Introduction

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Introduction to CD9

The 2001 season will seek to build upon previous work in the Civitate D region.  Eight trenches have been excavated in Civitate D previously (for CD 1-4 see JMIII 1979, for CD5-6 see NMI 1989, for CD7-8 see AMCIII and AMCIV 1996).  Since the fins to date are not suggestive of a large workshop or production site, it is possible that the area had been used for habitation, possibly for the laborers at the previously established orientalizing period workshop situated at the SE edge of the Piano del Tesoro.  The current trench to be designated CD9 will further explore the area to the S/SE of CD4.  One portion of CD4 was most notably characterized by a large assemblage of tiles intermixed with stone and pottery fragments.  Thus one objective of the current season will be to further explore the area in the vicinity of the tile fall, and to uncover any associated structure.  Note that the mixture of stone and pottery wiht the tiles, along with the fact that the accumulation was

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found "piled up" near a surface projection of bedrock, suggests that the collection may be washout eroded down from another location.  Therefore another objective of the excavation and clearing in the CD region will be to develop a better understanding of the topography of the region and to identify porbably washout directions.  In addition, since the current site is relatively far removed from the other known orientalizing and archaic structures, a further objective will be to determine if any architecture uncovered in the CD region is contemporaneous with and associated with the larger complex to the NW.

In spite of the distance between CD9 and the other structures, every effort will be made to establish trench locations and orientations consistent with the master grid system at Poggio Civitate (see TTI 1991).  Since direct surveying out to CD9 from the established baseline through the faily dense vegetation appears difficult at this time, initially Global Positioning System (GPS) location tools will be used to establish a

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reference point at CD9 on the master grid.  Due to limitations in GPS resolution, the absolute location of this reference point may be in error by a few meters, though since the site is over 260m away from the other known architectural features, this constant error in location should not be very significant.  Traditional technique will be used on site to establish relative location and orientation muhc more precisely.

The initial plan for the layout of CD9 will be to establish a grid system for a 15m x 15m area, and to drop 2m x 2m test pits in a checkerboard pattern separated by 1m baulks.  All of the test pits will be designated collectively as CD9, with differentiation between pits by meter only.  It is anticipated that 3 test pits will be excavated simultaneously at any one time, and 3 separate trench books employed.  Note that different datum points are likely to be established for each test pit.  In the absence of significant soil color or texture cahnge, cuts within a trench will

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proceed in 10cm increments.  Soil color or texture changes will be noted, and different loci defined as appropriate based on these changes.

Due to the abundance of tile uncovered previously in this area (JMIII 1979), most tile will be generically noted and discarded in a tile dump (the location to be noted later).  Any tiles with ditinctive figures will be recorded and recovered.  Unremarkable bulk finds such as terracotta and unworked bone will be collected in boxes differentiated by locus.  Significant finds will be tagged, numbered, and noted with centimeter designations on two axes and depth.