Final Summary

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The focal point for the 1988 excavations of teh east end of T-26 was the tile fall in meters F-H/89-94.  The western end of the area, excavated in 1987 (see AC VI and AC VIII ) yielded inconclusive results, and it was hoped that the current excavation would help to clarify the nature of the deposit.

After removing topsoil and the dark brown layer of soil associated with this end of T-26, and which contained a deposit of Upper Building roof tiles scraped there after the destruction of that building, the reddish layer of plaster with imbedded tile was reached.  (Note that the taking of depth measurements was complicated by two factors: the removal of topsoil from almost the entire area of T-26, and the slope of the hill to both east and south.)

Pan tile fragments, logically enough given the theorized roof design of pan tiles, cover tiles, and ridgepole ( see MRS II, p. 3-5 ) were the more common type found in this tile fall, but only two full width tiles were preserved ( MRS II, p. 177 and p. 227 ).  In contrast, eight cover tiles

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with full width were excavated ( MRS II, p. 171 and MRS III, p. 11 , 15 , 19 , 41 , and 43 ), along with numerous examples of tiles with finger marks or apparent letters.  Also found in this tile fall were three pan tile flanges preserving a rectangular notch behind the lip of the tile, on the outside of the flange ( MRS II, p. 237 and MRS III, p. 25 and p. 31 ).  The function of these notches is as yet unknown.

The greatest concentration of tiles anywhere in the fall was found in G/92-93, where there were at least four different levels of tile.  Throughout the fall, tiles lay on or above a heavy burn layer, full of bone and pottery, but the only tiles showing evidence of burn (including vitrification - see MRS II, p. 245-251 ) were those directly on the burn layer, and that evidence of burn was seen only on the portion of tile touching this lower stratum.

Given the Southeast Building's roof design and the 1987 tile fall excavations, there is one odd aspect of this tile fall.  Conspicuous by their absence from this deposit were feline water spouts, antefix heads, or large pieces of ridgepole tile, which would be expected among a roof tile fall from a building with such a decorated lateral sima.

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Reached in 1987 but not excavated until 1988 was a secondary line of tiles running roughly north/south in meters H-J/94-96.  These tiles, imbedded in plaster like those of the main tile fall to the north, appear to have fallen down a slope between the end of the Southeast Building's floor and the depth of the deepest deposited tile (approximately 35 cm), giving rise to the idea that these tiles may have fallen from the roof into a ditch running along the east end of the building. One full-width pan tile was removed (part of which was being kept in place by a large rock - see MRS III, p. 55-65 ), as was one full width cover tile ( MRS III, p. 59 ).

Of interest in regard to this east tile fall is the fact that more roof tiles and a piece of acroterion ( 19880051

19880051

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the roof (specifically why there appears to be none in this section).

The third area of T-26 excavated was the northeast quadrant and east flank, meters F-H/95-98 and I-J/97-98.  Unlike the rest of the trench in regard to its stratigraphy (topsoil with much plaster [due to the area's being used as a plaster dump by earlier excavators] above stony gray soil, leading to compact yellow near-galestra *), this area was anmalous in other ways.

While bronze, bone, pottery, and tile were indeed found in the area, they were found in small pockets and not throughout the grids ( see especially MRS III Pottery Summary, p. 77-79 ).  Architectural remains did not appear in quantity, and those that did appear could be attributed to scatter from the fall of the Southeast Building or to dumps from other parts of the site.  In fact, the only significant finds from this area were the large numbers of slingstones and possible slingstones found at all levels along the Eastern Flank.

* It has been postulated that this near-galestra layer represents the ancient groundline.  While this is quite possible, it must be noted that there appears to be a burn layer below this yellow soil in H-I/96-97 ( see MRS II, p. 77-81 ).

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In conclusion, then, the 1988 excavations of the east end of T-26 support in several ways the idea that the Southeast Building ends here.  First, no further evidence of floor was uncovered east of the recognized floor end in J-L/94-95.  Second, no more column bases were found to the east.  Third, the tile fall appears to end in F-G/95.  Fourth, a secondary tile fall at right angles to the end of the main tile fall might well indicate the overhang or fall of the end row of Southeast Building roof tiles.  Fifth, the "ditch" running along the east edge of floor, in which the secondary tile fall came to rest, could indicate a method of dealing with run-off or some other external occurrence.  Sixth, the major shift in stratigraphy in the northeast and east may well reflect a different use for the two different parts of the site.

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Section of T-26 E-L/98.

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Section of T-26 G/91-92, F/93-98.

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Plan of T-26 1988.

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Final trench photos.

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Final trench photos continued.