Descriptive Attribute | Value(s) |
---|---|
Trench | t26_2023 |
Year | 2023 |
Description |
Locus 24 is a collapse layer in the northern 2.94 m of the trench that is 3 m wide. The soil contains significant amounts of plaster which at times has degraded into the soil, giving it a pinkish brown color. It was excavated to a depth of 0.10 m, revealing a tile fall of well-preserved roof tiles. The tile fall is positioned in the center of Locus 24, extending 2.40 m from east to west and 1.80 m from north to south. The tile packing begins 0.63 m from the northern edge of the OC2/Workshop floor (Locus 2). The tile packing was revealed to have covered a depression under Locus 24 that sloped down 0.10 m to the south. The tile packing preserves courses of tiles, including 5 courses of pan tiles and 3 courses of cover tiles. Within the tile packing, 15 tiles preserving a full dimension were found. A full dimension pan tile (PC20230128), first revealed in 2022 was removed. The pan tile was sloping significantly downward from west to east and measured 0.80 m in length and 0.56 m in width. Additionally, a full length notched vitrified pan tile fragment with finger impressions and preserved slip (PC20230129) was found resting upside down on top of other pan tiles preserving a full dimension. Additional pan tiles preserving one full dimension were found (Special Find #55; 58; 67). Eleven full width cover tiles were found concentrated to the northeast of the preserved pan tiles (Special Find #22; 37; 38; 56; 57; 64; 65; 68; 69; 74; 75). These full width cover tiles will be conserved and cataloged in future seasons. A number of tiles preserve notable features such as fingerprints, sigla, or slip. Tiles with fingerprints were found frequently within the locus (Special Find #2; 21; 34; 59; 61; 62). One cover tile fragment preserves a siglum (PC20230075). Frequent vitrified materials, including very warped and vitrified tiles (PC20230102; PC20230103; Special Find #36) were found. The vitrified materials are similar to those found along the northern extent of T103 and appear to have been exposed to extreme heat most likely during the destruction of the OC2/Workshop structure. The tile packing was revealed throughout the extent of Locus 24 before it was removed. The portion of the tile fall to the southwest that is less well preserved, Locus 33, and the pantiles resting on the floor surface, Locus 12, are a part of the same tile fall as Locus 24. All three loci are equivalent and associated with the destruction of the OC2/Workshop structure. Within the soil of Locus 24, 15.125 bowls of fragments of plaster were found. Because of plaster found adhered to both pan and cover tiles of this locus, it seems clear that the plaster was applied to the roofing system, perhaps to help hold elements in their right place. One representative sample was saved and cataloged (PC20230087). 369 sherds of pottery, predominately impasto body fragments, were found within Locus 24. Notable fragments of pottery include a fine impasto trifurcated handle fragment (PC20230126) and a fine impasto tondo fragment (Special Find #79). Two impasto handle fragments were found in the eastern extent of Locus 24 (Special Find #70;77) and are of a similar form to two handles found in the western extent of T103. A possible antefix fragment (PC20230151) was also found within the tile fall of Locus 24. Additional female antefix fragments and a fragment of a feline waterspout were found in the associated Locus 33 (PC20230105, PC20230088 PC20230067 PC20230068). This evidence confirms that the decorative scheme of the OC2/Orientalizing Complex was present on the roof of the OC2/Workshop structure. Once the tile packing and the pinkish brown soil of Locus 24 were removed, a heavily carbon-included, dark brownish black soil was revealed throughout the entire locus. The layer slopes downward in a semicircular depression that extends into T103. Frequent small stones were included in the layer, possibly functioning as a cobbling, paving, or surface preparation layer. |
Date Opened | 2023-07-06 |
Date Closed | 2023-08-01 |
Locus Type | Deposit |
Preliminary Phasing | ~ 7th Cent. BCE |
Munsell Color | 10YR 5/3 Brown |
Deposit Compaction | Moderately compact |
Stratigraphic Reliability | Good |
Suggested Citation
Anthony Tuck. (2025) "Locus 24 from Europe/Italy/Poggio Civitate/Tesoro/Tesoro 26/T26 2023". In Murlo. Anthony Tuck (Ed). Released: In prep. Open Context. <https://opencontext.org/subjects/7f3f4dcd-609b-430a-b52a-faa67c1fcb81>
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