Journal / Summary:D-2-2000-Summary

KENAN TEPE 2000, AREA D TRENCH 2

SUMMARY

Trench D2 was opened on August 6th, 2000 in Area D, a slightly humped area on the eastern slope of Kenan Tepe. Trench 2 is the northernmost of three trenches in Area D, and is located on ground that slopes steeply from the southwest to the northeast.

Excavation begun with the removal of the upper layer of topsoil, (L 2000). After this was complete, L 2001 was opened and the eastern half of D2 was leveled. This caused the center of the trench to be approximately 1 meter deep, while the northeast corner remained almost at ground level. In the section created between the eastern and western halves of D2, a soil change was observed which extended across the entire section. Although this change was probably due only to a higher moisture content, as the western half of the trench was excavated, locus numbers were changed at the level of the soil change.

After the eastern half of L 2001 was leveled, work began on bringing the western half of the locus down to the level of the above-mentioned soil change.  In both the eastern and western halves of D2, L 2001 was composed of very loose fill which contained large quantities of potsherds, mostly Hellenistic, and several basalt grindstones and weights. Because of the presence of multiple layers of Hellenistic surfaces in the sounding D3, immediately to the southwest of D2, it appears likely that the large amount of pottery and basalt in L 2001 can be traced to tumble from a Hellenistic settlement a little further up the hill. However, very early on during the excavation of the western half of L 2001, an Akkadian cylinder seal (KT 2020) was found.

During the continuing excavation of the western half of L 2001, a line of stones was found about half a meter below the ground along the western balk. Though the stones appeared to have been purposefully arranged, they were not accompanied by any sort of surface, and instead were surrounded by the same soft fill that appeared throughout the trench. Perhaps they are related to the Hellenistic structures appearing in D3, but it is hard to know for certain. In any case, the stones were made their own locus (L 2003), as was the fill to the west of the stones (L 2004). The fill below the stones, which was equal to L 2001 and L 2004, was called L 2005.

To the north of the line of stones, in the northwest quadrant of the trench, an area of slightly different fill was found.  Opened as L 2002, this area included many more small stones and an even higher concentration of pottery than L 2001. Below this layer of fill, an area of large rocks (L 2008) was found which could also have been related to the structures in D3. A two row line of stones formed the eastern border of this area, and a single row of stones extended from the west balk on the northern edge of the area. L 2008 may have been part of a path leading up the hill, possibly a stair. However, as with L 2003, there was no surface or other features associated with the rocks that could have led to a definitive conclusion.

About half a meter below L 2003, an area of very hard soil was discovered which became larger as it was excavated. This area was excavated first as L 2007 and then as L 2010 after the level of a soil change first observed in L 2001 was reached, and it measured at its greatest extent 2 meters north-south by 80 cm east-west.  While it was at first thought that this area might be the upper, collapsed layers of a mud brick wall, it now appears more likely that either the hardness stems from natural causes, or that the area is tumbled debris from further up the hill.

At the same level as L 2007, a small pile of stones about 75 cm square was found along the western balk at the northern edge of L 2005. Though this area was excavated as a separate locus (L 2006), it appears to have been nothing more than a one layer, unorganized assortment of rocks.

Below the level of the soil change observed in L 2001, the western half of the trench was excavated as L 2009.  A little over a meter below the surface, however, the western half of the trench became extremely soft, and it was decided to open a new locus (L 2011) to deal with it. Small patches of discolored soil, possibly oven residue, were found in this locus, as well as a pile of stones along the northern balk, which, again, appeared not to have been purposefully arranged.

On my last day of digging, the excavation of L 2011 continued until a cobble surface (L 2013) near the center of the trench. The surface appeared to continue to the east, and therefore the eastern half of the trench was excavated as L 2012 in order to bring it down level with the surface. While excavation did not continue long enough for the entire eastern half to be leveled, the amount of dirt removed did allow the overall orientation of the surface to be seen. As currently exposed, the surface is trapezoidal in shape, and roughly 1.5 x 1.5 meters. It appears, however, that the surface continues farther to the east, which would probably give it more of a triangular appearance. There are large numbers of flat lying potsherds on the surface, which, when analyzed might give some idea of the surface's time period.