Monday, 9 July 2018

AM

This morning T-93 will officially open. Light clearing of leaves and small debris that had fallen into the trench area over the weekend was done and opening photos were taken. After photos, opening elevations were done.

Opening Elevations:

NW: 27.62 m. A.E.

NE: 28.02 m. A.E.

SW: 28.03 m. A.E.

SE: 28.02 m. A.E.

Once opening elevations were taken, excavation began. Pick axes will be used to break up the soil. Soil will then be hand sorted into buckets that will be dumped into a wheelbarrow. The soil from the wheelbarrow will be taken to the designated dirt dump. The soil of Locus 1 is dark olive brown and full of small to large roots and medium sized rocks. The consistency of the soil is not very dense but it difficult to break apart because of the amount of roots running consistently through the soil most likely because of the large tree present on the trench’s western line. Because of the orientation of the trench (an approximate 2 meter drop off to the north and east), picking will begin in the east and pull back to the west in order to aid in mobility of the excavators. The first pick was completed in a 1 meter by 1 meter strip beginning in the east and pulling back to the west. Once this pick was completed a second one was done in the 1.5 meter by 2.3 meter strip running from the center of the trench to the western wall. Once this pick was cleared, another full pass was completed following the same methodology as the first. There is not much material present within this locus so far. Small amounts of architectural terracotta and pottery have been found so far. What has been pulled out is heavily worn and eroded. Another full pick pass was completed and cleared before lunch.

PM

Post-lunch work commenced on Locus 1. Methodology in the afternoon remained the same as the morning. A pick was begun in the 1 meter by 1 meter strip beginning in the east and pulling back to the west. After this pick was cleared, another one was completed through the remainder of the trench beginning in the center and pulling back to the west measuring 1.5 by 2.4 meters. Pockets of a lighter brown, heavily compacted clay-like soils have begun to appear throughout the eastern extent of the trench. In order to expose the new soil throughout, another pick was completed through the western extent of the trench in a 1.5 by 2.4 meter strip that pulled back to the east. Once this pick was clear, more patches of the new soil appeared. A light pick was then completed throughout the entire extent of the trench in order to level and reveal the new soil throughout. Once the soil appeared uniformly throughout the trench it was decided that picking would be halted in order to level with trowels and baulk wall so that Locus 2 could be declared.

Once the trench was level and baulk walls were defined, roots were clipped and closing photos for Locus 1/opening photos for Locus 2 were taken.

Closing Elevations Locus 1/Opening Elevations Locus 2:

NW: 28.01 m. A.E.

NE: 27.95 m. A.E.

SW: 28.01 m. A.E.

SE: 27.92 m. A.E.

Daily Totals Locus 1:

Architectural terracotta: ½ bowl

Pottery sherds: 15

Bone fragments: 1