Daily Journal

Area D, Trench 9

July 12, 2004

M. Eppihimer

The first operation of the day is to continue to remove Locus 9 with the hope that the border between it and the mudbricks of Locus 5 will become clear. At the same time, we are returning to Locus 4 to try to catch the pebble layer seen in the D5 baulk. In the area closest to the baulk, where the layer has the highest elevation, one of the workmen dug through it – hopefully we can catch it again, but it is so thin and crumbly that it might be impossible to stop digging at the layer. However, it will be clear when we have gone through it because the soil becomes looser, NOT full of mudbrick, and very organic with carbon and green/yellow/white clay pieces.

In the oven, I have found the floor in the center and in 3 of the areas between the brick platforms (?) but not in the fourth. I am considering the possibility (also suggested by Andy) that this may be a stoking hole – but we’ll have to wait and see. (This was the area with the darkest soil as well). The floor is orange-colored and denser and burnt. On it was resting a piece of obsidian (in L8, KT #17). Some of the diagnostic pottery suggests Chalcolithic.

After removing 10 cm from both Locus 4 and 9 and nothing outstanding to report, we are taking off another 5 cm in each. There is a hint of a redder soil/mudbrick? In the northern part of Locus 4 but nothing has any shape yet.

. The final task is to begin to remove the mudbricks of Locus 5, starting with those visible in the D5 baulk. The layer of ash/orange pieces directly beneath these bricks is our goal and Locus 11. The few bricks exposed by the baulk were easily removed, but also took some of Locus 11 with them. The largest brick chunk measures about 45 cm in length (L5, KT #4). After these first bricks were removed, it became more difficult to pop out any large chunks. Also the consistency of the soil became softer and less brick-like. Before continuing, some reevaluation will need to be done tomorrow about how to proceed.

NB: The material in Locus 4 Kt’s 6 to 8 may be mixed because a small trough was dug while searching for the pebble layer near the W stringline (miscommunication). Within the locus it shouldn’t be a problem. It is only the elevation that is affected.