195

26 July 2022

AM

Excavation continues in Locus 3, Locus 14, and Locus 19.  In Locus 3 baulk walls are being improved using a small hand pick.  The southern extent of the locus continues to be lowered to the compacted clay layer.  While sorting soil from a pick pass of the southern extent that remains higher two diagnostic teeth (Special Find #90) was found.

Special Find #90

Locus 3

174.98m E

70.28m S

26.52m AE

Diagnostic Bone: 2 Teeth

The tile packing continues to be defined in Locus 14 using hand picks and trowels.  The work is moving from the south to the north.  Additional tile fragments have been found to the south and north of the tile packings.  Excavation also began in Locus 7 to determine its relationship to the plaster floor surface and its relationship to Locus 13.  The soil is a medium compaction and is dark brown with frequent inclusions of medium to small sized rocks, small roots, and frequent carbon.  Hand picks and trowels are being used to lower the soil to the level of the trench excavated in 2019 and the level of the tiles in Locus 8.  Frequent bone inclusions are being found, including two diagnostic bones (Special Find #90 and 92).  Medium sized rocks are also being found throughout the locus.

197

Special Find #91

Locus 7

176.23m E

67.99m S

26.60m AE

Diagnostic Bone

Special Find #92

Locus 7

176.08m E

67.87m S

26.60m AE

Diagnostic Bone

(3 associated fragments)

An additional small diagnostic bone that might be a knuckle bone (Special Find #93) was also found.

Special Find #93

Locus 7

176.06m E

67.79m S

26.62m AE

Diagnostic Bone:

Possible small Knuckle Bone

In Locus 3 the leveling has reached the area where the cut begins to widen.  A darker soil layer is visible beneath the floor in the baulk wall of Locus 3.  While sorting, a fragment of vitrified pottery (Special Find # 94) was found.

199

Special Find #94

Locus 3

174.96m E

70.38m S

26.50m AE

Vitrified pottery fragment

An additional diagnostic bone was found in Locus 7 (Special Find #95)

Special Find #95

Locus 7

176.06m E

68.10m S

26.65m AE

Diagnostic Bone

Locus 19 continued to be lowered.  Frequent tile, pottery, and plaster are being recovered.  The soil is becoming more loosely compacted as the layer is lowered.  A bucchero base fragment was found while sorting (Special Find # 96).

Special Find #96

Locus 19

174.86m E

69.80m S

26.62m AE

Bucchero Base

PC20220070

While lowering Locus 7, 4 additional diagnostic bones were found (Special Finds #97, 98, 99, 100).

Special Find #97

Locus 7

175.97m E

67.90m S

26.66m AE

Diagnostic Bone

201

Special Find #98

Locus 7

176.17m E

68.05m S

26.68m AE

Diagnostic Bone

Special Find #99

Locus 7

176.09m E

67.99m S

26.66m AE

Diagnostic Bone

(2 associated frags)

Special Find #100

Locus 7

176.07m E

67.70m S

26.62m AE

Diagnostic Bone

While leveling in Locus 3 a fragment of a trifurcated strap handle was found (Special Find #101).

Special Find #101

Locus 3

174.76m E

70.32m S

26.58m AE

Trifurcated Strap Handle

PC20220068

203

Two small diagnostic bones (Special Find #102 and Special Find #103) were found in Locus 7.  Diagnostic bone continues to be found along with small amounts of non-diagnostic bone.

Special Find #102

Locus 7

176.02m E

67.97m S

26.66m AE

Diagnostic Bone

Special Find #103

175.86m E

67.51m S

26.66m AE

Diagnostic Bone & 1 associated fragment

As Locus 3 continues to be lowered in the southern extent of the locus a diagnostic bone was found (Special Find #104).

Special Find #104

Locus 3

174.75m E

70.38m S

26.56m AE

Diagnostic Bone

PM

Excavation continues in Loci 3, 7, 14, and 19.  A fragment of a tooth (Diagnostic Bone, Special Find #105) was found in Locus 7.  A lighter vitrified fragment of terracotta was also found in Locus 19 (Special Find #106).

Special Find #105

Locus 7

176.27m E

67.68m S

26.56m AE

Tooth

205

Special Find #106

Locus 19

174.49m E

69.92m S

26.49m AE

Vitrified terracotta

In Locus 7 diagnostic bone continues to be found (Special Find #107, 108, 109, 110).

Special Find #107

Locus 7

175.88m E

67.86m S

26.56m AE

Diagnostic Bone & 5 frags

Special Find #108

Locus 7

175.84m E

67.70m S

26.57m AE

Diagnostic Bone & 5 frags

207

Special Find #109

Locus 7

176.09m E

67.86m S

26.57m AE

Tooth fragment

Special Find #110

Locus 7

176.09m E

67.86m S

26.57m AE

Diagnostic Bone

In Locus 19 the soil within the cut continues to be lowered.  Two large fragments of plaster were found that are thicker than the surrounding floor surface.  The first measures ca. 11cm x 8.5cm x 6cm thick.  The second measures 12cm x 10.5cm x 7cm thick.  They were measured and removed (Special Find #111).

Special Find #111

Locus 19

174.35m E

69.85m S

26.53m AE

Large plaster fragments (2)

209

The tile packing continues to be defined in Locus 14.  The baulk wall were improved.  While sorting and leveling by the wesern extent of th locus a fragment of a ceramic vessel in the shape of a lion's paw was found (Special Find #112).

Special Find #112

Locus 14

174m E

65.38m S

26.79m AE

Ceramic footed vessel fragment in the shape of a lion paw

PC20220074

In Locus 3 the soil continues to be lowered using a hand pick and a broom.  Small amounts of pottery, tile and rocks are being found.

Closing elevations Locus 3:

N: 26.44m AE

S: 26.52m AE

Closing elevations Locus 7:

NW: 26.61m AE

NE: 26.67m AE

SW: 26.57m AE

Closing elevations Locus 14:

W: 26.61m AE

E: 26.55m AE

Closing elevations Locus 19:

NW: 26.49m AE

SW: 26.52m AE

SE: 26.54m AE

SW: 26.53m AE

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Locus 3 Closing Totals:

Pottery: 37 pcs

Vitrified terracotta: 3 pcs

Bone: 19 pcs

Locus 7 Closing Totals:

Pottery: 57 pcs

Bone: 15 pcs

Tile: 1/8 bowl

Locus 14 Closing Totals:

Pottery: 4 pcs

Bone: 1 pc

Vitrified terracotta: 28 pcs

Tile with slip: 8 pcs

Plaster: 1 bowl

Tile: 4 pcs

Locus 19 Closing Total:

Pottery: 33 pcs

Vitrified terracotta: 18 pcs

Bone: 3 pcs

Plaster: 1 bowl

Tile: 1 bowl