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Thursday, 28 July 2022

AM

We began work in both Loci 37 and 38. In Locus 37, we are using handpicks and trowels to remove the last of EPOC4’s plaster-rich floor. We then are hand-sorting soil in the trench then passing it through 1cm and 2mm gauge sieves. We are recovering high quantities of plaster along with moderate quantities of large coarseware ceramic fragments and small quantities of bone, slag, and vitrified terracotta. We also have recovered numerous crucible fragments (Find #160), a tooth (Find #161), and a sherd of slipped pottery (Find #163). We also have exposed the underlying, dark gray, charcoal-rich soil that is equivalent to Locus 38 across much of the locus. Therefore, we will work to remove the remaining portions of EPOC4’s plaster-rich floor, in order to fully expose the underlying charcoal-rich deposit. While removing the last of EPOC4’s plaster-rich floor, we recovered a crucible fragment (Find #165).

In Locus 38, we continued to remove the last of the dark-gray, charcoal-rich deposit. This deposit overlies two distinct deposits; the olive-colored, mottled, claylike soil of Locus 31 and the yellow, compacted, limestone-included soil of Locus 35. Now that we have removed all of Locus 38, it appears clear that Locus 35 was cut, running in a line from NE to SW, and that Locus 31 infills this cut. Moreover, the cut is marked by a line of sparsely spaced, medium-sized stones (max. dimension 25cm). At the approximate midpoint of

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the exposed cut, the compacted yellow deposit of Locus 35 extends further west, and in the middle of this projecting element, there is a depression that is infilled with the charcoal deposit of Locus 38. This depression is situated in line with the cut and has the appearance of a posthole. If this is a posthole, the cut could be the remnants of a countersunk hut, built in this area prior to the construction of EPOC4.

While exposing this cut, we recovered two diagnostic bone fragments (Finds #162, 164).

By the end of the morning, both Loci 37 and 38 were completely removed, exposing the underlying deposits and features. Therefore, we closed both loci and took closing elevations; we will make closing plans for both loci after lunch, along with closing photos.

Closing Elevations: Locus 37/Opening Elevations: Locus 39

• NW corner (106.48E/45.14S): 26.29m A.E.
• NE corner (106.85E/45.16S): 26.31m A.E.
• 107.07E/45.80S: 26.25m A.E.
• 107.90E/46.20S: 26.24m A.E.
• SE corner (107.68E/46.93S): 26.12m A.E.
• SW corner (106.49E/46.77S): 26.24m A.E.

Closing Elevations: Locus 38

• NW corner (108.80E/43.18S): 26.41m A.E.
• NE corner (109.22E/43.04S): 26.35m A.E.
• 108.80E/44.13S: 26.25m A.E.
• SE corner (108.26E/47S): 26.18m A.E.
• SW corner (108E/47S): 26.20m A.E.
• 108.27E/44.00S: 26.30m A.E.

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Special Finds

Find #160

• Locus 37
• 106.64E/45.07S
• 26.26m A.E.
• Crucible fragments

Find #161

• Locus 37
• 107.84E/46.47S
• 26.19m A.E.
• Tooth

Find #162

• Locus 38
• 109.17E/43.20S
• 26.38m A.E.
• Diagnostic bone

Find #163

• Locus 37
• 107.34E/45.80S
• 26.22m A.E.
• Slipped pottery

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Find #164

• Locus 38
• 108.85E/43.97S
• 26.31m A.E.
• Diagnostic bone

Find #165

• Locus 37
• 107.39E/46.07S
• 26.19m A.E.
• Crucible fragment

Find #166

• Pottery box find
• Locus 38
• 108.50-109E/43.20-44.13S
• 26.25-26.41m A.E.
• Crucible fragment

Find #167

• Pottery box find
• Locus 37
• 106.48-107.90E/45.80-46.93S
• 26.12-26.31m A.E.
• Crucible fragment

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PM

We took closing photos and completed closing plans for Loci 37 and 38. The closing photos and plan for Locus 37 will be the opening photos and plans for Locus 39.

Locus 37

• Tile and plaster: 0.9 bowl
• Pottery: 49 sherds
• Bone: 17 fragments
• Slag: 46 fragments
• Vitrified terracotta: 4 fragments

Locus 38

• Tile and plaster: 1/12 bowl
• Pottery: 32 sherds
• Bone: 11 fragments
• Slag: 25 fragments
• Vitrified terracotta: 10 fragments

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