Stratigraphy Summary

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During this season's excavation, T-26 joined T-22.  The stratigraphy of this new large trench, which now extends from A to R in meters 54-56, was determined to be essentially congruent with the section drawn by S. Leach in 1978 for T-22.  One modification will amend Leach's record: the identification of an additional stratum ( see SL I 1978, p. 105 ).

Stratigraphy in this area consists of roughly twenty-five centimeters of rocky brown topsoil.  Plant roots run through this stratum, which on occasion produced finds.  The most notable find from topsoil was a banquet frieze fplaque fragment from grid R/59 ( 19870006

19870006

Beneath the topsoil, a roughly thirty to forty centimeter layer of gray-brown soil exists.  Throughout this stratum, tile, plaster, and pottery fragments were found, but not in abundance.  A heavy concentration of tile exists between this layer of soil and the one below it.  It is worth noting that a female antefix head came from the level of this tile concentration ( 19870058

19870058

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A black and red burn layer, 25 centimeters deep, exists below the fine yellow soil.  At the rock pack in T-22 (E/54-55), the burn layer does not rise over the contour of the rocks.  This fact, along with tiles visible within and below the rocks, suggests strongly that the rocks were not there at the time of burning (whatever burned), but rather were pushed there along with tiles at a later date.

The burn layer exists from roughly 105 centimeters below surface to around the 130 cm mark.   From here to the bottom of the trench, 140 cm from surface, a dense stratum of yellow soil exists.  It is likely that this stratum continues deeper than the 140 cm level.

It is important to note that ground surface level and trench bottom level, as well as all strata, change depths over the course of the eighteen meters of this trench.  See diagram and final trench photos.

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