Daily Log: Tuesay, 17 July 2007

9

17 July 2007

AM:

We started by sweeping the trench floor and cleaning around the trench in order to prepare it for locus 8 opening photos. Locus 9, which will combine the leveled loci 2, 5, 7, was leveled. Photos were taken and closing elevations for loci 2, 5, 7, were measured and recorded (also opening elevations for locus 8).

Locus 2 Closing elevations:

NW Corner: 75 cm bd  =  22.69 m AE

NE Corner: 65 cm bd  =  22.79 m AE

SW Corner: 93 cm bd  =  22.51 m AE

SE Corner: 101 cm bd   =  22.43 m AE

Locus 5 Closing elevations:

NW Corner: 102 cm bd  =  22.42 m AE

NE Corner: 92 cm bd =  22.52 m AE

SW Corner: 112 cm bd  = 22.32 m AE

SE Corner: 113 cm bd   =  22.31 m AE

Locus 7 Closing elevations:

NW Corner: 93-3 = 89 cm bd  =  22.55 m AE

NE Corner: 96-3 = 93 cm bd  =  22.51 m AE

SW Corner: 114-3 = 111 cm bd  =  22.33 m AE

SE Corner: 112-3 = 99 cm bd   =  22.25 m AE

The datum point for locus 7 is 3 cm above the datum for locus 2 and 5 on the same tree, so 3 cm is subtracted from those measurements. Once elevations and photos were complete, the team began using trowels to level the northeast corner of the trench. Galestra like soil began to appear in this area during the afternoon of the 13 ^th . So we worked on exposing it entirely. The southwest corner is also slightly elevated due to a stump that was partially removed on the 13 ^th , so team members used trowels to loosen the soil, and axes were used to completely remove the stump.

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All soil was loosened with trowels, sorted by hand, and dumped by buckets. The team continued to trim baulk walls, especially on the east baulk wall, and leveled the trench floor on the southeast corner, where a second stump was removed by axe on the 13 ^th . The soil (except for the northeast corner of locus 8) is a grayish color with a grainy texture like sand. Upon further review, the northeastern extension that was laid out on Friday, 13 July 2007, was deemed unnecessary. No excavation of this area had begun, and it was decided that it would be more beneficial to extend the southeastern corner of the trench, given the limited time for excavation. This was determined due to what appears to be a slight curve to the south of the rock formation on the eastern side of the trench.

PM:

We continued removing soil with trowels from the rock formation and defining the rocks. All soil was sorted by hand and dumped. Several pieces of bone and pottery were recovered on the eastern side of the trench. The rock formation continues south in the southwestern corner, and on the southeastern corner, but appears less concentrated in the southeastern quarter of the trench. The rocks are smaller and occur less frequently in the

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south center part of the trench. The southeastern extension was laid out at the end of the day. Excavation of this are will show if the rock formation continues south, or possibly curves again. This extension measures 3m x 3m and stretches off the east wall south 3 meters and from the south wall 3 meters from a point on the south wall 3 meters west of the south east corner. All measurements were double checked for accuracy and lined with pink string.

Locus 8 Finds:

Pottery 100 sherds (multiple burnt)

Bone 58 pieces (several teeth)

Terracotta 1 \xbc bowls

(See new trench illustration, pg. 15)

Coordinates for southeast extension, begin locus 9:

NW Corner: 152 East; 97 South

NE Corner: 155 East; 97 South

SW Corner: 152 East; 100 South

SE Corner: 155 East; 100 South

(Illustration of extension in Trenchbook)

(Illustration of entire trench)