Tuesday, July 25 2017

AM

Some of yesterday’s rain leaked through the holes in the tarp, therefore excavation was delayed to allow the soil to dry out.  This time was spent catching up on activities that were not completed due to the rain yesterday.  In sorting through the tile bowl, two crucible fragments (Finds #91 and 92) and a piece of terracotta tile with vitrified material (Find #93) were discovered.  These were recorded as tile bowl finds on pages 127 and 129.  Additionally, 3 more pieces of pottery and one more piece of slag were found, raising yesterday’s counts to 26 sherds of pottery and 40 fragments of slag.  Finally 8 pieces of plaster with impressions were found in the tile bowl.  Large chunks of plaster with impressions will now be bulk found.  Since closing elevations for the day were not taken yesterday, opening elevations were taken for today.

25 July opening elevations:

• 107E/41S: 26.58m A.E.
• 108.5E/41S: 26.59m A.E.
• 108.5E/43.68S: 26.53m A.E.
• 107E/43.68S: 26.42m A.E.

Excavation of Locus 8 resumed at 9:30AM.  It was decided to concentrate excavation in the approximately 45x90cm rectangle directly to the north of the sounding dug in T66 in 2016, pulling back directly from the wall of the sounding and going down to the same level.  This will hopefully reveal the stratigraphy of the red and black patches of soil uncovered yesterday in the west and northeast portions of the trench.  It also was decided to clean the baulk walls of the 2016 sounding, also to be able to better understand the stratigraphy of this area.

Excavation continued in the small area of Locus 8 with hand picks and trowels.  The soil is crumbly on top where it has been baked out and fine, almost sandy beneath.  Plaster of varied colors (pink, white, tan-yellow) is included in significant quantities throughout the area.  Large amounts of slag are coming out of the eastern half of the area being excavated.  However, there are only small amounts of tile, pottery, and vitrified terracotta coming up, and so far a total absence of bone.  Cleaning of the 2016 soundings baulk walls continues, also with hand picks and trowels.  Numerous materials have been coming out of the baulk walls, including five pieces of slag (Finds #96, 97, 99, 100, and 101.  We now will be bulk finding slag from the baulk trim.  other finds from the baulk wall include an iron fragment (Find #94), a crucible fragment (Find #95), a very small diagnostic bone fragment (Find #98), and a piece of vitrified terracotta (Find #102).  There also has been a small amount of pottery and terracotta in the baulk trim.

Special Finds:

Find #94

• Baulk trim 2016 sounding
• 106.61E/45.24S
• 26.18m A.E.
• Iron fragment

Find #95

• Baulk trim 2016 sounding
• 106.61E/45.44S
• 26.17m A.E.
• Crucible fragment

Find #96

• Baulk trim 2016 sounding
• 106.61E/44.91S
• 26.28m A.E.
• Slag

Find #97

• Baulk trim 2016 sounding
• 106.61E/44.91S
• 26.28m A.E.
• Slag

Find #98

• Baulk trim 2016 sounding
• 106.61E/45.18S
• 26.36-26.26m A.E.
• Diagnostic bone fragment

Find #99

• Baulk trim 2016 sounding
• 106.61E/45.06S
• 26.28m A.E.
• Slag

Find #100

• Baulk trim 2016 sounding
• 106.61E/45.06S
• 26.28m A.E.
• Slag

Find #101

• Baulk trim 2016 sounding
• 106.61E/45.11S
• 26.17m A.E.
• Slag

Find #102

• Baulk trim 2016 sounding
• 106.61E/45.59S
• 26.15m A.E.
• Vitrified terracotta

PM

Excavation continued in the small area of Locus 8 and work continued trimming the baulk walls of the 2016 sounding.  At around 1:00PM work was halted due to light rain and the trench was tarped over.  Work resumed around 2:30PM after the rain stopped.  In the small area of Locus 8, slag continues to be found in large quantities in the eastern section, while plaster inclusions are frequent throughout the area.  Little other material is being found.  Trimming of the baulk walls of the 2016 sounding is yielding small amounts of terracotta, pottery, and slag.  The soil continues to be of a crumbly consistency, gray-brown in color, and included with charcoal and occasional roots and rocks.  It should also be noted that there are a number of medium-sized stones appearing in the area of Locus 8 under excavation.  They are being left in situ for now and it will be decided whether or not to remove them when the level of their bottoms in reached.  Two more crucible fragments were found, one in the baulk wall of the 2016 sounding (Find # 103), and one while going through the tile bowl for the baulk trim (Find #104).

Daily closing elevations and coordinates were taken for the area of Locus 8 under excavation.

• NW (106.78E/43.30S): 26.41m A.E.
• NE (107.67E/43.40S): 26.37m A.E.
• SE (107.62E/43.82S): 26.39m A.E.
• SW (106.76E/43.80S): 26.38m A.E.

Special Finds:

Find #103

• Baulk trim 2016 sounding
• 107.47E/45.12S
• 26.19m A.E.
• Crucible fragment

Find #104

• Tile bowl find
• Baulk trim 2016 sounding
• Crucible fragment

Locus 8:

• Tile and plaster: ⅓ bowl
• Pottery: 9 sherds
• Bone: 0 fragments
• Vitrified terracotta: 9 fragments
• Slag: 20 fragments
• Plaster with impressions: 2 fragments

Baulk trim 2016 sounding:

• Tile and plaster: ⅕ bowl
• Pottery: 20 sherds
• Bone: 1 fragment
• Vitrified terracotta: 2 fragments
• Slag: 18 fragments