13 July 2012

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13 July 2012

AM

Work began today by removing the remaining stump. After it was removed, work continued by troweling and sorting the soil. While doing so, a possible crucible fragment (Special Find #2), and a piece of ridged pottery (Special Find #1) were found.

Special Find #1: Ridged Pottery

Locus 6

58.62 meters East

37.96 meters south

26.99 meters AE

Special Find #2: Possible Crucible Fragment

Locus 6

58.84 meters East

37.21 meters south

26.99 meters AE

Beneath the stump, crumbled plaster and additional pieces of large architectural terracotta were observed. These pieces will remain in situ, as they appear to be

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intermixed with large rocks. In fact, the rocks and terracotta appear to form a semi-ovoic shape. However, work will continue with trowels and hand picks to fully explore the extent of the possible feature.

While troweling in the southeast corner of the trench, three small pieces of incised pottery were unearthed (Special Find #3, 4, 5).

Special Find #3: Incised Pottery

Locus 6

59.88 meters east

37.88 meters south

26.94 meters AE

Special Find #4: Incised Pottery

Locus 6

59.46 meters east

37.95 meters south

26.94 meters AE

Special Find #5: Incised Pottery

Locus 6

59.60 meters east

38.07 meters south

26.93 meters AE

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Shortly thereafter, a small chunk of bronze was discovered in the northwestern corner of the trench (Special Find #6).

Special Find #6: Bronze chunk

Locus 6

58.25 meters east

36.93 meters south

27.02 meters AE

And a piece of corroded iron was found in the northwest corner of the trench (Special Find #7).

Special Find #7: Corroded Iron ( 20120153 )

Locus 6

59.25 meters east

36.55 meters south

27.00 meters AE

The rock feature previously described appears to extend in a linear path towards the north, where a clearly delineated rock feature has been excavated (Trench CA 74).

The soil beneath the stump has yielded a significant amount of plaster, approximately 5 dime sized pieces and much plaster powder.

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While defining the rocks and terracotta throughout locus 6 , for the purpose of excavating to the elevation of locus 3, several artifacts were uncovered, including a rocchetto (Special Find #8), an iron fragment (Special Find #9), a crucible fragment (Special Find #10), a fragment of bronze (Special Find #11), and a slightly larger piece of slag (Special Find #12).

Special Find #8: Rocchetto Fragment ( 20120128 )

Locus 6

58.58 meters east

37.40 meters south

27.01 meters AE

Special Find #9: Iron Fragment

Locus 6

58.88 meters east

36.64 meters south

27.01 meters AE

Special Find #10: Crucible Fragment ( 20120135 )

Locus 6

58.98 meters east

37.58 meters south

26.97 meters AE

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Special Find #11: Bronze Fragment

Locus 6

57.83 meters east

36.43 meters south

27.02 meters AE

Special Find #12: Slag

Locus 6

59.43 meters east

38.70 meters south

26.93 meters AE

Meanwhile, as we continued to define locus 6, one student cleared the surface of locus 1 , 2 , and 3 . In doing so, a fragment of a coiled handle was unearthed (Special Find #13)

Special Find #13: Coiled Handle ( 20120124 )

Locus 3

60.18 meters east

37.12 meters south

26.94 meters AE

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In excavating locus 6 , a great deal of very small flakes of bronze was uncovered and thus bulk found. Furthermore, small pieces of plaster and plaster dust continued to be found directly beneath the previously removed stump.

Locus 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , and 6 were scraped, leveled, and cleared of roots in preparation of declaring locus 7 across the entirety of the trench.

Locus 7 : Opening Elevations

NE: 27.02 meters AE

NW: 27.00 meters AE

SW: 26.97 meters AE

SE: 26.93 meters AE

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Daily Totals

Locus 2

Pottery: 10 pieces

Terracotta: negligible

Bone: 1 piece

Bulk Slag: 1 piece

Locus 6

Pottery: 358 pieces

Terracotta: 1.5 bowls

Bone: 60 pieces

Bulk Slag: 39 pieces

Vitrified Terracotta: 11 pieces

Bulk Bronze: 3 pieces