Weekly Summary I: Week ending July 5, 2001

Area D, trench 2 (the northernmost in the area) was reopened this week, with hopes of capitalizing on last season's digging over a meter's worth of topsoil and tumble from higher up the hill and only resulted in clear occupational level at the end of that season (the cobble surface of L2013 in the center of the trench). Our primary goal for this week was to remove all the topsoil and deposited erosion from between the seasons. This layer was rather extensive, almost 20 cm at its thickest, probably due to the position of the trench on the steep eastern slope of Kenan Tepe.

Nevertheless, after the removal of the topsoil (L2015) the cobble surface was quickly identified (and assigned L2016), as well as a previously undiscovered area of plaster patches in the SE corner of the trench (L2022, ~.6m x .6m). Another, smaller area of cobbles (L2020) began to appear towards the NE corner of the trench. Along a 2 meter stretch of the western baulk, it initially appeared that a rock feature was appearing (L2018) but this was later discredited when some red baulk line from the previous season was uncovered running underneath the feature. Apparently the feature was simply deposition.

L2017 (which covers the whole SW corner of the trench roughly) was excavated for about 5 cm before a soil change occurred, with scattered ash, animal bones and mud brick appearing. L2019 (the N of the trench 2.2m x 2.2m) was excavated, though it is not clear at this time whether the soil change evident in L2017 continues into it or L2018. The same soil may also continue under L2016, so loci reassignments wait until that area is excavated.