Wednesday, 24 July 2019

AM

We began working today in both Loci 26 and 27, excavating the two dark-gray, charcoal-rich deposits in order to bring the elevation of both loci down to that of the 2016 sounding. We are excavating using hand picks and trowels. In both loci, the areas adjacent to the 2016 sounding, the northern part of Locus 26 and the southern part of Locus 27, are roughly level with the 2016 sounding so now we are working in the southern part of Locus 26 and the northern part of Locus 27, to create a level surface across the entire dark gray deposit.

The soil of both loci is colored a dark gray, which is caused by high concentrations of charcoal. Both deposits also are claylike, but loose and not compacted. Soil is hand sorted in the trench, then passed through 1cm and 2mm gauge sieves. We are recovering exceptionally high quantities of slag, along with moderately high quantities of pottery and vitrified terracotta and small amounts of tile, plaster, bone, and bronze. In Locus 26, we also recovered two pieces of cut antler (Finds #202 + 205), a crucible fragment (Find #203), a flange (Find #204), and a possible bronze pendant (Find #207). In Locus 27, we found a sherd of slipped pottery (Find #206) and a large charcoal fragment, which was collected as charcoal sample #6.

In Locus 26, we are nearly level with the surface of the 2016 sounding and are working to bring the southern part of the locus level with the northern part. In Locus 27, the southern part of the locus is nearly level with the 2016 sounding. In the northern part of the locus, we have exposed more of the bedrock shelf that had been exposed to the north of the locus in previous seasons. The bedrock shelf is sloping downward to the south, into Locus 27. It seems that the dark gray, charcoal rich deposit of Loci 26 and 27 is infilling a slope or depression in the bedrock. We now are working from N to S in Locus 27, away from the bedrock shelf, where a ridge has formed between the bedrock and the southern part of the locus, which is level with the 2016 sounding. While working in Locus 27, we found a flange (Find #208) and possibly an iron nail (Find #209). In Locus 26, we recovered an antler fragment (Find #210).

While working in the northern part of Locus 27, along the ridge between the bedrock outcropping and the southern part of the locus, we began to encounter what may be a new deposit. In fact, the ridge seems to be its own deposit. The ridge is extremely dense and compacted, with integrated stones and material culture. Soil in the ridge also is a lighter olive brown color. We will work to define and expose the ridge more clearly. In order to determine the nature of this feature. While removing the overlying Locus 27 deposit from above the ridge, we found two flanges (Finds #208 + 215), a possible iron nail (Find #209), a coil made base (Find #213), a ridged rim (Find #214), and tile with adhered slag (Find #216).

In Locus 26, we are troweling away the last of the Locus 26 deposit. In so doing, we recovered three antler fragments, two of which are cut (Finds # 210, 211, 212). We also began to come down on a new, olive brown, heavily compacted deposit in the SE part of the locus. There are some large ceramic fragments that seem to be lying flat atop the new deposit, suggesting it may be a surface. Furthermore, immediately to the west, in the SW corner of the locus and at the same elevation as the new deposit, we came down on a concentration of charcoal. We collected a larger fragment as charcoal sample #7, and are scraping and leveling this section, to determine if the charcoal concentration has a shape, indicating that it may be the remnants of a post. While leveling, we found a piece of coil-made pottery (Find #217). 

Special Finds:

Find #202

• Locus 26
• 107.95E/45.99S
• 26.26m A.E.
• Cut antler

Find #203

• Locus 26
• 107.64E/45.68S
• 26.23m A.E.
• Crucible fragment

Find #204

• Locus 26
• 107.62E/45.59S
• 26.22m A.E.
• Flange

Find #205

• Locus 26
• 107.79E/45.47S
• 26.29m A.E.
• Cut antler

Find #206

• Locus 27
• 108.48E/43.25S
• 26.49m A.E.
• Slipped pottery

Find #207

• Locus 26
• 107.85E/45.21S
• 26.21m A.E.
• Bronze pendant

Find #208

• Locus 27
• 107.91E/42.96S
• 26.44m A.E.
• Flange

Find #209

• Locus 27
• 108.10E/43.00S
• 26.47m A.E.
• Iron nail

Find #210

• Locus 26
• 107.55E/45.92S
• 26.17m A.E.
• Antler

Find #211

• Locus 26
• 107.63E/45.84S
• 26.18m A.E.
• Cut antler

Find #212

• Locus 26
• 107.26E/45.19S
• 26.25m A.E.
• Cut antler

Find #213

• Locus 27
• 107.61E/42.98S
• 26.50m A.E.
• Coil made base

Find #214

• Locus 27
• 108.00E/43.13S
• 26.40m A.E.
• Ridged rim

Find #215

• Locus 27
• 108.39E/43.33S
• 26.45m A.E.
• Flange

Find #216

• Locus 27
• 108.41E/43.41S
• 26.44m A.E.
• Tile with adhered slag

Find #217

• Locus 26
• 107.50E/45.22S
• 26.19m A.E.
• Coil made pottery

PM

We removed the last of the dark gray, charcoal-rich deposit from both Loci 26 and 27. In Locus 26, we seem to have uncovered a beaten-earth surface; the new deposit is olive-brown, heavily compacted, and is level, with some pottery sherds lying flat atop the surface. This continues to the north, into the 2016 sounding and into the southern part of Locus 27. In the central area of Locus 27, there is a dense packing of small stones and immediately to the north of this cobbling is a narrow ridge, running roughly E-W. The ridge is comprised of medium-sized stones (15-30cm) and material culture set into a dense, compacted, reddish-brown deposit. Too small an area is visible to securely conclude what these features are or how they relate to one another, but we hypothesize that we may have uncovered a portion of a hut underlying EPOC4. The ridge uncovered in the northern part of Locus 27 could be a wall, while the surface in the southern part of Locus 27 and in Locus 26 could be the hut’s beaten earth floor. Additionally, a concentration of charcoal in the SW corner of Locus 26 may preserve a beam. 

While removing the last of the dark gray, charcoal-rich deposit in Locus 27, we recovered a crucible fragment (Find #218) and a large slag fragment that may preserve the shape of the crucible in which it was smelted (Find #219).

Special Finds:

Find #218

• Locus 27
• 108.66E/43.10S
• 26.55m A.E.
• Crucible fragment

Find #219

• Locus 27
• 108.66E/43.10S
• 26.50m A.E.
• Slag preserving profile of crucible

Locus 26:

• Tile and plaster: 1/25 bowl
• Pottery: 62 sherds
• Bone: 11 fragments 
• Slag: 82 fragments
• Vitrified terracotta: 49 fragments

Locus 27:

• Tile and plaster: 1/20 bowl
• Pottery: 65 sherds
• Bone: 12 fragments
• Slag: 68 fragments
• Vitrified terracotta: 29 fragments
• Bronze: 1 fragment