Daily log, July 26

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Tuesday, July 26, 2016

AM

Work begins with a pick pass in the eastern half of the trench. Many of the stones first uncovered yesterday afternoon were found to be shallow, small, and seemingly unrelated and so they were removed. The soil was hand-sorted into buckets while the stone in the center of the trench was defined. Another stone in the south-central baulk wall was also defined. A pick pass was conducted in the western half of the trench to complete the trench-wide pick pass. A large fragment of a pithos was found in the eastern meters, near the northern baulk wall.

Another pick pass through the entire trench has demonstrated that while more stones of larger size are present in Locus 10 than in any previous locus, the artifact content is diminishing in comparison to other loci, as well. Most artifacts are approximately

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fist-sized terra cotta fragments. The soil in the very eastern meters has pockets of a lighter yellowish gray soil, which is sandy in texture and appears to be associated with the stones. These sandy soil pockets can be very dense and compacted, almost stone-like, at times. A third trench pass was done.

Another pick pass in the eastern half of the trench has revealed less than five artifacts in total. A pick pass in the western half was made to complete the fourth trench-wide pass. Soil appears a consistent mottled brown soil with grayish blue, yellowish gray, black, and white inclusions. Soil is hand-sorted over buckets and dumped in to the wheelbarrow. Another full pick pass and a pass through the western half of Locus 10 continues to reveal consistent soil type and very limited material finds. After this, baulk walling was begun on the southern and eastern walls to bring down the side walls. Some terra cotta from the baulk has been recovered.

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PM

The afternoon commenced with baulk walls being trimmed, as well as a pick pass in the western extent of the trench. No material is being recovered, and soil color and fabric remains consistent.

Another pass was made in the western half of the trench. Spectacularly little material has yet been recovered; no stones, nor pottery, has been recovered. While sorting, a potential statue fragment (Special find #1) was recovered.

Special find #1:

- Locus 10

- 22.64 mAE

- 73.12 S / 55.45 E

- Potential statue fragment

- Drawing

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Another pass was thrown in the eastern extent of the trench. Barring a couple stones, very little terra cotta or pottery is being recovered. The aforementioned stones seem to share no relationship to each other. Locus 7 was not worked on.

Closing elevations, locus 10 :

- NE: 22.59 mAE

- NW (72 S / 54.55 E): 22.56 mAE

- NW (72.28 S / 54 S): 22.58 mAE

- SW: 22.57 mAE

- SE: 22.55 mAE

Locus 10 finds:

- Tile: 1 \xbd bowls

- Pottery: 23 sherds

- Bone: 0 fragments

Baulk finds:

- Tile: \xbd bowl

- Pottery: 1 sherd

- Bone: 0 fragments

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