Wednesday, July 25 2018

AM

Continued working in Locus 18, using trowels and hand picks to excavate the reddish-brown, mottled, claylike soil.  Soil is hand-sorted in the trench then screened through 1cm and 2mm gauge sieves. We recovered high quantities of plaster and pottery, along with some bone and slag.  We also found an odd piece of terracotta that may be the edge of a cover tile (Find #103), a plaster fragment with a curved surface and reed impression (Find #104), a folded bronze sheet fragment (Find #105), and a possible piece of worked bone (Find #106).

As we worked in the western area of the locus, the deposit started to become more plaster-rich and orange in color.  It is becoming more similar in appearance to Locus 14, although not as plaster-rich. Furthermore, some fist-sized stones are beginning to appear, but these are not as densely packed as the stones in Locus 14.  There are though large fragments of pottery and plaster beginning to appear, which is similar to the Locus 14 packing. In the eastern edge of the locus, soil is not getting more plaster-rich but instead, is more charcoal-rich and is dark gray in color.  It is similar in appearance to the soil of Locus 13.

We continued working to remove the darker reddish-brown, mottled, claylike deposit of Locus 18.  Soil contains limestone, plaster, and charcoal inclusions. In the western part of the locus, the soil is becoming more plaster-rich.  Here, we also are nearly at the same elevation as beaten earth surface 2. However, in the NW quarter of Locus 18, there are few rocks, indicating that the packing of stones in Locus 14 may peter out to the south.  While working to expose the plaster-rich deposit in the western half of the trench, we recovered an odd projecting handle (Find #108) and a diagnostic bone fragment (Find #109).

In the eastern half of the deposit, we are exposing a darker gray, charcoal-rich deposit.  Here, some overlying plaster seems to overlie the charcoal-rich deposit along the east section wall.  While working to expose the charcoal-rich deposit in the eastern half of the locus, we recovered a tooth (Find #107) and an oddly flaring rim (Find #110).

The southernmost area of the trench is characterized by larger stones.  It appears that these stones once were a part of EPOC4’s S wall and spilled over to the N, perhaps landing on the plaster-rich deposit of Beaten earth surface 2’s southern extension.

While sieving soil from the NW quarter of the locus, we found some fragments of pozzolana stone (Find #111).

Special Finds:

• Find #103
• Locus 18
• 107.20E/44.80S
• 26.52m A.E.
• Odd terracottoa: possible covertile end?

• Find #104
• Locus 18
• 107.05E/44.81S
• 26.51m A.E.
• Plaster with curved surface and reed impressions

• Find #105
• Locus 18
• 106.67E/46.09S
• 26.48m A.E.
• Folded bronze sheet

• Find #106
• Locus 18
• 107.84E/45.96S
• 26.55m A.E.
• Treated (rasped or filed?) bone

• Find #107
• Locus 18
• 107.50E/46.53S
• 26.40m A.E.
• Tooth

• Find #108
• Locus 18
• 107.21E/45.21S
• 26.56m A.E.
• Projecting handle

• Find #109
• Locus 18
• 106.79E/46.01S
• 26.52m A.E.
• Diagnostic bone

• Find #110
• Locus 18
• 107.97E/46.91S
• 26.41m A.E.
• Oddly flaring rim

• Find #111
• Sieve find
• Locus 18
• 106.65-107.20E/45.20-46S
• App. 26.50m A.E.
• Pozzolana

PM

We continued working in Locus 18, removing the last of the brown, claylike, mottled soil.  In the western half of the locus, the new plaster-rich deposit has been completely exposed.  This plaster-rich deposit is not quite as rich in plaster as Locus 14, but is similar in appearance and presentation to the southernmost portion of Locus 14.  While removing the last of the Locus 18 deposit in the western half of the locus, we recovered a crucible fragment (Find #112) and a fragment of a bronze rod that may be part of a fibule (Find #113).

We removed the last of the mottled, claylike deposit of Locus 18, exposing a more plaster-rich, orange colored deposit across nearly all of the section, except along the NE section lip, where a darker, more charcoal-rich patch of soil has begun to appear.  Therefore, we closed Locus 18 and opened Locus 19 across the entirety of the section. Closing photos and elevations for Locus 18/Opening photos and elevations for Locus 19 were taken.

Closing Elevations: Locus 18/Opening Elevations: Locus 19

• NW corner (106.50E/44.75S): 26.55m A.E.
• NE corner (107.20E/44.73S): 26.59m A.E.
• 107.20E/45.80S: 26.51m A.E.
• 108.10E/45.80S: 26.55m A.E.
• SE corner (108.10E/47S): 26.44m A.E.
• SW corner (106.50E/47S): 26.45m A.E.

Began excavating in Locus 19, using hand picks and trowels.  Soil is brownish-orange in color and claylike in texture. The orange color is caused by high quantities of plaster in the deposit, similar to the soil in the southernmost area of Locus 14.  Soil is hand sorted in the trench then passed through a 1cm gauge sieve, with sieved soil collected for flotation. We have recovered high quantities of plaster and tile, along with moderate quantities of pottery, bone, and slag.  Additionally, we found one piece of fineware (Find #114) and one piece of slipped pottery (Find #115).

Special Finds:

• Find #112
• 106.89E/45.27S
• 26.59m A.E.
• Crucible fragment

• Find #113
• Locus 18
• 106.61E/45.23S
• 26.59m A.E.
• Bronze rod: fibula?

• Find #114
• Locus 19
• 106.72E/46.72S
• 26.38m A.E.
• Fineware sherd

• Find #115
• Locus 19
• 108.10E/46.35S
• 26.52m A.E.
• Slipped pottery

Locus 18:

• Tile and plaster: ? bowl
• Pottery: 93 sherds
• Bone: 12 fragments
• Slag: 14 fragments
• Iron: 3 fragments

Locus 19:

• Tile and plaster: 1/10 bowl
• Pottery: 22 sherds
• Bone: 3 fragments
• Slag: 3 fragments