Daily Trench Journal

Area C

Trench 1

July 27, 2002

Today Ibrahim and Hashim are continuing with the removal of L1085 with Hashim in the south and Ibrahim in the east. A pit 1086 and an interesting mud brick surface 1087 (smaller bricks or maybe collapse) were exposed on 25 July. Today a second pit 1088 was exposed directly west of 1086. Also the mud brick surface/collapse appears to have a very thin layer to the west, then a more gray with pebbles layer, then the thin blocks.

After breakfast we made a small shift with workers. Jonathan gave me Ayup and he took Hashim. The hope is that Ayup can help me find surfaces in my trench while Jonathan can help train Hashim to find them himself. Ayup is definitely a great help. I hope that Hashim is able to learn from working in the other area.

The two pits (1086 and 1088) are interesting. I am waiting on their excavation until 1085 is finished and other separate loci are uncovered from this locus. These pits are rounded rectangles, a strange shape for pits. These two both run roughly north to south. They may simply be strangely delineated groupings of mud brick. Tomorrow morning I will use the whisk brooms to clean them off and get a good look at them in the good light. I think they are not mud brick patches but they are interestingly enough covered with some sort of mud bricklayer.

More mud brick is also appearing below L1078. The dirt is flaking off of the surface easily exposing more mud brick beneath. I am beginning to wonder if there is an area in my trench that does not have mud brick in it.

The boundary line of 1089 continues clearly, also mirrored in the base of the trench.

Finally there are still a number of "lines" crisscrossing my trench that are not easily distinguishable from pick lines or architectural features. Hopefully tomorrow morning will shed more light on what these liens are whether ghosts, rodent incursions, or something real.