Daily Log

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Thursday, 27/07/2006

AM

Work began by troweling the northwest corner of Locus 7 , in an attempt to bring it down to the same elevation of the mortared tiles, located in Locus 9 .  While troweling in this area, a possible black figure pottery sherd (Find #1) was found.  Simultaneously, an extension was opened to the north, connecting VT6 to VT4.  The extension is 1x2m (the tree near the northeast corner of the trench will not be removed) and the first stratum will be designated Locus 10 .  The area was cleared, the points established, and opening photos and elevations were taken.

Locus 10

• NW corner: 11.60S/2.00W, 87cm a.d.
• NE corner: 11.23S/0.08W, 51cm a.d.
• SE corner: 12.14S/0.19E, 48cm a.d.
• SW corner: 12.57S/2.27W, 85cm a.d.

Locus 10 was opened and two pick passes were completed.  The soil is a humus layer marked by some grass roots, and the soil is a loose, reddish brown.  Soil is shovelled directly into buckets and sorted over the dirt dump.

While Locus 10 was picked, Locus 7 continued to be trowelled in order to be brought down to the level of the mortared tiles.  The soil here is dark olive brown, mottled, and claylike.  While trowelling, a piece of iron slag was found (Find #2).  The northwest corner of Locus 7 was then brought down to the

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elevation of the mortared tiles.  This locus will no longer be excavated today.  Work will now concentrate on excavating the extension.

In the extension, Locus 10 , in the western half, a heavily burnt, purple, loose soil was uncovered, while in the eastern part, a medium olive brown, slightly mottled, clay-like soil was revaled.  The floor was then scraped down in preparation for the closing of Locus 10 and the opening of Locus 11 ; all the remaining loose, red-brown topsoil was removed.  Opening photos and elevations were taken.

Opening Elevations: Locus 11

• NW corner: 11.60S/2.00W, 72cm a.d.
• NE corner: 11.23S/0.08W, 43cm a.d.
• SE corner: 12.14S/0.19E, 39cm a.d.
• SW corner: 12.57S/2.27W, 66cm a.d.

Locus 11 was opened with a pick pass.  Soil was shovelled into buckets and sorted directly into the dirt dump.  The soil of Locus 11 in the western portion is a heavily burnt, loose, purple soil, while in the eastern part it is a claylike, slightly mottled, olive brown soil.  This is equivalent to Locus 2 in the original part of the trench.

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PM

Another pick pass was completed.  Soil was shovelled into buckets and sorted into the dirt dump.  Once this pick pass was cleaned up, another pick pass was completed.  The soil remains dark, olive brown, clay-like, and slightly mottled and instead of being shovelled into buckets and sorted over the dirt dump, soil is now sorted directly into buckets.  While scraping up the dirt using trowels, a sherd of red slip pottery preserving an angle in the body (Find #3) was found in the pile of scraped dirt.  Another pick pass was completed, with soil being sorted directly into buckets.  One additional pick pass was ocmpleted before the end of work.  Soil remains olive-brown, claylike, and slightly mottled and is sorted directly into buckets.

VdM20060190

• Find #1
• Locus 7
• 13.05S/0.97W
• 3cm a.d.
• Possible sherd of black figure pottery.  Sherd is triangular in shape, 2-3cm on longest side.  One side covered entirely with black slip, the other side has a painted black curve.  Cream colored fabric.

VdM20060185

• Find #2
• Locus 7
• 12.85S/1.37W
• 15cm a.d.
• Piece of iron slag.  Pitted chunk of slag app. 5cm long with visibly coroded parts.  Heavy

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Locus 7

• Tile: 1 1/2 bowls
• Pottery: 12 sherds
• Bone: 1 piece

Locus 10

• Tile: 1 bowl
• Pottery: 17 sherds
• Bone: 5 pieces

Locus 11

• Tile: 7 1/2 bowls
• Pottery: 111 sherds
• Bone: 10 pieces