CONCLUSION

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XI.  CONCLUSION

The excavation of T-46 has enhanced our understanding of the site, but has contributed only negative evidence to our understanding of the Orientalizing period structure that was the main focus of the excavation of this trench.  Although digging went down to sterile soil and below the height of the known stone column pads, no column pad was found or evidence of the former existence of such an architectual element (such as a depression in the soil from where a column pad could have been removed).  This would seem to indicate that the structure did not extend as far east as T-46.  Although no depressions in the sterile soil were found to indciate the former existence of column pads, the surface of this soil does begin to slope towards the southeast starting at a north/south line at approximately 190-E and at an east/west line at approximately 49.5-S.  The excavation of T-48 which lies in this direction a short distance away (NW:  194-E/52-S) did not

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hit sterile soil although it was dug down to a much lower level (26.01 m. versus T-46 SE:  26.66 m. above absolute elevation).  This would seem to indicate that the slope found in the SE sector of T-46 is the start of a percipitious drop of the sterile soil between these two trenches.  Excavation here is warranted to confirm this hypothesis.

In the excavation of T-46, locus 4 is the level of the Archaic tile spread while the levels above form the post destruction levels of the Archaic complex.  Locus 5 and 6 along with locus 7, the burn layer consisting of debris from the fire that destroyed the Orientalizing period buildings, are fill layers dumped here to level the area for the constuction of the Archaic complex.  Locus 8, the layer resting on sterile soil should be considered the surface of the Orientalizing period (some pancaking up of soil was noticed in this locus, p. 199).  Although significant quantities of pottery sherds and bone fragments were found in locus 6 and 7 with the quantity of pottery sherds significantly

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exceeding that of bone fragments, in locus 8 the ratio between pottery and bone almost becomes equal.  What this means is a matter for speculation. Finally, in the face of southern balk wall the stratigraphic section shows a gap in the burn layer from approximately 187.7-E to 188.4-E which may be an indication of an Archaic period hole, possibly for a post.