Daily Log

111

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

AM

The remainder of the backfill was taken out and the plastic tarp that covered the floor of the trench was removed. The remaining backfill soil was then scraped from the floor of the trench in order that the exposed floor not be contaminated with the decontextualized backfill soil.

Once all the backfill soil was removed, opening trench photos and elevations were taken. The trench, after debackfilling, appears thus:

Diagram of trench

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Before excavating the exposed, organic deposit floor of the trench, which was Locus 4 in 2010, it was decided to excavate the partially-excavated SW corner of the trench and the two rock-packings that were left in situ, bringing all 3 areas down to the elevation of the exposed organic floor. The northernmost rock pack was declared Locus 5 , the rock pack in the SE corner Locus 6 , and the partially excavated portion in the SW corner Locus 7 . Opening photos and elevations were taken:

Opening elevations: Loci 5, 6, 7:

Diagram of trench

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Locus 5 : opening elevations

\xb7 98.62S/45W: 29.83m A.E.

\xb7 99.30S/45.92W: 29.77m A.E.

\xb7 99.94S/45W: 30.10m A.E.

Locus 6 : opening elevations

\xb7 100.90S/45W: 29.52m A.E.

\xb7 100.97S/45.35W: 29.56m A.E.

\xb7 100.66S/45.90W: 29.73m A.E.

\xb7 100.84S/46.67W: 29.65m A.E.

\xb7 102S/47.79W: 29.97m A.E.

Locus 7 : opening elevations

\xb7 100.50S/48.40W: 29.49m A.E.

\xb7 100.50S/50W: 30.20m A.E.

\xb7 102S/50W: 30.22m A.E.

\xb7 102S/48.58W: 29.42m A.E.

Locus 5 is a dark, olive-brown colored, claylike soil that contains many rocks of varying sizes but little terracotta, pottery, or bone. The locus was excavated using handpicks and trowels, with soil sorted directly into buckets in the trench.

Locus 6 is a dark, olive brown, claylike soil containing two large exposed rocks with smaller rocks in between with small amounts of terracotta, pottery, and bone. The locus was excavated using handpicks and trowels and was sorted into buckets in the trench.

Locus 7 is a brown humous layer of soil with small amounts of terracotta, pottery, and bone. The locus was excavated using handpicks and trowels,

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With soil sorted directly into buckets in the trench. Locus 7 was a shallow layer, consisting of humous and topsoil and almost immediately, a new, olive-brown colored claylike soil was uncovered. The remainder of the Locus 7 soil was picked up and sorted and roots clipped in preparation for the closing of Locus 7 and the opening of Locus 8 . Once this was accomplished, Locus 7 was closed and Locus 8 declared open. Closing photos/elevations for Locus 7 /opening photos and elevations for Locus 8 were taken.

Diagram of trench showing location of Locus 8

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Closing elevations Locus 7 /Opening elevations Locus 8

\xb7 100.80S/50W: 30.24m A.E.

\xb7 100.76S/49.52W: 30.15m A.E.

\xb7 101.60S/49.59W: 30.31m A.E.

\xb7 101.78S/50W: 30.36m A.E.

Work continued in Loci 5 , 6 , and 8 in order to remove the rocks in Loci 5 and 6 and to bring the elevation of Locus 8 down.

Locus 5 :

\xb7 Tile and Plaster: 3 pieces

\xb7 Pottery: 0 sherds

\xb7 Bone: 0 fragments

Locus 6 :

\xb7 Tile and Plaster: 24 pieces

\xb7 Pottery: 4 sherds

\xb7 Bone: 0 fragments

Locus 7 :

\xb7 Tile and Plaster: 24 pieces

\xb7 Pottery: 2 sherds

\xb7 Bone: 0 pieces

Locus 8 :

\xb7 Tile and Plaster: 16 pieces

\xb7 Pottery: 0 sherds

\xb7 Bone: 0 pieces

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