Daily Log

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Daily Logs

Monday, June 29 2015

AM

On Friday, June 26, the southern and western boundaries of a 3x3 m trench, along 37S and 86E, respectively, were established using a theatolite and a total station. The trench, T-71, is also directly adjacent to T-57, which will form the eastern boundary of the trench. T-72 is also located directly to the north of T-71. There are 5 stumps but no rocks visible on the surface of the trench.

Diagram of trench

Because of the error in the 2014 layout, the eastern boundary of the trench will be extended 10cm in the north and 20cm in the south, so that the trench is continuous with T-57 in the east.

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Once the trench was drawn, opening photos and elevations were taken from a datum located in a tree to the SW of the trench and Locus 1 was declared open across the entirety of the trench.

Locus 1 : Opening Elevations

\xb7 NW corner (86E/34S): 26cm b.d. (27.31m A.E.)

\xb7 NE corner (89E/34S): 28cm b.d. (27.29m A.E.)

\xb7 SE corner (89E/37S): 45cm b.d. (27.12m A.E.)

\xb7 SW corner (86E/37S): 46cm b.d. (27.11m A.E.)

The surface of the trench slopes downward slightly from north to south and there are two large stumps in the northern part of the trench but none in the southern part. The soil of Locus 1 is dark brown and somewhat claylike, with many small rocks. There is little humous layer preserved. Soil contained some small pieces of worn terracotta. Soil was sorted directly in the trench into buckets by hand. No soil is sieved yet. In fact, there are relatively high quantities of tile but very few sherds of pottery. There is a cluster of larger tile fragments in the northernmost meter of the trench, approximately 1m w of the eastern baulk.

Relatively small rocks, with maximum dimensions of 15-20cm, were found throughout the entire trench. These are at a higher elevation than the larger rocks that may comprise a building

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in T-57 and don't appear to be a part of the same feature. To clarify whether or not this is true, roots were removed so that the trench floor could be scraped and leveled. While cleaning up soil loosened when roots were removed, a sherd of medieval pottery (Find #1) was recovered.

Special Finds

\xb7 Find #1

\xb7 Locus 1

\xb7 87.81E/35.59S

\xb7 52cm b.d. (27.05m A.E.)

\xb7 Medieval pottery

\xb7 Drawing

PM

Work continued in the afternoon with a second pick pass of the trench. Soil in the northern part of the trench is looser than in the southern part and there is far more terracotta in the northern half of the trench than in the southern half. Soil is dark brown across the entire trench but is looser in the northern half of the trench, where there are many large roots, and more claylike in the southern half of the trench. Soil is hand-sorted directly into buckets in the trench and trowels are used to level and scrape

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the trench floor. We found far more tile in the northern half of the trench than in the southern half, although as we excavate deeper there is less tile; we seem to be excavating the remains of a 2014 tile dump, which was moved at the start of this season. Very little pottery and no bone was found throughout the trench. Additionally, we began to notice some larger rocks in the southern half of the trench, but it is unclear whether these are part of an integrated feature that is continuous with the lines of rocks found in 2014 that may form a building. Closing elevations for the day were taken.

Closing elevations:

\xb7 NW corner: 34cm b.d. (27.23m A.E.)

\xb7 NE corner: 34cm b.d. (27.23m A.E.)

\xb7 SE corner: 54cm b.d. (27.03m A.E.)

\xb7 SW corner: 56 cm b.d. (27.01m A.E.)

Locus 1 :

\xb7 Tile: 1 bowl

\xb7 Pottery: 13 sherds

\xb7 Bone: 0 fragments

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