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Final Summary

In Rectangle 5, excavation was carried on this year for one month, with only one workman.  The trench proved not less difficult than last year; also, new and unexpected features slowed down the work considerably (i.e. the clay plaster pit); thus, there was not sufficient time to expose the Red Area Wall in its entire length, as was initially planned ( cf. p. 17 ).  This summary will take into account the results both of 1972 and 1973; cf. summary of 1972, ER II p. 238-246 , and weekly reports throughout books ER II and ER III.

Lower Building trenches dug in W part of the big Rectangle 5 of the north flank comprise grids B-K 0-6.  Erik Nielsen initially dug F (S half)-K 4-6 in 1972 part of this area was reopened by ER in 1973.  Work in 1973 was concentrated to the southern part of the area, esp. the Pithos Unit, while in 1973 most of the work was done in the northeastern part ( see maps p. 2-3 ).

Within the explored area, about 60 m squared, several walls of different character and clearly belonging to different constructions were met with.  First, there are the Upper Building walls confining the R5 area.  The R5 Lower Building trench has by now uncovered the eastern face of UB wall between R5 and R6 ( see profile drawing on p. 177 ) and part of the northern face of UB wall between R5 and courtyard ( profile p. 175 ).  Both sections of wall are laid above or cut through the LB level, whereby destruction material from this was used as building material.  This is most evident in R 5/R6 wall face

grids I-K 0 where pithos and tile fragments from the destroyed Pithos Unit have been incorporated in quantity into the wall.

In wall face sectors K 0-3 (E-W) and B-F 0 (N-S) there is a set back shelf near preserved upper part of the foundations suggesting the use of lying timbers for tying the wall.  Next there is the so-called Red Area Wall, which is probably contemporaneous with the Upper Building.  It runs parallel to UB wall R5/R6 at a distance of ca. 1.20 m.  Its foundation stones have been only partly exposed but the course of the wall appears on previously dug surface as a red-colored N-S strip, perhaps indicating a superstructure of (burnt and decomposed) mud or mudbrick.

A compact stone fill of pietrische, up to 30 cm thick, was found to cover the area between this wall and UB wall R5/R6.  This fill completely and securely seals the remains of LB period(s) below.  For further information on this wall, see ER II p. 239 .

This wall partly runs on top of the N-S stretch of wall (one layer of foundation stones), clearly belonging to LB, in grids I-K 2, which is the continuation within R5 boundaries of EN's courtyard wall.  This turns westwards in G-H/2-1 (foundation stones not yet disclosed here) and continues in G-H 0-1, and further westwards, in R6 ( see IE II ), to form the N boundary wall of the LB dsclosed southwards by IE and EN in Rect. 6-8 and Courtyard.  The superstructure of this wall might have been mud or pise.  The rectangular area, about 3x1 m, confined by these two walls in R5 and by nearby UB walls produced at least 3 pithoi and in connection with these, a big quantity of decora-

ted bucchero pottery, see below.

The existence of a fourth wall, lining approx. N-S, was suspected in 1972 and proved in 1973 when the whole line of stones was cleared ( cf. ER II p. 245 ).  Its N-S course, length 5.10 m, width approx. 2.70-4.80 m, covers grids (C-)D-H 3.  The upper surface of these stones, esp. Swards, is close to pavement level of UB, see ER II p. 20 .

In type, this wall differs remarkably from all the earlier mentioned walls.  Its preserved foundations are made up of stones of very big size, some carefully squared and leveled.  The huge Nmost stone measures 0.95 x 0.55 x 0.40 m.  The S-most part of these foundations seems to rest upon a soil/pietrische layer, the N-most on bedrock or on pietrische close to bedrock.

Max. two courses are preserved.  In H 3-4 is a huge stone measuring 0.80 x 0.60 m, closely connected with the N-S line, suggesting that the wall turns eastwards at this point, but no more stones have so far shown up east of this; in H5 and esp. 6, a fair amount of wall plaster should be noted, though.  No stone corresponding to the mentioned H 3-4 stone turned up at the N end of the stone line, in C-D 3-4.  The complete extension, the character and function of this very sturdy construction is still unknown.

In grids G-H 2-3 are stones of big size, upper surface on about the same level as the Big Stone Line.  One clearly bonding stone in G3 and stratification shows these to be primarily related to the main line of stones, constituting a westward turn at its S end ( cf. p. 121 ).

Area G-K 0-2 is the clear continuation eastwards of the area with pithoi within heavily burnt soil at the S part of R6: see IE II, p. 113 .

Within R6 were found remains of at least 7 pithoi; in R5 of at least 3 more.  The find circumstances in R5 accord well with what was noticed by IE in R6: where bottoms are preserved, they are probably to be considered in situ; carbon found packed around the outside, lower part: note pithos of R5 cleared in 1973, in H 0-1 p. 62-63 , where, though, carbon was also found inside and below bottom.

The striking difference between R5 and R6 Pithos Unit is that R5 contained, mixed with pithos and tile fragments, a large quantity of decorated bucchero pottery of a high quality, while IE seems to have found only three sherds (!) of the same type in her cut.  A list of this pottery which was all catalogued is given as an appendix. The map on p. 172-173 shows the distribution of this type of pottery within R5.

The main part was found inside LB walls of Pithos Unit; next in quantity comes area I-K 2-3 and adjoining area to the east dug by EN: grid I 4, where the sherds found might be connected with one or two "outdoor" floor levels, somewhat higher than level on which pithoi were standing inside the walls: see further above on p. 73 and profile drawings.

Furthermore, there are some examples from grids G-H 3-4 found above upper surface of stones in Big Stone Line.  In all probability, these sherds all originate from Pithos Unit where also all complete pots recovered were found.  One case of crossjoin is esp. instructive: 19720374 is glued from three fragments.

Thus this type of hserds would not seem to go with the Big Stone Construction.  Some of the scattering was probably caused by the construction of the Red Wall and the UB wall (for the latter, see p. 176-177 ).  As for roof terracottas, R5 Pithos Unit unfortunately did not produce any entire pan or cover tile.  In 1973 was found a small fragment of a cut-out akroterion, in K0.  No ridgepole tile fragments registered.

The Big Stone Construction presents several problems.  It runs approx. parallel to R5/R6 UB wall (and thus Red Area Wall) and its preserved N and S ends are fairly equidistant from E-W UB walls to the N and S.  All the same, this wall can\'t be connected with UB: in UB period, the stones were covered by the fill of the UB pavment ( see drawings on p. 179-181 ) which also seals the destruction stratum to be connected with the wall: see p. 23 and p. 179 .

On map p. 172-173 is indicated the area covered by debris probably to be connected with this construction.  Part of this destruction stratum was dug in 1972 before the wall was clearly established; this made me relate part of this destruction material to Pithos Unit ( cf. summary ER II, p. 243 ).  This now seems less probable as no single bucchero fragment of Pithos Unit type was found within it (in F-G 0-1, such fragments occurred only at a high level, unrelated to the tile/stone/bone/pottery layer at a lower level: cf. esp. prof. drawing ER II p. 260.

From the western face of the Big Stone Line, this substantial destruction stratum, which goes right up to the foundation

stones, slopes westwards all the way to UB wall R5/R6: it thus passes below the foundation stones of Red Area Wall.  In grids 2-3, it seems to consiste, from top to bottom, of:

  • E-G 2-3 heavily burnt soil, red with black patches, containing tiles and clay plaster (esp. E); little pottery
  • B-D 2-3: heavy and compact stone fall mixed with tile and large amounts of clay plaster; little pottery

Below this comes, in all B-G 2-3, a distinct tile layer.  Connected with this and immediately below it is a ca. 1 cm thick layer of carbon (carbonized wood).  Below this, excavated only in D 2-3, a dark soil layer with carbon, on top of pietrische right above bedrock containing some pottery and bones.

In grids O-I westwards, stratum 1 thins out; 2 and 3 are easily followed.  The tile layer and the carbon striccia connected with it appear clearly in profile of UB wall R5/R6 ( p. 177 ).  The grayish layer, no. 4 below, contains much carbon: this was labeled C it now seems clearly to be part of the same destruction stratum as no. 2 and 3.

In B-C 0-1, it slopes down into a deep bedrock pocket.  No. 4 is in O-I very rich in bones (E+ half of F 0-1 this year produced one whole cassetta), also a fair amount of impasto and bucchero and buccheroid impasto.  The bucchero is not of Pithos Unit type, as said above; it is mostly plain; the only type of preserved decoration is incised lines on vertical rims; a few sherds are of a fine thin fabric (bucchero fine), thinner than any bucchero from Pithos Unit.  The material has not been thoroughly worked through, but not much seems to join: not a single whole profile preserved.

This pottery is reminiscent of

some of the bucchero found in C level, below stratum containing Pithos Unit type pottery, in grids I-K 2-3.  Here, in 1972, were found stones, tiles, pottery, and bones in some concentration at a depth ca. -0.70 from UB pavement level: see pictures on ER II p. 75 .  No LB type pottery here.  This layer might relate to the Big Stone Construction.

As for roof terracottas within Big Stone Line destruction stratum, the map shows find spots for pan tiles and cover tiles with a completely preserved length of a little less than 80 cm.  I suspect that all roof tiles belonging to this construction have this length.  The pan tile of this length in grid J2 is esp. interesting; it was found very low down in C level (+29.49) below the level of the foundation stones of Pithos Unit right nearby; probably not related to this wall.  A nearly complete cut-out akroterion was found in B-C 0-1: 19720312

19720312
.

To the east and northeast of the Big Stone Line, work is still in progress.  The stratification below UB pavement fill (20-30 cm thick) is still unclear.  At level ca. +30.00, a continuous stonefall (stones of middle size) was encountered over most part of these grids: see map, p. 116 .  These might very well belong to the construction of the Big Stone Wall; cf. also B-D 0-3 for fallen stones.

Scattered tles and pottey, mostly coarse, occur in small quantity.  Next to approx. eastern side of Big Stone Wall, the soil is heavily burnt, dark red in color.  Mixed with the soil are smaller, flaky stones colored red to black by burning, cf. drawing p. 181 .  The big stones themselves show clear signs of hard burning: some are pink and several have flaky and cracking surfaces.

In C-D 4-5, a pit ca. 90x80x80 (depth) was discovered, with a fill mainly of clay plaster.  The fallen stones mentioned above sealed its opening.  Lining the walls of the pit are the charred remains of what seems to be a tree stump which was removed and burnt out at some occasion (? when leveling the area for the Upper Building or earlier?).  The clay plaster seems to be an intentional rather than an unintentional fill, as there is little fallen clay plaster in the immediate vicinity of the pit.  The carbonized wood should be put to analysis.  For information on the clay plaster, see p. 145 .

Thus, briefly, there are remains of two constructions of different character in Lower Building levels of R5.  Their relation to each other is still unclear.  A crucial point is G-H 2 where they seem to adjoin; Red Area Wall has to be taken out here to make a careful check possible.  Some few circumstances already mentioned would point to the Big Stone Line being the earlier constructed of the two walls, but later results might well reverse this.

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Vocabulary: DCMI Metadata Terms (Dublin Core Terms)
ER III info
Vocabulary: Murlo
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Eva Rystedt info
Vocabulary: Murlo
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Coverage
Vocabulary: DCMI Metadata Terms (Dublin Core Terms)
Iron age info
Vocabulary: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Open Context References: Iron age hub
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Vocabulary: DCMI Metadata Terms (Dublin Core Terms)
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Anthony Tuck info
Vocabulary: Murlo
Suggested Citation

Eva Rystedt. (2017) "ER III (1973-07-08):188-189; Final Summary from Europe/Italy/Poggio Civitate/Tesoro Rectangle/Tesoro Rectangle 5/1973, ID:277". In Murlo. Anthony Tuck (Ed). Released: 2017-10-04. Open Context. <https://opencontext.org/documents/ff491335-a0a4-4e60-ad6c-065408cf827e> ARK (Archive): https://n2t.net/ark:/28722/k2bp0cg6b

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