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Work continued in the 1998 season in the South Flank area in order to further explain the orientalizing structure (OC3) in this area. This season's excavations were immediately north of last year's, comprising the area of S23-25/E136-140, within the confines of the Upper Building walls of R14.

The 1998 excavations of South Flank provided similar information to those of the previous season. Material recovery was again limited in comparison to the other orientalizing structures on the site. Architecturally, the features of the building seem consistent with last year's observations. The floor of the structure is of hard packed earth, although this season's excavation areas seemed to reveal a slightly rougher floor surface, which has a 1-4 cm variation.

Again, the stratum overlaying the orientalizing floor produced the greatest quantity of material. However, there was also a notably smaller quantity of fine bucchero that was recovered from this structure.

Several internal features of the structure were exposed. A concentration of flat stones, 3 aligned with one another on a relatively flat surface (Locus 3)

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stacked above at least two other stones. This feature, however, may not be associated with the function phase of this orientalizing structure, as the carbon-filled destruction layer seems to not only surround the feature, but also to underlay it. Several tile fragments appeared to protrude from beneath the lowest rocks.

The second feature that was revealed was a heavy concentration of plaster, running roughly parallel to the structure's walls to the east and the west. The plaster concentration extends from the east baulk and into the last few decimeters of E139. The plaster feature appears not to be centrally located; rather, it is approximately 2.6 meters north of the interior edge of the south wall and 4.4 meters south of the south interior edge of the north wall.

A third feature which may be associated with this line of plaster is a grouping of very large stones continuing on to the west. The largest stone is approximately 80 cm x 35 cm in size while the smaller stones are approximately 30 cm x 40 cm.

The relationship between these stones and the

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plaster concentration is not clear, and they may or may not form a distinction feature of the orientalizing structure.