Wednesday, 3 July 2019

AM

We continued working in Locus 21, sectioning through the gap in EPOC4’s N wall. We are using handpicks and trowels to excavate. Soil in the southern part of the deposit is medium grayish-brown, dry and crusty but this likely is because it is baked out by the sun. In the northern part of the deposit, soil is darker brown, and claylike, which is more representative of the deposit, as the northern part of the locus is more heavily shadowed and retains more water. Soil is handsorted in the trench, then passed through a 1cm gauge sieve. This deposit contains little tile or plaster but relatively high quantities of pottery, bone, and a scattering of small stones (max. dimension 15cm). While working in the northern part of the deposit, we recovered a tooth fragment (Find #8). In the southern part of the deposit, just to the west of the preserved section of EPOC4’s N wall, we found a pan tile with a preserved flange that preserves some indications of burning (Find #9) and another tooth (Find #10). 

We continued excavating Locus 21 with handpicks and trowels, recovering high quantities of pottery and bone but little tile or plaster. We also found a fragment of slag which will be bullk found. In the northern half of the locus roughly along where the northern edge of EPOC4’s N wall would be had it not been disturbed, the rim and body of a coarseware vessel have begun to appear. The vessel is upright and may have once been pressed up against EPOC4’s N wall, indicating that this vessel may be roughly contemporary with the construction of EPOC4’s foundation walls. Similarly, near the northern trench wall, north of where EPOC4’s N wall would have been, a large pan tile with a preserved flange, burnt upper surface, and possibly with adhered slag has been exposed. Both the vessel and the tile will be photographed in situ and recovered as special finds, once they are adequately exposed. Furthermore, while working in the NW corner of the locus, we recovered an incised sherd of fine impasto with a carination (FInd #11). In this area, more fragments of plaster are beginning to appear, perhaps signalling a change of soil or deposit in this area. Additionally, we recovered a fragment of diagnostic bone (Find #12) in the same corner as the incised pottery. In the central area of the deposit, we found a possible fragment of cut vertebra (Find #13). 

While working along the western edge of the deposit, to the north of a bedrock shelf, more plaster began to appear. At this stage, it is unclear whether the two plaster deposits along the western edge of the locus are one continuous deposit, so this afternoon, we will remove the overlying soil from the area between the two plaster concentrations. 

Special Finds

8. Locus 21

    107.38E/ 38.79S

  27.08m A.E.

  Tooth fragment 

9. Locus 21

               108.40E/ 40.32S

  27.03m A.E.

  Pan tile with flange that is slightly burnt

10. Locus 21

  108.28E/ 40.23S

  27.00m A.E.

  Tooth fragment

11. Locus 21

  106.65E/ 38.34S

  27.13m A.E.

  Incised pottery with carination

12. Locus 21

  106.77E/ 38.49S

    27.05m A.E.

    Diagnostic bone fragment

13. Locus 21

   107.95E/ 39.70S

   26.92m A.E.

   Possible cut vertebra 

PM

We continued excavating in Locus 21, sectioning beneath where EPOC4’s N wall once was. We are excavating using handpicks and trowels. Soil is medium-brown in color, claylike in texture, with some small roots and a scattering of small rocks (max. dimension 15 cm). Concentrations of plaster have begun to appear both along the western edge of the locus and now, along the eastern end, just to the north of where EPOC4’s N wall once was. Currently, it is unclear if the different clusters of plaster are connected; we need to excavate the overlying Locus 21 deposit to determine this. Soil was hand-sorted in the trench then passed through a 1cm gauge sieve. We recovered high quantities of pottery and bone and have begun to find growing amounts of tile and plaster. We also found the base of a coarseware pot (Find #14), three teeth (Finds #15,17,18), and photographed and removed the burnt pan tile fragment that was in situ (Find #16). Additionally, we found a sherd of ridged impasto (Find #19). 

We continued to excavate Locus 21 with handpicks and trowels. The soil consistantly is dark-medium brown, claylike, and compacted, with a scattering of small stones (max. dimensions 15cm), although the stones seem to become more sparse the deeper we excavate. Inversely, the concentration of tile and plaster gets denser the deeper we excavate, although soil remains consistantly medium brown, claylike, and compacted. While excavating in the western half of the locus, we recovered another tooth. 

Closing Elevations: Locus 21

• NE corner: 27.13m A.E.
• 109E/ 39.96S: 27.12m A.E.
• 108.14E/ 41.38S: 27.12m A.E.
• SW corner: 26.87m A.E.
• NW corner: 27.17m A.E.

Locus 21

• Tile and plaster: ½ bowl
• Pottery: 197 sherds
• Bone: 49 fragments
• Slag: 4 fragments 

Special Finds

14. Locus 21

    106.96E/ 38.85S

    27.06m A.E.

    Coarseware base

15. Locus 21

   108.25E/ 39.34S

   27.01m A.E.

   Tooth 

16. Locus 21

   108.24E/ 38.39S

   27.05m A.E.

  Burnt pantile with flange

17. Locus 21

    108.14E/ 39.69S

    26.97m A.E.

    Tooth

18. Locus 21

   107.18E/ 39.34S

   27.05m A.E.

   Tooth

19. Locus 21

   107.28E/ 38.69S

   27.11m A.E.

   Ridged impasto sherd

20. Locus 21

   107.55E/ 38.51S

   27.12m A.E.

   Tooth