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11 July 2022

AM

The morning began with a continuation of the pickpass started on Friday working in Locus 1 to the north.  A large amount of vitrified material continues to be recovered, along with frequent inclusions of plaster.  Tile and small amounts of pottery are being found while sorting soil by hand into buckets.  A fragment of vitrified plaster was special find (Special Finds #26).  Large fragments of vitrified plaster will be special found running forward in order to determine if there is a concentration within the trench.

Special Find #26

Locus 1

174.56m E

66.12m S

26.7[?]m AE

Vitrified Plaster

A fragment of vitrified plaster and vitrifying ridge pole tile were also recovered (Special Find #27 and Special Find #28).

Special Find #29

175.25m E

65.53m S

26.78m AC

Vitrified Pottery

Locus 1

PC20220005

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Special Find #28

Locus 1

174.70m E

65.63m S

27.76m AE

Vitrified Ridgepole with slag adhered

While excavation continued in Locus 1 with soil being sorted by hand into buckets, hand picks and trowels are being used to lower the level of the soil in Locus 3.  The removal of the soil is revealing the linear nature of the locus.

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The soil within the linear locus is being lowered ca. 5cm and leveled.  The area will be rephotographed once the entire locus is lowered and leveled in order to better illustrate the shape of the locus. The soil is a medium brown soil and clay mixture with inclusions of 2 small fragments of bucchero, terracotta, a fragment of vitrified terracotta remains in situ, and small rocks.

A second pickpass completed in Locus 1 lowering the level of the soil around the tree roots in the northeastern corner of the trench.  Frequent fragments of decayed plaster with inclusions of vitrified tile and plaster are being recovered.  A fragment of burnt bone (Special Find #29) and a fragment of tile with possible slip (Special Find #30) were recovered.

Special Find #29

Locus 1

175.27m E

65.13m S

26.81m AE

Burnt Bone & 1 associated fragment

Special Find #30

Locus 1

174.28m E

65.80m S

27.42m AE

Tile with possible slip

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PM

An additional pick of the northern most 1.5 meters of Locus 1 was completed in order to level the lighter soil with the surface of the 2019 northern extension.  The pick revealed a large amount of small to medium sized roots associated with the tree to the east of the trench.

A large amount of vitrified tile and plaster are being found and seem to concentrate to the south of Locus 1.  The picked soil was sorted by hand into buckets, roots were clipped, and the area was brushed.

In Locus 3 handpicks and trowels continue to be used to lower the level of the soil across the extent of Locus 3.  In the SW corner the plaster floor was found to continue but further excavation is needed to determine the extent of the soil of Locus 3 and what its relationship is with the floor surface.  While sorting soil by hand into buckets a fragment of a shell was found in the southern extend (Special Find #31) and a burnt bone in two fragments was found in Locus 3 close to the apparent corner of the plaster flour of Locus 3.

Special Find #31

Locus 3

174.91m E

69.72m S

26.75m AE

Shell fragment

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Special Find #32

Locus 3

174.40m E

70.27m S

26.72m AE

Burnt Bone (a fragmenti

Handpicks and trowels were used in Locus 8 to lower the level of the soil around a number of visible architectural tile and plaster fragments.  The area was defined and swept.  Small amounts of impasto and plaster were found.

Closing elevations:

Locus 1:

NW: 26.75m AE

NE: 26.75m AE

SW: 26.75m AE

SE: 26.85m AE

Daily Totals:

Locus 1:

Pottery: 28 pcs

Plaster with reed impressions: 11 pcs

Plaster: 1 bowl

Terracotta: 2 bowls

Vitrified Terracotta: 1 1/4 bowls = 218 pcs

Locus 8:

Pottery: 4 pcs

Plaster: 1/4 [?] bowl

Vitrified Terracotta: 5 pcs

Locus 3:

Pottery: 7 pcs

Plaster: 1/8 bowl

Tile: 10 pcs