Thursday

186

187

July 16, 1987

A.M.

Work continued dropping G-H/91-92 down through the plaster level to further define the stratum of tile. In J-I/91-90 a small cut was made and huge amounts of plaster were found. App 2 cassette of a very light, crumbly plaster were removed. Additionally, about 1 cassette of a much harder, more orangey colored plaster with flat edges and reed marks were removed also. Very little tile was removed from this area in this heavy plaster stratum. One large frag of covertile preserving a width dimension was found lying upside down in the upper reches of hte plaster stratum with its curved side packed with that lighter, looser plaster. Underneath this stratum appeared to be large amounts of large fragments of tile and some rocks. From here came a couple of fragments of bone colored greenish-blue from bronze. This area with large tile frags and large rocks will be systematically cleaned down from 92 moving west with the heavy layer above removed. The tiles and rocks seemed so far to be surrounded

188

189

also by plaster.

In N-O/91-92 quite deteriorated floor continued to be exposed. The soil above it here was quite dark brown and rooty. A rocchetto frag was found about 5cm below surface and definitely above the floor in this area. A few frags of very worn tile and plaster were found here as well as a couple of frags of very worn creamic.

In Y/75-76 work continued exposing floor for the first time. In an eastward direction the floor contiued to be in quite good shape. A small amount of worn tile and plaster came from the brown soil here above the floor. A very few frags of very worn pottery were found here. No carbon was found today nor any burned material.

Because of sima finds near the southernmost line of column bases (see Wednesday PM finds) and the presence of moderately good floor to the south of some bases it has been hypothized that htee may be a fourth , more southern line of colomn bases. To the end of determining this, taking into account bad erosion along most of the southern edge, a line was drawn out 2.75 m form the base in Y/75-76 and excavation began. Rocks of the same very

190

191

friable type as found in many of the bases. By the end of the morning a good amount of this rock was visible but no surrounding floor yet. A couple of very worn tile and plaster frags were found.

More work was done around the base in T/85 to the south. Good floor continued to be pulled up here but mostly west of the base. A small fractured frag of what appeared to be a green bead was found in the brown soil here. A few , above the floor. A few worn tile and plaster frags were found here, some quite close to the floor. None were burnt and no carbon appeared today in the soil here.

192

193

19870090

19870090

• find 1
• T/86 brown soil around base
• bead
  • drawing
  • photo

19870051

19870051

• find 2
• N/92 brown soil
• 5 cm
• rocchetto
  • drawing
  • photo

19870096

19870096

• find 3
• H/92 plaster whith tile
• bronze
  • drawing
  • photo

194

195

19870040

19870040

• find 6
• L-J/86-88
• rocchetto frag
  • photo

196

197

P.M.

Work continued clearing the floor in all areas.In the area south and east of the base in Y/75-76 a few tiles continued to be pulled up but little else. The floor seemed fairly good to the est but deteriorated to the south east. An exploration 2.75m off the bases center south in a continued effort to locate a possible fourth line of bases come up with nothing substantial.

Additionally test exploration was done 2.75 meters off the column bases in Y/75-76 and X/78. Rock was found in both areas but different types. ONe off Y/75-76 as the friable type often found in bases. The other off X/78 was more solid. So far no floor has been found extending down this far. Occasional frags of very worn tiel and plaster were found.

198

199