Daily Trench Journal

Area D

Trench 8

May 23, 2005

Today began with a raised area still existing around the pit L30. The southern half of the trench was also at a high elevation though it was all in the same locus. The main priority for the morning was to finally get all parts of the trench level and close loci 52 which was the loci the encompassed the entire trench.

The edging for L30 was brought down with big picks until it was level with the northern section of the trench, the northern section of L52. After this the southern area was brought down also until the entire trench was flat. In the southwestern section of the trench L55 and L54 are raised above the rest of the trench. L55 is a rock wall, possibly a foundation of a wall. Wall L17 (L51) was in that area though the rocks were not visible when the wall was excavated. If this loci is the foundation of wall L17 then there was some form of filler between the bottom of the wall and the foundation. Last year when L17 was excavated the surrounding area was brought down far enough that the bottom of the bricks was visible. It is possible that the layer which was visible under the bricks was actually a primary context and was the original fill material that was used as part of the foundation along with the rocks of L55.

L54, the burial, is 80cm to the north of L55. There is no direct connection between L54 and L55 however if they are both primary context it seems possible that they were part of the same building. We do not yet know exactly how the baby was placed in the bowl and if it was put into a pit or built into a house. There were several surfaces on top of both and there was a floor which connected with L17 (the wall on top of L55) which the burial could have been under. An area approx 80 cm square with L54 in the center was pedastled to facilitate the excavation of the plaster baby casing. When excavated this soil will be part of L52. Most of the soil containing L55 is also still there; the rocks have not been articulated.

When the central area of Loci 56 was brought down several large rocks became visible in the eastern edge of the trench about three and a half meters north of the southern baulk. When the area was brought down another 10 cm it became clear that the rocks were a primary context and part of a feature (L57). L57 is a feature, possibly the foundation of a wall or a door way. There were 9 rocks freestanding and three partially submerged in the baulk. One rock has a round divot in the top, possibly a door post hole. Seven of the free standing rocks form a large half circle and do not abut each other. The other two freestanding rocks are on the outside of the half circle form to the north. The northernmost one is the stone with the divot in it. They are situated next to each other parallel to the east baulk. The three stones protruding from the baulk abut each other. We articulated the stones and brought the loci down until it was clear that there are not stones underneath. After munseling and photographing we removed the stones and brought the remaining soil down to the level of L56.

Today the entire trench was brought down at least 10 cm.