3 July 2015

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3 July 2015

AM

Trench floor scraped in order to determine where the yellow soil is located. It appears across the trench except in the south where there are patches of Locus 17 soil remaining which are being removed with small hand picks. Included within the yellow soil in the middle meter from the north-south there are large fragments of terra cotta (10-20cm in length) and two patches of heavily concentrated carbon included within the yellow soil (about 10-20cm in diameter). Once all the Locus 17 soil removed, baulk walling begun. There is special attention being paid to the baulk wall along the circular feature in order to remove the sloping in it. While baulk walling there, a fragment of slipped pottery, probably associated with yesterday's Find 1/Find 19 found. To that end it will not be made its own find, but will be sent to the magazzino with a

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tag (not in bulk pottery). It was found along the southern section of the circular feature's baulk wall at a height of 24.20m A.E. From the same area, a statue fragment recovered.

Find 1: Statue Fragment with Cleft

94.16E/55.30S

24.20m A.E.

Locus 17

Drawing

The trench floor scraped for opening photographs which were taken. Opening elevations of Locus 18 taken:

NW Corner (inside northern safety step, ~93E): 24.20m A.E.

NE Corner: 24.20m A.E.

SE Corner: 24.13m A.E.

SW Corner (inside the southern safety step, ~93E): 24.41m A.E.

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Drawing of Locus 18.

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Pick pass completed over the entirety of the current area of excavation. Locus 18 is a yellowish brown flaking rock with patches of flaking greyish brown rock. The soil in the central meter running north-south is almost entirely claylike, yellowish brown soil included with carbon and small fragments of worn terra cotta, pottery, and bone, by contrast to the flaking rock areas in the north and south. The difference in consistency and content of artifacts is probably indicative of the anthropic removal of soil in order to construct the circular feature. Second pick pass done. Soil remains consistent--flaking rock in the northeastern and southeastern corners, but claylike, carbon and deteriorating material included in the central section of the east. A third pick pass begun, with soil remaining consistent. As the central meter picked, a fragment of plaster with reed impression recovered.

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Find 2: Plaster Fragment with Reed Impression

93.79E/54.18S

24.07m A.E.

Locus 18

Drawing

While shoveling the central meter running north to south it was observed that fragments of carbon were prevalent and sizeable, therefore three large fragments collected as a sample (from approximately 94-95E/54-55S and 24.05m A.E.). Material still coming from the same area but in incredibly diminished concentrations by comparison to other loci. Fourth pick pass initiated across the entire area. Part of the most southern and lowest step removed, bringing out some material collected with Locus 18 , but otherwise very little material recovered. While the central meter is still carbon included, the carbon has dropped off in respect to size and frequency. Fifth pick pass done over the entire area of the

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trench. Deteriorating rock in the northern and southern meters of the trench is incredibly flakey, while the central meter remains claylike. Carbon and materials included in the central meter, including some larger and better preserved fragments. Sixth pick pass completed. The north is extremely flakey and has returned no material for several pick passes. In the central meter the claylike soil has given way to the flaking deteriorating rock, but large fragments of carbon and a small concentration of materials still present. The southern meter is also entirely flakey, but has produced some artifacts this pass. Seventh pick pass done across the entire trench. Soil remains consistent, with artifacts coming exclusively from the central meter. Eighth pick pass completed across the trench. Soil remains yellowish brown and flakey, with carbon and a few artifacts coming from the central meter.

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Ninth pick pass done across the trench. Soil incredibly flakey with a few patches of clay recovered from the central meter. A very small concentration of materials coming from the central meter too. A fragment of terra cotta statuary from the eastern baulk wall became loosened and was removed. As it comes from significantly higher--in the sloping yellow soil of Locus 16 --it will be found as baulk trim.

Find 3: Terra Cotta Statue Fragment

95E/55.45S

24.58m A.E.

Baulk Trim

Drawing

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Tenth pick pass initiated in Locus 18 . Soil is entirely flakey with no materials in it at all. Carbon has disappeared. Eleventh pick pass completed. Parts of the baulk walls also trimmed, and the artifacts collected as Locus 18 material. There is no material or carbon included in the Locus 18 soil turned up in the pass.

PM

The material in the trench seems to have totally bottomed out, so in order to determine how much further the elevation must be dropped, the vertical profile of the circular feature must be more fully revealed. In order to do so, a small section of the baulk wall north of the feature will be removed. To prepare for this procedure the entire baulk wall will first be trimmed, scarped, and photographed. Began creating a roughly triangular cut (50cm N-S, 40cm E-W, 70 cm

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hypotenuse) into the eastern baulk wall along three large rocks (20-30cm in length each). A small pick axe is being used to create the cut. Terra cotta, pottery, and bone being recovered in relatively high concentration for the volume of soil being removed. While pick axing, a rocchetto with ancient and modern breaks recovered.

Find 4: Stamped Quadruped Rocchetto

94.70E/53.96S

25.33m A.E.

Baulk Trim

Drawing

20150026

20150026

Work ended for the day. Baulk section dropped about 20cm.

Daily Totals:

Locus 17:

Terra cotta: 1/20 bowl

Pottery: 2/3 latte (35 fragments)

Bone: 3 fragments

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Locus 18:

Terra cotta: 1/4 bowl

Pottery 1 1/3 latte (106 fragments)

Bone: 4 fragments

Baulk Trim:

Terra cotta: 8 fragments

Pottery: 17 fragments

Bone: 4 fragments

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