Daily Log: 19 July 2007

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Thursday 19 July 2007

AM:

We began by making a shallow pickpass over the northern \xbd of the southeastern extension, locus 10. The soil on the southern end of this extension is a lighter, olive brown and the soil on the northern half is a medium brown grayish soil. The soil was troweled and the floor scraped in order to see if the northern half has the same olive brown soil at a deeper level. This extension has a downward slope from north to south. All soil was sorted and troweled into buckets and dumped. The yellowish olive brown soil began to appear on the northern half as well. Per instructions, it was decided to open another extension on the southwestern corner of the trench. The large rock formation that curves through locus 8 does not seem to continue into the southeastern extension of locus 10, so the decision was made to excavate a southwestern extension to see if the formation continues in this direction. The team split into two groups half worked on trimming the baulk walls of the southeastern extension to prepare for opening locus 11, because of the soil change, and half worked on laying out a new southwestern extension that will be 4 meters long and 2 meters wide off the southwestern corner of the western wall.

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One meter extends south from the southwestern corner and extends north from the same corner 3 meters. The northeastern corner of the new extension is floating approx. 15 cm from the edge of the western wall into locus 8. This southwestern extension extends 2 meters west of the current eastern wall of the trench. Coordinates from the south western extension are:

NW Corner: 146 East; 94 South

NE Corner: 148 East; 94 South

SW Corner: 146 East; 98 South

SE Corner: 148 East; 98 South

The grayish medium brown soil of locus 10 in the southeastern extension was completely removed, exposing the olive brown yellowish soil. Locus 11 was declared and opening photos and elevations were recorded. Locus 11 elevation:

NW Corner: 114 cm bd =  22.30 m AE

NE Corner: 116 cm bd  =  22.28 m AE

SW Corner: 142 cm bd  =  22.02 m AE

SE Corner: 139 cm bd  =  22.05 m AE

The new southwestern extension is located on the old terracotta dump from previous excavations. The concentration of terracotta from this dump is primarily in the southern half of the new extension. The decision was made to divide the extension into 2 loci because of the presence of this tile dump. The northern half was declared locus 12 and the southern half was declared locus 13. Opening elevations and photos were measured and recorded for locus 12 and 13 of the southwestern extension.

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(Sketch of the new extension pg. 27)

Locus 12 opening elevations:

NW Corner: 75 cm bd =  22.69 m AE

NE Corner: 78 cm bd  =  22.66 m AE

SW Corner: 79 cm bd  =  22.65 m AE

SE Corner: 76.5  =  22.67 m AE

Locus 13 opening elevations:

NW Corner: 79 cm bd  =  22.65 m AE

NE Corner: 76.5 cm bd  =  22.675 m AE

SW Corner: 103 cm bd  =  22.41 m AE

SE Corner: 99 cm bd  =  22.45 m AE

Once elevations and photos were taken for all new loci, a pickpass was made over the northern half of the southeastern extension, locus 11. The soil here is olive brown and yellowish and has a flaky galestra like texture. Very little material is

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recovered in locus 11, there are minimal roots at this level and it appears that the rock formation dissipates and does not extend here.

PM:

A pickpass was made over the southern \xbd of the southeastern extension. Loosened soil was removed with trowels, sorted into buckets and dumped. At this point we transferred effort to locus 12/13 of the southwestern extension because of seemingly sterile soil in locus 11. A pickpass was made over locus 13 in order to loosen and remove the terracotta dump. All loosened soil was sorted, troweled into buckets and dumped. The topsoil is dark brown and has a high concentration of roots. A small patch of root rot can be seen from the surface around a stump the northwestern corner. After the terracotta and loosened soil was removed from the southern half of the SW extension, locus 13, a pickpass was made over the northern half of the SW extension, locus 12. All soil was troweled into buckets, sorted and dumped. No material was recovered from the first pickpass of locus 12. This was a very shallow pickpass and the root mat from the surface was removed.

Locus 10 Finds:

Terracotta: 1/5 bowl (15 pieces)

Pottery: 5 sherds

Bone: 0 pieces

Baulk finds:

Terracotta: \xbc bowl

Pottery: 1 sherd

Bone: 0 pieces

Locus 11 finds:

Terracotta: 1/5 bowl (17 pieces)

Pottery: 4 sherds

Bone: 0 pieces

Locus 13 finds:

Terracotta: 29 bowls

Pottery: 2 sherds

Bone: 0 pieces

(Sketch of Southeastern extension pg 31)

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