Trench Summary

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The return to the CB area for this 2001 season was unfortunately much less productive than we had hoped.  The extension taken off of Joyce Lomas' 1996 Cross trench, 31-34S, 78-80W produced no material at all that helped us in regards to learn anything about the area.  From the entire 3x2 meter area, which was taken down approximately 60 cm., only nine pieces of pottery were found and a few very worn, small terracotta fragments.  Judging from their location and depth in the trench, these can easily be attributed to erosion.

The return to the lens in CB32, measuring from 77.12-77.91W, 34.20-35.30S, raised more questions in the area, but unortunately no conclusive information.  Including the area of the lens excavated by Joyce Lomas, we have an area in an eliptical shape measuring approximately 1.5x1.20 meters.  Material discovered within includes burnt animal bone, high carbon concentration, two sizeable rim profile vessels, several burnt pottery fragments, fragments which appear to be of the same vessel as the profiles, but do not join, and several other pottery fragments from different vessels.  These findings point to a number of different conclusions.  For instance, the lens could simply be a midden pit where refuse was tossed into and buried.  however, this begs the question, why make a midden pit in this particular area?  Is there a habitation nearby?  Is this a workmen's midden pit?  Next, the lens may have been a cooking pit.  The burnt wood, bone, and coarse vessels could support this argument.  If this is the case, though, the same types of questions arise.  The third and least likely of the conclusions is that CB32's lens is a fossa grave.  Although not impossible, this specualation has been all but ruled out.  The vessel types do not seem to correspond with funerary types, nor do the bones found come from a human.  However, the size and ancient depth of the area still allow for the possibility.  therefore, more questions have been raised by the excavation of this area, questions that we cannot at this time answer.  We do not know the relationship of the lens to the stone structures.  We know nothing more about the nature of the structures themselves.  We do not know that the CB area served some sort of habitational or work function, but what that function is will have to be determined by further exploration.

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