Wednesday, 24 July 2019

AM

Opening Elevations:

NE: 24.88 m AE

NW: 25.00 m AE

SE: 23.89 m AE

SW: 24.52 m AE

The morning began with a pick through the eastern 2m x 6m section of the trench in an effort to level out the surface of the locus and to search for any surface that may correlate to the surface found in the northern extent of T-94 and T-99. Additionally, there are rocks present in the very southern extent of the trenches T-94 and T-99. Efforts will be made to determine if there is any connecting linear feature in the south of T-95. While clearing the dirt from the most recent pick, a concentration of teeth were found. These will be photographed in situ and collected as a special find.

Special Find #78: Tooth Concentration

Coordinates: 108.08 E/74.67 S

Elevation: 24.34 m AE

Shortly after, a sherd of ridged pottery was found.

Special Find #79: Ridged Pottery Sherd

Coordinates: 108.05 E/74.94 S

Elevation: 24.54 m AE

Shortly after, a spindle whorl was found.

Special Find #80: Spindle Whorl

Coordinates: 109.21 E/73.92 S

Elevation: 24.64 m AE

#PC20190090

While cleaning up the remainder of the dirt, a more compacted, extremely dense soil was found. This soil compaction is very similar to the soil compaction found in the northwest and northeast corners of the trench. Excavation methodology will temporarily change in order to find if this soil compaction continues. Pickaxing will be replaced with scraping back from the compacted soil, pulling back to the south. While pulling back the soil, a rocchetto fragment was found.

Special Find #81: Rocchetto Fragment

Coordinates: 106.14 E/71.10 S

Elevation: 24.99 m AE

#PC20190085

PM

Pulling back the soil continued post-lunch. While scraping, multiple special finds were discovered.

Special Find #82: Diagnostic Bone

Coordinates: 106.58 E/71.09 S

Elevation: 24.95 m AE

Special Find #83: Teeth

Coordinates: 106.73 E/71.21 S

Elevation: 24.92 m AE

Special Find #84: Ridged Pottery Sherds

Coordinates: 106.22 E/71.56 S

Elevation: 24.85 m AE

Special Find #85: Crucible

Coordinates: 107.65 E/73.92 S

Elevation: 24.69 m AE

Pulling the dirt towards the south continued until the end of the day. Tomorrow, work will be focused on the continuation of the search for this new compaction of soil and determining whether there is any sort of rock feature present in the south which may align with T-94 and T-99.

Closing Elevations:

NE: 24.88 m AE

NW: 24.98 m AE

SE: 23.89 m AE

SW: 24.52 m AE

Daily Totals:

Architectural Terracotta: 1/20 bowl

Pottery Sherds: 268

Bone Fragments: 56

Slag: 5