Daily Logs

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20 July 2016

A.M.

Excavation began this morning in Locus 3 in order to complete the remaining NE corner's remaining pick pass. Soil was loosened with a hand pick and sorted into buckets. Pottery was then sorted into boxes, and tile was sorted into buckets. A pocket of several storage vessel fragments was found in the NE corner of Locus 3 ; several sherds of pottery were removed before this was apparent, but thereafter they were left in situ. Upon the completion of this removal of soil and material; all three open loci ( Locus 2 , Locus 3 , and Locus 4 ) were brushed in preparation for photos and the declaration of new loci that better relate to the rock feature.

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Three new loci are being opened: Locus 5 , Locus 6 , and Locus 7 . The extent of Locus 5 stretches from the southern trench line to the southern edge of the rock feature. That of Locus 6 extends S-SW to N-NE and into VT9 and VT13 and separates Locus 5 from Locus 7 . Locus 7 extends from Locus 6's northern edge to the southern boundary of Locus 4 . Relative to the previous loci, Locus 5 is covered by Locus 2 as well as the eastern meters of Locus 3 . Locus 6 is abutted by Locus 5 and Locus 7 , as was covered by Locus 2 and Locus 3 . And Locus 7 was covered by the portions of Locus 2 and Locus 3 that did not cover Locus 5 or Locus 6 . The soil of Locus 5 and Locus 7 is the same: an olive-brown dense clay-decomposing rock mix. Its surface shows signs of frequent terracotta inclusions. Locus 6 is composed of rocks organized in a curvilinear shape. Most of these rocks

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measure approximately 25 x 15cm, but there is significant variation among the rocks, and some are as small as 10 x 10cm, and others are as large as 45 x 30cm. The color of the rocks generally ranges from off-white to yellow-brown, but some are a dark violet, bright green, or deep brown. There are several tentative signs of the superpositioning of rocks on rocks.

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Locus 5 , 6 , 7 Opening Coordinates and Elevations

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P.M.

Excavation resumed in the newly-declared Locus 5 and Locus 7 . In Locus 5 , beginning in the western meters, a handpicks was used to loosen the soil, which was then sorted into buckets. Pottery and tile were then each sorted into buckets, owing to the volume of material. Meanwhile, in Locus 7 , a handpick was also used to loosen the soil in the same way. Pottery and tile were then sorted into boxes and bowls, respectively. In Locus 7 , activity proceeded from east to west. Meanwhile, in Locus 7 , the grouping of terracotta found in the ground was defined, and it was found to be extensive and densely packed with terracotta, including fineware, fine impasto, impasto, and coarseware vessels of a large diameter. In order to better understand the formation processes that produced this later, the decision was made to leave these in situ in order to

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allow them to be photographed. Two special finds were found: a sherd of fine impasto with a ridged rim, and a piece of slag.

Special Find #1:

Fine Impasto Rim Sherd

Locus 7

1.75 S / 15.6 W

304.35 m A.S.L.

[ drawing ]

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Special Find #2:

Slag Fragment

Locus 7

2.05 S / 18.9 W

304.42 m A.S.L.

[ drawing ]

Special Find #3:

Burned Bone Fragment

Locus 5

3.64 S / 17.84 W

304.47 m A.S.L.

[ drawing ]

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Closing Totals:

Locus 3:

Tile and Plaster: \xbd bowl

Pottery: 27 sherds

Bone: 1 fragment

Locus 5:

Tile and Plaster: 4 bowls

Pottery: 79 sherds

Bone: 8 fragments

Locus 7:

Tile and Plaster: 2 bowls

Pottery: 84 sherds

Bone: 1 fragment

Baulk Trim:

Tile and Plaster: \xbd bowl

Pottery: 17 sherds

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