Trench D6 Daily Journal      July 22 2002

We continued to clear the areas surrounding L20, beginning with L29. We removed 2 cm of material, bringing this locus to the level of the 2nd step (590.56). Within the center of this, leading from between L25 and 26, we found what might be a "drain" for the oven, visible as a slightly harder channel. We dug a section (20 x 15cm, 14 cm deep- to the new level of L29/ 2nd step) in the East end of L25. We did not find any hard evidence here. We also excavated another 24 cm throughout L26, and found some evidence of a continuation. Tomorrow we will check for the other end of this drain, and verify its existence.

We excavated chamber L28 to the same as level as L29, L24, and the 2nd step, and found much mud brick debri and 10 large (~6 cm) pieces of slag at it’s East entrance. In the interior (West) we found 7 large ( ~ 5 x 5 cm) pieces of slag that appear to have flaked off of the walls of the chamber. As usual we collected all soil and debri for sampling.

We continued to L6 and excavated around the remaining debri structure and to the N and E found much pottery (two full bags), lithics, bone and slag (KTs 50, 51, and 53) in the surrounding fill. The slag found here is a lighter green, different from that which is coming from the furnace (a darker green). We also found 1 small piece of iron (3 cm, KT 47) and a long obsidian blade ( 5.5 x 0.5 cm, black, KT 52). In the SE of L6 we found very hard soil (mudbrick?) and more furnace debri. In the NW of L6 we found a surface covered in very small pebbles, we will clean this tomorrow and give it a locus ID. This is 13 cm higher and is much different than surface L17 (to the South of L20).

Our plan for tomorrow is to clear L5 and L4 (2nd step) and begin to connect this with the features (L20, etc.) on the first step. See you then!