14 July 2023

AM:

In order to explore the eastern extent of the depression filled by plaster and tile collapse that appeared and was excavated in T26 (NKD II Locus 10 and 8), it was decided to section Locus 4. A sounding was excavated 1m in length starting from the eastern baulk. The pale brown plaster and vitrified material included soil of Locus 4 was hand picked and hand sorted into buckets. There were frequent inclusions of tile, pottery, plaster, vitrified materials, and some bone. A vitrified cover tile in 2 fragments was recovered and recorded as special find 23. A vitrified flange fragment of a pan tile was recovered and recorded as special find 24.

S. F. 23

181.82E/64.41S

26.60m AE

Locus 4

Impressed vitrified cover tile in 2 fragments

S. F. 24

181.91E/64.64S

26.64m AE

Locus 4

Vitrified pan tile flange fragment

As the section was lowered, it was discovered that the black carbon line that separates Locus 4 from Locus 3 appears below Locus 4 continuing to the north at a lower elevation. As Locus 4 continued to be scraped in this area, a vitrified handle fragment was recovered and recorded as special find 25. Two impressed terracotta fragments were recovered and recorded as special finds 26 and 27.

S. F. 25

181.30E/64.78S

26.65m AE

Locus 4

Vitrified handle fragment

S. F. 26

181.78E/64.58S

26.51m AE

Locus 4

Impressed vitrified terracotta

S. F. 27

181.91E/64.47S

26.54m AE

Locus 4

Impressed vitrified terracotta

A larger grouping of pan tile fragments, where a vitrified fragment is resting on top of a non-vitrified pan tile fragment which in turn is resting on another vitrified pan tile fragment emerged in the southeast corner of the Locus and is being further defined. Larger tile fragments are also being defined along the northern baulk in the section.

As scraping continued, another impressed vitrified terracotta in 2 fragments was recorded as special find 28 and an unrelated impressed vitrified terracotta fragment was recorded as special find 29.

S. F. 28

181.68E/64.56S

26.47m AE

Locus 4

Impressed vitrified terracotta

S. F. 29

181.90E/64.44S

26.53m AE

Locus 4

Impressed vitrified terracotta

Two more vitrified tile fragments with ridged impressions were recovered during scraping and recorded as special finds 30 and 31.

S. F. 30

181.12E/64.34S

26.64m AE

Locus 4

Impressed vitrified tile

S. F. 31

181.45E/64.13S

26.62m AE

Locus 4

Impressed vitrified tile

Another impressed vitrified terracotta fragment was recovered in the cleaning of the section and recorded as special find 32.

S. F. 32

181.53E/64.48S

26.53m AE

Locus 4

Impressed vitrified terracotta

PM:

The baulk walls in the section that was excavated in the eastern 1m of Locus 4 this morning were straightened and the tile fall was defined. The entire section had come down on a black carbon layer. A photo was taken of the tile fall and the finished section.

Scraping and hand picking also continued in the western 1m of Locus 4. The soil was pale brown and plaster included but contained fewer vitrified items than the areas further east.

Closing day Locus 4 East section elevations:

NW: 26.55m AE

NE: 26.49m AE

SE: 26.55m AE

SW: 26.52m AE

Locus 4 Daily Totals:

64 Tile: 1 bowl

65 pottery: 78

66 bone: 12

67 plaster: 6.66 bowl

68 VTC: 30

69 vitrified plaster: 0.5 bucket

70 reed impressed plaster: 49