Introduction 

In 1969, a trench designated Tesoro 6F (IE II) was excavated through the area of what would later be recognized as the southern flank of the 60 x 60 meter Archaic Building.  In the southeastern sector of the south facade of the building, the original excavation team discovered a feature comprised of convex and concave fragments of terracotta.  Through further exploration and removal it was concluded that these were twelve sections of nested terracotta pipes of a large diameter (max. 0.54 meters), suggesting the pipe was meant to direct drainage. The terracotta drainage piping feature stretched about 9.5-10 meters, beginning in the interior courtyard of the Archaic Building, extending beneath and through the southern wing, and discharging just outside the southernmost wall of the 60 x 60 meter section of the building.  The original excavator documented that the drainage pipe feature seemed to have been flanked by stones of the southernmost wall, but also noted a few stones found above the pipe, making it unclear if the feature cut or pierced the wall.  Found both above and beneath the terracotta drainage pipe fragments--all of which were removed in original excavation--were Archaic frieze plaque and gorgon antefix fragments, indicating the pipe postdates the construction of the Archaic building.  

During the 2022 field season, there was renewed interest in determining the relationship of the drainage feature to the southernmost wall of the extent of the Archaic building as well as the route that draining material took after exiting this feature. T101 (KD VII) was opened in order to explore the situation.  Upon discovering pipe fragments from the southernmost pipe section along the southernmost wall, however, focus shifted to the removal of the still in situ southernmost terracotta pipe section.  This investigation also revealed that the pipe had been countersunk beneath the floor level and through the southern wall of the Archaic Building.  There was no indication, however, of a channel, channels, slope, or other route which would have accommodated water and other material discharged from the feature once outside the confines of the building. 

To address these further questions of topography, in the 2023 field season T101 will be reopened as a sounding.  Its northern baulk will be flush to the exterior edge of the southern wall of Archaic Building where the drainage feature was countersunk. The purposes of excavating in this manner are to observe the southern profile of the drainage feature as well as the eastern and western profiles of the area directly south of the drainage pipe. The excavation efforts will be to examine any potential evidence of an immediate slope or drop off in order to establish the route that draining material took after exiting the southernmost wall of the Archaic Building.

The goals of Tesoro 101 in the 2023 season are as follows:

• to uncover possible evidence of a slope, channel, or channels which would have directed discharged water and other material away from the southernmost wall, as well evidence of how far away from the wall water would have been discharged.
• to understand more about the general topography of this area.

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