Daily Log

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July 28th, 2003

A.M.

In the morning we continued fridays baulk wall trimming.

We then made pick passes into locus 6.  This is probably the last bit of locus 6 present.  Underneath the soil seems darker than the pinkish tint of locus 6.

20030136

20030136

• Find #1
• E167.86/S59.69
• 27.09 abs.elev.
• Sherd of punic red-slip pottery
• Drawing

After clearing this last pick pass it is clear that the next soil is darker and more full of carbon and plaster.  Therefore, I will close locus 6.

The closing elevations for locus 6 are as follows: Drawing

Meter Depth

E167/S58.5                                   27.085

E168.5/S58.5                                27.14

E170/S58.5                                   27.14

E167/S60.5                                   27.09

E168.5/S60.5                                27.15

E170/S60.5                                  27.10

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Material yield: Locus 6

8  Cassetta terracotta and pottery

174  Sherds of pottery

14  Pieces of bone

6  Special finds - terracotta with hash marks (p. 61) , Terracotta slingstone (20030121) (p.63), Possible statue frag (p. 65), Bronze flecks (p.63), Feline water spout (20030130) (p. 69), Punic red-slip pot sherd (20030136) (p. 73)

The soil in locus 6 was a pinkish tone throughout, possibly due to the high amount of terracotta and plaster crushed in the soil.  There was also a high amount of pottery.  THis layer is possibly the material scraped together after the Orientalizing period fire to flatten the plateau, therefore, it is sometimes referred to as the \'Orientalizing scrape layer\'.  In the east end of the trench this layer was far thicker (29-39 cm.s) than in the west end (3-5 cm.s).  The west end, as corresponds to the

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end of locus 4 (see summary p. 55-57 ), seems to dip down into a ditch-like feature.  This will not be fully understood until further excavation takes place next year, especially in the area (3 meters) between T 32 and T33.

The locus seemed to end on a fairly flat plain and did not follow the previous slope.  The middle of the trench hit this layer a bit higher (5-6 cm.s), but nothing of great significance.  Originally, I thought possibly the west end (closest to T33) was showing slighlty difffernt soil underneath, a bit browner with less black carbon inclusions, but after the soil was brought up in a fresh pick pass it was the same and was made all locus 7, and locus 6 ended in the same plane throughout the trench.

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I have opened a new locus throughout all meters of the trench.  THe new soil is characterized by a higher concentration of carbon (i.e. there is carbon as opposed to an almost total lack of it previously, except for a very few bits). The soil is also full of off-white/yellowish chalky chunks mixed with the carbon.  THe natural part of this soil is dark brown.

Opening elevations are as follows: Drawing

Meter Depth

E167/S58.5                                   27.085

E168/S58.5                                   27.14

E169/S58.5                                   27.15

E170/S58.5                                   27.14

E167/S60.5                                   27.09

E168/S60.5                                   27.15

E169/S60.5                                   27.12

E170/S60.5                                   27.10

Originally I thought possibly the soil in the west end was browner and has less carbon.  Upon a fresh pick pass, and seeing the soil freshly turned up, I decided the whole trench was of the same soil.  It all has carbon and loose yellowish plaster bits.

We did a few pick passes into this layer and cleaned and sifted with trowels.  The soil has very much pottery and lots of large pices of terracotta.

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20030124

20030124

• Find #2
• E167.81/S59.82
• 27.10 abs.elev.
• Worked antler cut on both ends
• Drawing

20030122

20030122

• Find #3
• E168.72/S58.86
• 27.15 abs.elev.
• Large rounded piece of worked antler- cut on both ends and planed flat on one side.  It looks like an attempt to plane the opposite side was begun and abandoned.
• Drawing

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Material yield today (7/28) in locus 6:

1 Cassetta terracotta and plaster

64  Sherds of pottery

9  Pieces of bone

1  Special find - Red slip punic pot sherd (20030136) (p. 73)

Material Yield today for Locus 7:

1.75 cassetta terracotta and plaster

126  sherds of pottery

32 pieces of bone

2 Special finds - cut antler (20030124)(p. 81) , worked antler cut and planed flat (20030122) (p. 81)

Closing elevations for today: Drawing