Daily Log Entry for Wednesday, 15 July 2009

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DAILY LOG ENTRY FOR WEDNESDAY, 15 JULY 2009

MORNING:

Picked shoveled through Locus 10 . Much of the soil was black & full of organic inclusions such decaying plant material. The eastern part of the baulk wall is more yellowish, contains much less organic material, and is more hard packed. After picking, the baulk walls were partially trimmed to get a better idea of the stratigraphy. The soil on the floor still contains decaying leaves so we are still in backfill. Another pick pass was made through Locus 10 . The pick brought up a thin line of black soil through most of the floor. The black organic soil stood on top of a thicker layer of yellowish olive colored clay, which seems consistent w/ Locus 6 . While this pattern holds true for most of the floor of the trench, the soil in the SE corner is still black, full of decaying plant material, and is extremely moist. A piece of slag was found near the SW corner, in the yellowish brown soil. (Find #1) Another pick pass was in the center of Locus 10 , and a shotgun shell was recovered.

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Morning Finds:

Find #1:

Slag

Locus 10

115 cm BD = 27.95 m abs elev

136.25 E, 40.52 S

AFTERNOON:

Picked & shoveled again in Locus 10 . Despite the soil's similarity to the more archaeologically secure soil in the northern half of the trench, the shotgun shell found just before lunch indicates we are still in backfill. Some terracotta and ceramic were recovered, including a piece of ridged pottery (Find #2). As the floor is lowered, there are more finds. Black, organic soil is still present in the SE corner but the floor of the rest of the southern half of the trench is a yellowish olive colored clay. A second pick pass was made through all of Locus 10 in order to level it. Most of the soil is a yellowish olive colored clay, but there are still leaves & other decaying plant materials in the SE corner. More terracotta & ceramic were recovered and some of the material was larger in size than those previously recorded in Locus 10 . In addition a cavetto fragment (Find #3)

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was recovered. Since there are more finds and the soil resembles that of the rest of the floor of the trench, a new locus will be declared throughout the floor of the trench, except for the areas that are still visibly (with lots of leaves) backfill. After that baulk walls were trimmed in preparation for declaring a new locus.

Finds:

Find #2: Ridged Pottery

Locus 10

121 cm BD = 27.79 m abs elev

137.20 E, 40.35 S

Find #3

Cavetto Fragment

Locus 10

121 cm BD = 27.79 m abs elev

137.30 E, 39.73 S

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Locus 10: Terracotta: 2/3 Bowl

Ceramic: \xbd Latte Box

Baulk Trim: Terracotta: 1/10 Bowl (ca. 30 pcs)

Closing Elevations:

NW Corner: 120 cm BD = 27.80 m abs. elev

NE Corner: 126 cm BD = 27.74 m abs elev

SE Corner: 109 cm BD = 27.91 m abs elev

SW Corner: 110 cm BD = 27.90 m abs elev

Center: 113 cm BD = 27.87 m abs elev.

Find #4

Cavetto Fragment

Locus 10

Bowl Find

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