving the most important goal, recovering more earlier date architectural remains, this trench may not be excavated in the coming years. However, the SW sounding may be excavated further so that the sampling of more artifacts and reaching to the sterile soil may become possible.