Pottery Summary

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This season's excavation of T-26 (MW VII) was made up of a series of cuts in three areas.  Work began initially in meters J-K/78-79.  A second cut was then begun in G-H/78-81 with an "island" of soil in I/78-81 separating it from the previous cut.  Finally, a 9 1/2 x 1 meter trench was made in D-M/77.  Because the pottery table for these cuts has yet to be broken down, this summary should be considered a preliminary analysis.

One purpose of the cut in J-K/78-79 was to find pottery that might belong to the numerous fragmented vessels excavated last year in this area.  Our cut was located due west of last season's trench ( see MW V ).  Our trench thus created one long baulk from I-J/78-85.  Last year's cut produced less in its western part J-K/80-81 than in its eastern J-K/82-86.  This season's work in J-K/78-79 confirmed this trend.  J/78, although excavated to c. 120 cm, never reached the pottery-rich tile and plaster layer associated with the S.E. building.  This

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stratum was encountered in J/79 and K/78-79.  It appears that this stratum either dies out completely in this meter or dips below 120 cm.  A clear dip in all strata is obvious on the section drawing, in fact ( see p. 149 ).  Further excavation is necessary to conclude whether the stratum disappears or dips, however.

The pottery from J-K/78-79 did not vary from one meter to the next or from cut to cut.  The exceptions to this were the tile/plaster stratum which had heavier concentrations of pottery and the subsequent burn layer which produced generally finer pottery: bucchero and redware.  Until these strata were reached, pottery was generally made up of coarsewares, impasto, and medium orangeware.  Fragments were worn.  No complete profiles were found or reconstructed.

Potential joins with the pottery from J-K/78-79 and last year's pottery could be found - but only for the pottery from the plaster/tile stratum and burn layer.  Unfortunately, the majority of pottery from 1989 was not found in the tile/plaster stratum, but at a higher elevation and in a stratum that does not

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Coarseware

Diagnostic drawings.

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Diagnostic drawings continued.

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Impasto

Diagnostic drawings.

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Diagnostic drawings continued.

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Orangeware

Diagnostic drawings.

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exist in our meters ( see MW V p. 279 ).  As a result, it is unlikely that many joins will be found from last year's pottery boxes and this year's pottery table.  Joins to 1989 pottery could however be found in the still unexcavated peninsula of soil in I/82-85.

It should be noted that the tile/plaster stratum in J-K/78-79 produced a good deal of pithos, all of which has been stored in the magazino.

D-I/77 had simpler stratigraphy.  Below topsoil, only a "gray-green" soil existed to at least 100 cm, where a rock pack was encountered.  Above the pack, tile exist and 50% of a bucchero bowl was found in good condition at this level (Find 19900070 on p. 99 ).  Lacking the tile/plaster stratum, this area and G-H/78-81 likewise failed to produce large quantities of pottery.  Small, worn body fragments of impasto and orangeware predominated.  As in all areas of this season's excavation - pottery was uniform throughout all meters.  No one area or meter produced a noticeably higher concentration of a particular ware.  Rims, bases, and handles were

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also evenly distributed.  As in years past, it appears upon preliminary examination that few of the rims found actually belong to the same vessels.  Body fragments were most common in all wares.  Strikingly little bucchero or creamware was found.