Introduction

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The T9 area was first excavated by Steve Wright and Nancy Winter during the 1969 season (see SW/NWI pg 45-179).  It was dirung this season that a wall was uncovered for 18 meters from West-East with no return wall discovered at either end.  Along the northern edge were nine large flat sones, that may have served the purpose of column pads.  However, their strange arrangement may counter this theory; as the stones move to the east, they move into and eventually intersect the wall itself.  During this season both archaic and orientalizing acroteria were recovered from the area, along with full vessel profiles.  However, the wall was not able to be identified with an building, nor dated.  It cants slightly at a southerly angle from the upper building, making it seperate from this structure.

The next season, Charlotte Scheffer continued excavation, extending the trench to the southeast (see CSI pg. 20-28).  Again, not much information was recovered considering material that could aid in dating the wall or associating with any structure on the site.  Several architectural terracottas were discovered, which would be expected, considering the area is so close to the

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upper building.

Tamsen Fuller continued excavation in the summer of 1971 (TFI).  He extended towards the east in order to excavate more of the wall.  Also, trenches were dropped to the south in hopes of discovering a floor or some other indication of a structure other than the wall itself.  Again, the end of the wall was never uncovered, nor a return wall of any sort.  Interestignly, in the south, a ditch, later coined a drain, was discovered that may have some relationship to the wall.  This "drain" runs at the same angle as the wall, and is the same width in places.  To offer a speculation, one could regard this as a possible footing trench for the opposite wall of the structure.  However, the ditch was ener decidedly referred to as either.

The return to the T9 area this year hopes to accomplish multiple tasks.  First, the stratigraphy of the area was not thoroughly analyzed during the early 70s excavation.  A trench will be dorpped that intersects the wall, and excavation will proceed at greater depths than the predecessors in order to attempt to establish whihc layer the wall rests upon.  This will aid in dating the material and the wall itself.  Secondly

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more excavtion ot the east may proceed, in order to discover if a return wall comes in contact with the wall at some point.

Also, the northern side of the wall will be opened again for the purpose of studying the nature of the stones.  The slope to the north will be explored for terracing, or perhaps a staggered foundation.  Much of the area has already been excavated, which will make our excavations very difficult, especially during the initial cuts, considering former trenches were not placed on the master grid.

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