Daily Journal

Area D

Trench 5

July 30, 2002

Today work on the large E-central oven began in earnest. We have changed from doing 10 cm levels to doing similar, but one half of the oven followed by the other to get a look at the sections before we go down. Loci excavated in the oven today include: L5121, L5122, L5124 and L5125. Nothing particularly remarkable is coming out of the oven. There has been a lot of good carbon samples, as expected, plus an assortment of pottery, lithics and the occasional bone.

Elsewhere in the trench, another "good" plaster-lined pit has emerged in the central-N, though we haven’t been able to fully follow it yet, as apparently it gets cut in some of its NE extent by ash pit L5116. Regardless, the new pit has been designated L5123.

Other work in the trench was done to bring L5105 and L5106 down to the level of L5116, which is still the prevailing elevation in the northern third of the trench.

All but the last remnants of L5100, in the center of the trench and abutting the western wall of the large oven were removed. The Ubaid context appears to be ended in the north by pits L5085 and L5123.

Speaking of L5085, one of our most attractive finds came out of the bottom of said pit today. We discovered a complete small pot, KT 5085.40 which, despite suffering from a slight case of discovery by hand pick, is in good shape. Of note, it was resting on its side with its mouth slightly down and completely empty.