Daily Trench Journal

Area F, Trench 22

May 31, 2005

M. Baldi

We have been working on this trench partially throughout the day and the plan was to get to the same level as that of F 20 and later to take it down to the same level as that of F 19.

Since there is a close relationship between these trenches and the middle one, F 1, last worked on during the 2002 season, we are starting with a plan to identify patterns on this side of F 1 that will help us enlarge our understanding of this area of Kenan Tepe:

The trench was opened just South of F 1 with its northwest corner abutting F 20 and its northeast corner abutting F 19 (this corner may be left untouched for most of the season)

The same inquiries posted for F 19 and F 20 apply to this trench so will copy/paste some of it into this journal entry with a few changes:

! The concerns and questions we desire to answer by opening this trench have much to do with the thick layer of burnt material that can best be observed on the West and East baulks of F 1. This ash layer is especially pronounced on the West baulk of F 1 and one of our questions deals with how far south it extends. Of course there are several layers of interest that need to be documented for better context and to complement that which was found and collected as F 1 was excavated. Another question revolves around the collapsed mud-brick wall seen on the east baulk of F 1.

The trench was laid to include the triangle formed by F 1, F 4 and F 19, with a clear south facing area, the excavation area measures approximately 7 by 4 meters; baulks are also not counted as part of the trench. The three trenches (F 1, F 4, and F 20) are adjoining and we have no separation between them; we will remove the area between the two trenches joining them together as we go. Having the baulks of F 1 to work from is very helpful and will allow us to speed things up. The trench was planned early on but marked at the end of day on May 30th. We started work in earnest today and began work with big picks in hopes to get past the upper surfaces. We have been interested on the extent of the lower town at Kenan Tepe and its relationship to the main mound perhaps as an outlaying commercial or production area. We also have questions about the possible causes for the thick burnt ashy layer and its extent on this side of the lower area. Was this a production site that burned down, or was it perhaps a single burned house. Of interest also is finding the reasons for the apparently extensive conflagration; was it an accident? Or did an invading group intentionally burn it down? Being this close to the river, this area would have been one of the first areas to suffer invasion and destruction.

The overburden layers are of poor contextual quality due to the fact that this area has been cultivated (unsure as to how recent) in the past and plow marks are still quite evident on the terrain. The plan is not to collect cultural material at this point, but instead wait until after the cobblestone surface has been removed. I will move a bit slower once we get to that surface and document its composition.