Daily Trench Journal

Area D

Trench 5

July 3, 2002

Work today focused on the L5079, which is getting more interesting by the hour, and L5078 and subsequently L5084 after the former was fully removed. Shades were also put up over the N half of the trench, where all work is currently focused.

L5079 revealed what is apparently a plaster surface or basin; adjacent to and abutting (in its concave way) the other areas of the surface which 5079 appears to be the fill immediately upon. Among interesting finds from the locus were an in situ extensive remains of a small animal. Whether it is an invasive rodent or perhaps the remains of a small bird of some sort is not apparent at this time. A portion of the skeleton was excavated (KT 5522). Also found was a sun-dried or baked clay spindle whorl or bead, unfortunately very fragile and excavated in three pieces, but they should be easy to re-assemble (KT 5511). In the food category, more bi-valve shells (KT 5521) and carbonized grain (KT 5514 5525) were uncovered, indicating perhaps a lovely dinner of bulgur wheat, sparrow and shellfish. Yum.

Some possible iron remnants were recovered at the advise of the metals people (KT 5513 5526), as was a backed obsidian piece (KT 5523).

Work tomorrow will continue to focus on revealing more of the surface below L5079, and hopefully as much plaster as possible. First will likely be some work on the skeleton with dental tools, though. In addition, there may be some mudbrick towards the southern end of the surface and some work may be spent trying to better ascertain its validity and orientation.