Unit 31548

Category: Layer    dug in 2015

Area: North 

Interpretive Categories: superstructure of fire installation 

Data Category Information: In Situ: in situ; Location: feature; Description: oven; Material: pise-like; Deposition: homogeneous

Discussion: An oval superstructure U.31548 of fire installation (F.7868) oriented EW was recognized as thick (up to 21cm), light-brown rim of silty-clay that encircled the hard backed base (U.31547). It was sat directly on the surface of plastered floor in South–Western segment of Sp. 531.
During the excavation of the feature it appeared that below the base there was layer of preparation-like deposit composed of thick white plaster (U.32065) which was also surrounded by the superstructure. All of the above mentioned observations imply complex nature of the construction phase of the detached fire installation (F.7868). One of the most significant particularities that was revealed, is that the superstructure as well as the feature had been originally started erecting from the South. The evidence of the process was marked by a thin burnt (charred) plant layer, which smudged small part of the superstructure to the South. The layer was recorded as sample no. 4 (S4). In order to better understand the nature of the past proceedings, the collected material was assigned as flotation sample. The latter will allow to conceive the character of activities related with the use of burnt plants during the 1st phase of construction.
It is clear that the Southern part of the brownish rim (U.31548) was sealed by a white plaster packing deposit. So from stratygraphical point of view the rim is earlier. However, the Northern segment of the superstructure respected the packing which means that the superstructure had been laid down AFTER placing the plaster within the central part of the feature. Taking all of the collected data into consideration one may state that construction phase of the fire installation involving the packing (32065) and superstructure (31548) was undertaken as one episode, and the constructional material was prepared before - ready to use in designed purpose. The bigger thickness (21cm) of the rim recorded to the EAST as well as the rake out (U.32063) layer evidenced to the west of the fire installation imply the actual placement of the opening, which must have been located in the latter of mentioned direction. Considering general particularities related with the superstructure (31548) we may refer its construction to a remains of the lower part of a domed oven which was demolished in abandon phase of the room. The latter assumption is also supported by fragments of collapsed cupola recorded in the fill (U.31549) that eventually covered the base (U.31547) of fire installation.
The phytoliths sample, enumerated as S3 was collected in order to facilitate further analyzes of the plants whose imprints had been identified as the last deposit sat on the surface of the floor which was later encapsulated by the paste of superstructure U.31548. 

Consistency: firm 

Colour: light-brown, orangish 

Texture: silty-clay 

Bedding: massive 

Inclusions:  

Post-depositional Features: animal burrowings 

Basal Boundary: distinct - underlying plaster of floor 

Unit Stratigraphy (as recorded in the field): below: (Click to view the record) 31547 

Total Deposit Volume: 7 

Number of Samples recorded by excavator: 5

Number of Related Diary Entries: 0

Settlement Phase:

Associated Mellaart Levels (from Space): Unassigned at present 

Associated Hodder Level (from Space): Unassigned at present 

Finds Room Information:

All material from site passes through the finds room for washing and separating before it is passed onto the various lab teams. The finds room keeps a basic inventory of what is found. A finds material type list is given here. Further analytical detail maybe provided by the Lab Team data below.

X Finds Material: nothing recorded  

Finds Material Stored: nothing recorded  

Lab Team Data

Please note the list below does not represent everything that might have been found in this Unit, but represents the datasets we have available on-line. Please contact us to obtain more information about this Unit.

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