Date: 29-Jul-97
Weather: Hot, still, cloudless
Number of Workers: 3
Lots Open: 1222, 1225, 1226, f87, 88, 89
Page Reference: 91

STRATEGY: 1. Look for rest of compact surface 1225. 2. Remove 1226 to see if 1225 is under it also. 3. Remove last little bit of 1222.

SUMMARY: 1. Last of 1222 removed. 2. 1226 removed. It is very badly disturbed by animal burrows. It overlies a semi-circle of stones which form a "tholos" with stones partially excavated in 1996 (in the room east of wall f68). The semi-circle of stones was given f no. 87 - inside it there is a concentration of plaster & pise. A small patch of a surface apparently part of f87 was also exposed. The surface was given lot no. 88. 3. 1225 had dried out considerably overnight & proved very difficult to find. However, an oily, compact layer was exposed over much of the square which I treated as 1225. It was very badly disturbed by animal burrows & very little could be made of it. 4. In the last half hour of excavation we encountered a very clear surface under the thin (c.2cm) 'skin' of 1225. This surface was given f no. 89. It is very hard, 'greasy' when troweled, with orange & black flecks. The relationship of 1225 f88 & 89 needs to be clarified.