29 July 2018

To compensate for lost time due to the poor weather conditions during the last week, it was determined to add a few hours of work in T-92 today.

A pick pass was thrown in the western section of the trench, peeling back the soil from west to east. A second pick pass focused on the eastern section of the trench. With this pick pass, patches of possibly sterile soil are beginning to appear in the eastern section of the trench. While sorting the soil, a fragment of slipped pottery was discovered.

Special find #80: slipped pottery

26.94 m.AE

46.85 S / 169.68 E

Locus 6

This fragment preserves traces of slip that appear to form a linear pattern, although not enough remains to definitively identify the pattern.

An iron fragment was also discovered in this pass.

Special find #76: Iron fragment

26.94 m.AE

46.85 S / 170.11 E

Locus 6

Although iron without a definitive shape is being bulked, this piece is significantly larger, so has been special found. It is approx.. 3.9cm in length.

While hand sorting into the wheelbarrow, a piece of diagnostic bone was discovered. As its exact location within the trench is unknown, a range of elevations and coordinates was taken.

Special find #77: Diagnostic bone

26.92 -26.96 m.AE (approx.)

46.86 – 47.06 S (approx..) – 170.15 – 170.35 E (approx..)

The bone is approx.. 2.7 cm across and approx. 1.4 cm at its widest.

A third pick pass focused on the western section of the trench, peeling back the soil from the north to the east from areas in which the possibly sterile soil have begun to appear.

The fourth pick pass peeled back the soil from the north to the east from areas in which the sterile soil has appeared. While sorting, a diagnostic bone was recovered.

Special find #78: Diagnostic bone

26.96 m.AE

46.97 S / 168.67 E

Locus 6

The bone is approximately 3cm in length and 1.4 cm cm and 1.6 cm across on the smaller and larger ends, respectively.

Another piece of bone, this one cut, was also recovered while sorting in the trench.

Special find #79: Diagnostic cut bone

26.93 m.AE

46.44 S / 168.69 E

Locus 6

The bone appears to be cut in half and is possibly a split vertebra. It is approx.. 3.2cm at its widest and approx. 3.2 cm along the split edge.

The southern lip of the baulk wall was then knocked in.

Closing elevations were taken as follows:

NW (46 S / 168 E) – 26.93 m.AE

NE (46 S / 171 E) – 26.97 m.AE

NE2 (47.81 S / 171 E) – 26.95 m.AE

SW3 (46.82 S / 168 E) – 26.96 m.AE

End of day totals are as follows:

Pottery – 215 pieces

Bone – 133 pieces

Tile – 1 bowl

Bronze – 5 pieces

Due to an increase in the amount of pottery and bone being recovered, in addition to the changing color and texture of the soil just below the current excavation surface, we believe that we are coming down on a potential floor surface of what we believe to be the Orientalizing phase of occupation on site.