Tuesday, July 24 2018

AM

Continued working in the olive-brown, claylike deposit of Locus 17, using trowels and hand picks to excavate.  Soil was hand sorted in the trench, then passed through 1cm and 2mm gauge sieves. This deposit contains moderate quantities of pottery, but only small amounts of bone, tile, plaster, and slag, while no vitrified terracotta was found today.

As we have excavated deeper into the deposit, the concentration of rocks in the southern part of the locus has gotten denser, especially near EPOC4’s S wall.  Some of these stones are becoming larger as well, and it is possible that they comprise a lower and wider coursing of EPOC4’s southern wall, in the absence of bedrock, like there is in the northern wall.  Furthermore, soil is getting slightly redder and darker in color and is slightly mottled, with plaster and limestone inclusions. For these reasons, we decided to close Locus 17 and open Locus 18 across the entirety of this southern section.  Closing elevations and photos for Locus 17/Opening photos and elevations for Locus 18 were taken.

Closing Elevations: Locus 17/Opening Elevations: Locus 18

• NW corner (106.50E/44.75S): 26.60m A.E.
• NE corner (107.20E/44.73S): 26.63m A.E.
• 107.20E/45.80S: 26.56m A.E.
• 108.10E/45.80S: 26.52m A.E.
• SE corner (108.10E/47S): 26.47m A.E.
• SW corner (106.50E/47S): 26.67m A.E.

The upper surface of Locus 18 slopes downward gently from N to S.  There also are a small number of pottery sherds lying flat atop the surface and there are visible larger plaster fragments embedded in the locus.  Furthermore, there are some larger stones situated in this deposit, near EPOC4’s southern wall. It is not yet clear if these stones form a lower, wider coursing of EPOC4’s S wall or if they are not associated with EPOC4.

We began excavating Locus 18 using hand picks and trowels.  Soil is medium-brown in color and is slightly mottled, with plaster and limestone inclusions.  Soil also is claylike in texture and only slightly compacted. Soil is hand-sorted in the trench then screened througha  1cm gauge sieve, with the first wheelbarrow-full of soil being set aside for flotation. We began recovering more plaster, pottery, and bone, but little tile.  Additionally, we found a large plaster fragment with two preserved flat faces that meet at an angle (Find #95) and a jaw bone with teeth (Find #96). Additionally, we recovered a large piece of charcoal, which was collected as charcoal sample #5.

Special Finds:

• Find #95
• Locus 18
• 107.02E/44.72S
• 26.58m A.E.
• Plaster with finished surfaces at an angle

• Find #96
• Locus 18
• 107.97E/46.45S
• 26.48m A.E.
• Jaw bone with teeth

Charcoal Sample #5

• Locus 18
• 107.52E/46.45S
• 26.45m A.E.

PM

We continued working in Locus 18.  Soil is claylike and mottled, with plaster, limestone, and charcoal inclusions.  We are coming down on higher quantities of plaster and pottery. Additionally, in the NW quarter of the trench, we are coming down on more smaller rocks.  These rocks though are not as dense as the packing of rocks exposed to the N, in Loci 14 and 15, and we still are at a slightly higher elevations than the Loci 14/15 packing.  These rocks also seem different than the larger stones appearing near EPOC4’s S wall. While working among these larger stones, we recovered a ridged pottery rim (Find #97). Immediately to the N of the concentration of stones, we recovered a ridged pottery sherd (Find #98) and a crucible fragment (Find #99), while in the central area of the trench, we found a flange (Find #100).  While sieving soil, we also recovered a fragment of a sea shell (Find #101). At the end of the work day, we also found a flange (Find #102) in the NE quarter of the trench.

Locus 18:

• Tile and plaster: ? bowl
• Pottery: 61 sherds
• Bone: 15 fragments
• Slag: 3 fragments
• Vitrified terracotta: 1 fragment