Unit 32430

Category: Cluster    dug in 2016

Area: South 

Interpretive Categories: Deposit of bones and clay balls 

Data Category Information: Location: cut; Description: pit; Material: animal bone; Deposition: primary deposition; Basal Spit: Clay balls

Discussion: Group of animal bones and clay balls placed at the edges of the pit following the shape. In this case the bones were not grouped, there were some space between them. The provision was defined in four areas N, E, W respectively with one or two bones maximum in each part. In the south the bones were mixed with clay ball. This clay ball were partially covered with plaster, perhaps deposited wet at the same time as the clay balls.
The elevations of the biggest bones and the clay balls are: H1 928.0416 966.3536 1004.1833; H2 927.7932 966.3254 1004.1857; H3 927.7939 966.3248 1004.1856; H4 927.6586 966.4419 1004.1926; H5 927.7705 966.5659 1004.1481; H6 927.9783 966.5472 1004.2041; H7 927.9206 966.4093 1004.1273; H8 927.7850 966.5072 1004.1398 (Saved in the Survey Data, daily upload from 16.06.2016).

The analysis results from the lab team said: A piece of antler base (soft hammer?), five major elements of aurochs (2 scapulas, tibia, radius, mandible), a few shaft fragments and vertebral fragments, and some smaller fragments that are probably connected to the larger elements but the joins are not clear. There is one likely articulation (radius-humerus) between this unit and another cluster in this building (U32418). Despite the fact that none of the elements overlap (that is, there are no two pieces of the same element like if there were two left scapulas), it looks like two different aurochs are represented here based on the size of the elements. Especially on the scapulas, there are multiple old breaks that still refit, suggesting that the pieces were placed in the pit whole and broke as the pit was being filled/from the pressure of the infill/clay packing at the top of the pit. Alternatively, the scapulas could have been broken intentionally (or non-intentionally) and all of the pieces put in the pit - will need to look at the 3D model, most of the material was grouped together but not necessarily found in the anatomical position expected of the bone fragmenting as it was being filled. Both of the major limb bones (radius, tibia) appear to have been split open in antiquity and the marrow removed, in the cancellous bone of each it appears it was scooped/hollowed out - this is similar to the distal tibia in U32418 and a few other instances in the earlier portion of the South sequence, though not many (would have to look through, I've seen at least one from early in the sequence). All of the medullary cavities of the long bones was filled with the harder clay, though that may just be a coincidence/due to the formation of the pit. The atlas fragment may be the same atlas as the smaller one from U32413, though all of the breaks are old.

Anyway from the characteristics of the deposit, and the position this unit is clearly related with another one with the same characteristics U32418 and with the pits F7831 and F7840.
All the specialists conclude that the pit was opened and fill quite fast, in a very short period of time, probably around later summer early autumn, and that the bones was intentionally deposit. So all this information match with our interpretation, about that pits can be an abandon deposits. 

Unit Stratigraphy (as recorded in the field): above: (Click to view the record) 32432 below: (Click to view the record) 32431 

Number of Samples recorded by excavator: 1

Number of Related Diary Entries: 1

Settlement Phase:

Associated Mellaart Levels (from Space): IX 

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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