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Descriptive Attribute Value(s)
Trench T26_2022
Year 2022
Description

Locus 19 is a medium brown clay and soil mixture which fills the western most rectilinear space created by Locus 22, the cut within the plaster floor surface of Loucs 2. The locus is 1.02 m long and 0.99 m wide. The cut forms a linear extension from the stone column base of Locus 5 before extending, 2.30 m from the northern edge of the plaster floor surface, to the west and forming a rectangular shape with curved edges. The layer was excavated to a depth of 0.30 m from the top surface of the plaster floor surface of Locus 3. Locus 19 contains inclusions of pottery, bone, vitrified material, and small rocks. The layer contained 33 fragments of vitrified terracotta. It is not immediately clear why this cut in the floor would be filled with vitrified terracotta; the fragments are not, however, likely associated with the burning event which destroyed the building.

Further excavation is needed to clarify the function of the cuts (loci 21 and 22) within the floor. The cuts are potentially related to drainage necessitated by production but no materials or features found within the layer immediately suggested its function.

While Locus 19 was a medium brown soil and clay mixture, the baulk walls revealed a significantly darker layer which appears to extend under the plaster floor surface of Locus 2. It is possible that Loci 7 and 13 are equal to the dark soil beneath the floor surface but further investigation is needed to determine their relationship.

Three cataloged objects were found within Locus 19. A small fragment of plaster with impressions smaller than those created from reeds was found (PC20220054). It is possible they represent a tight weave of a fabric or basket which was placed on the plaster before it was dried. An additional possibility is that a fragment of a shell was impressed into the plaster. A fragment of an impasto spindle whorl (PC20220062) was also found within the fill, suggesting either that spinning was an activity conducted near Locus 19 or that the spindle whorl was disposed of within the fill. Interestingly, a fine impasto spindle whorl fragment (PC20220022) was found with Locus 15, the fill within the cut to the east of Locus 3. Lastly, a fine impasto vessel foot fragment (PC20220070) was found.
Date Opened 2022-07-25
Date Closed 2022-07-29
Locus Type Deposit
Preliminary Phasing ~ 7th Cent. BCE
Munsell Color 2.5 Y ⅚ Light Olive Brown
Deposit Compaction Moderately compact
Stratigraphic Reliability Good
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Suggested Citation

Anthony Tuck. (2024) "Locus 19 from Europe/Italy/Poggio Civitate/Tesoro/Tesoro 26/T26 2022". In Murlo. Anthony Tuck (Ed). Released: In prep. Open Context. <https://opencontext.org/subjects/db397010-9212-4efe-9739-c458ddbe5fb6>

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