Daily Trench Journal

Area D

Trench 8

June 18, 2007

Recorder: Mila Hover (a.k.a. Melek hanim, MH)  
Workers: Mizbah, Necat, Sadik

Monday,

Today, work in D8 begins by finishing the clean up in L148, where during the previous 5cm fill removal, an area of larger rock gathering was revealed. It consists of river rocks, ground stone implements, fragmented stone with hole in the middle, and a flat rock, near a raised wall-like feature lined with reed mat (pseudomorph impression).

A small, black stone spindle or button was found near the rock gathering (possible onyx?), KT24. It is punctured by a single hole at the center.

At the NW corner of L148, a pit containing bones was excavated. After further investigation, it was determined that it was a human fetus burial, and was assigned a locus number 162. It is located in close proximity to the melted kiln pit (L145). The burial is contained within a dirt pit, in which, the fetus was placed with head oriented to the north-west, facing south-east, and it is in a fetal position. The bones were collected, and soil sample of the surrounding dirt was taken. It is possible that the body was wrapped in a fabric, because there are white fibers under the bones.

It appears that at this level of the excavation, we have exposed a continuous surface throughout the trench. This observation is based on the presence of lined with reed surfaces in loci 159, 148, and the stone tool/pottery/bone concentrations in 148 and 161. In 145, there is a third exposed lined with an organic mat surface.   

In L147, after dirt removal and cleaning, a white line became visible at the surface. This may signify yet another area of such ground covering. It starts near (north) of the stone tool concentration in this locus and runs parallel to the west trench baulk. Further excavation will reveal whether this is indeed a lined surface.

L157, post stand (holder) is excavated and artifacts collected. This feature is located very close to the melted kiln pit. Similar one, located partially in the north trench baulk was recorded earlier. It is a shallow, round shaped feature, packed and lined with broken ceramic sherds and small rocks. Signs of exposure to firing or high temperature is apparent at its surface.

In L143, removal of dirt fill continues by taking 5cm layers off the surface. Small find, a modified bone was collected (KT18). Large stone, leaning on the fill at the south edge of the locus was removed. It measures 0.4m x 0.33m. Next to it, a partial animal jaw bone with teeth was recovered. It is not clear whether this rock was used as a ground stone, but clearly it served some purpose. 0.30m south of this rock, the wall of a fragmented ceramic vessel is visible in the baulk. The south trench baulk was extended by 0.6m in order to allow us to safely excavate this pot, in anticipation that it contains a burial. The soil surrounding it is very sandy and loose. After reaching the pot, it was recorder and sample from the dirt contained within it was taken. The fragments were collected, and it is possible that the entire vessel is present. It is a large, painted storage vessel, with thick walls. On the interior surface of the sherds, whitish substance is present. No burial or artifacts were recovered from this vessel.