Conclusion

156

157

The aims of the VT trenches for the 2015 excavation were partially met, and in some respects others were exceeded. In VT10 a gully/rip-rap wall was discovered running outside of the wall in VT7 , which strongly suggests it acted as a drainage feature to protect the wall and possibly divert rainwater from features uphill further to the west.

The upper strata of all the trenches in the area uncovered a large amount of mixed context materials, which are likely erosional artifacts from the hill located west of the area of excavation. In VT9 it is likely that the area and materials found in it are fill resulting from erosion from further up the hill. This can be observed in the way that the soil sloped from west to east as well as from north to south. Hence VT9 was largely unrelated to the other trenches of the area in terms of any architecture or related features. In VT 8 and VT 7 a floor surface was uncovered that appears to date to the late 4 ^th century BCE, owing to ceramics uncovered in a similar context in VT7 . Because of the amount of pithoi fragments as well as a column base also uncovered in VT8 and a wall in VT 7 the area of excavation can tentatively be identified as a courtyard that may have been covered in some manner, perhaps in the form of a loggia. The number of complete and fragmentary tiles found in packings in VT7 , 8 and 9 and the gully/rip-rap wall found in VT10 support this. Owing to what was uncovered it seems unlikely that further excavation south of VT9 is necessary however further investigation west of VT9 , 7 , and 10 would be archaeologically significant.

Closing Trench Coordinates:

NE: -13.27m East, 1.096 North

SE: -12.586m East, -1.808m North

SW: -14.523m East, -2.264m North

NW: -15.176m East, 0.657m North