Unit 4518
Category: layer dug in 1999
Area: South
Interpretive Categories: dump,midden
Data Category Information: In Situ: in situ; Deposition: homogeneous
Dimensions: 3.2m+ n-s, 3.1m w-e, 0.08 to 0.36m thick - average 0.15m
Discussion: General midden / dump equivalent to (4824) / (4836). Quite a lot of cleanish biuilding type material, could represent a solid 'raft' for wall to west.
Recognition: lots of charcoal / darker
Definition: arbitrary / deep sounding
Execution: trowel / mattock
Condition: moist
Consistency: moderate
Colour: light to mid grey
Texture: silty clay
Bedding: massive
Inclusions: frequent charcoal flecks, occasional bone, occasional brown blay lenses
Post-depositional Features: deep sounding, insects
Basal Boundary: distinct, anthropogrenic, smooth, sloping down to west
Unit Stratigraphy (as recorded in the field):
Dry sieve volume: 2745
Total Deposit Volume: 2837
Number of Samples recorded by excavator: 14
Number of Related Diary Entries: 1
Settlement Phase:
Associated Mellaart Levels (from Space):
Associated Hodder Level (from Space): Unassigned at present
| Related Photos: 9 (Opens as a group in a new window) | |
| Buildings: none | |
Spaces: (Click to view the record)
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| Features:: none |
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 ArchaeoBots Sample Recorded: No Ceramic Records: No Clay Object Records: No Chipped Stone Records: No Conservation Recorded: No Faunal Records: Yes
Count of records:: 365
Unit description: A moderately large amount of fauna was recovered from unit 4518, which was described as a dump/midden deposit in space 181. The surface condition of the bone generally shows minimal weathering, although there are occasional fragments that appear to have been exposed for longer. Approximately 5% of the bone has been burnt to low temperatures and very few of the fragments have been exposed to high enough temperatures to calcine the bone. Gnawed bone is very rare, whilst digested bone is present in moderate levels. The bone is dominated by long bone fragments from sheep size animals, although 07 size taxa are also well represented, forming c. 30-40% of the material from the unit. All elements of both size classes of animals are present and there is no obvious bias towards or against any particular part of the skeleton. However, like unit 4838, proximal caprine metapodials are frequent, whilst the distal portion is completely absent and this may be from the deliberate removal of this portion of the skeleton for other purposes. All of the elements are well fragmented, even phalanges and distal humeri, showing that large mammal elements were smashed open, presumably for the marrow within. In terms of species representation, after sheep/goat, cattle and horse are both present in roughly equal proportions. There is also the occasional element identifiable to pig and one first phalanx of a fox. Young animals in the sample from 4518 are not as frequent as in other contexts. Unfused elements are not very common at all. Although two young individuals are represented by upper deciduous premolars, generally young animals appear to be significantly rarer than in some units like 4838. Only a couple of pieces of microfauna were present and no fish or bird bone was found. Overall, the unit seems to have low integrity and probably represents highly processed bone of a number of species from number of sources. 4mm, flotation sample #3, 100% sorted was recorded for diagnostics only. The majority of the sample is 03 sized long bone or rib fragments. 4mm flotation sample #4, 100% sorted, was similar in make-up and contained a long bead 3.3 cm long made out of a metatarsal of what was probably fox. Also present was a second phalanx of a small felid. A fair bit of digestion and burning. Some skull fragments as well as long bones and ribs. Last number = 365Figurine Records: Yes
Count of records::none Ground Stone Records: Yes
Count of records:: 3 Heavy Residue Records: No Microfaunal Records: No
Sorry not all of this data is available online at present, please contact us if you are particularly interested microfauna recordsPhytolith Sample: No
Sorry not all of this data is available online at present, please contact us if you are particularly interested phytolith samplesDownload this Units Data
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