Unit 10814
Category: skeleton dug in 2004
Area: South
Interpretive Categories: skeleton
Data Category Information: none
Discussion: The remains of this skeleton are found in three features (1711, 1709, 1705). The extant in situ parts of the skeleton (unit 10814) is located roughly east-west, with its head located in the west. The body is on its back, and the leggs may have been drawn up over the chest and to the left.
Skeleton 10814 was heavily disturbed when later burial feature 1709 was put in place directly above. In the process of digging the cut for 1709 part of the skeletal elements of 1711 were lifted and put on the sides of the cut (u. 10830) of burial 1709 (or perhaps simply pushed a side). Bones were resting directly below and on top of those from 10813 along the edges of feature 1709.
Another part of the skeleton was found in post retrieval pit 1705. Within its fill was 10834, a skull.
Post-excavation work in the human remains lab showed that the isolated skull 10834 found in fill 10807 of post retrieval pit 1705 could be matched to the jaw of 10814, and equally some loose teeth from burial fill 10837 could be matched to the skull. Two scenarios how this couls have come about:
First, at the time at which burial 1709 (above 1711) was cut some skeletal elements of 10814 were placed along the edge of 1709. It is possible that the skull was placed on the eastern edge of the cut 10830 of burial 1709, and was then encountered when post retrieval pit 1705 was cut, lifted, and then placed in this pit. This scenario seems unlikely to me given the distict matrix of the fill of 1705 (unit 10807) compared to that in the fill of 1709 (unit 10831). Second the skeletal elements of 10814 placed along the edge of 1709 seem to suggest that the two cut features touched, but that 1705 did not really disturb 1709.
Second, it is possible that at the time at which 1709 was cut (cut unit 10830) some elements of 10814 were put along the edge of this feature, but the skull was lifted and than placed in 1705. This scenario would imply that burial 1709 was put at approximately the same time that post retrieval pit 1705 was cut (it is ofcourse possible that skull 10834 was out in the 'open' for some time.
Putting together the pieces it seems we are dealing with a gracile female adult.
Additional notes by Marin Pilloud.
There are no repeating elements in 10814 / 10834. It seems we are dealing with one individual. The r leg was articulating as was r raddius and ulna. The l ulna was broken in two, but the pieces were not far removed. Below the r humerus was a jumble of ribs. R foot is complete, fully articulated below l humerus. The l foot is partially articulated. First mt phalanges are up higher than talus and they articulate in the cuboid and navicum. There are also some more metatarsals below the first metatarsal, with the talus and calcaneous. The feet were revealed after the tibia, humerus and radius were removed. It was determined in the lab that skull 10834 goes with the mandible of 10814, found in the west of f 1711. The skull is gracile and considered female. The pelvis of 10814 has a large sciatic notch and pre-aucilar sulcus. The teeth were fairly worn and maxilla and mandible displayed abcesses and large cavities. It seems that at the time of the disturbance of the burial the fflesh was still on the bones, given that the bones in 1709 of 10814 are partially articulated.The l tibia is found at a steep angle (in f. 1709), of about 50 degrees. A loose incisor from fill 10837 of f. 1711 fitted into maxilla of skull 10834.
X and Y of Targets: Target A - X: 911.5; Target A - Y: 981.5; Target B - X: 912.5; Target B - Y: 981.5; Target C - X: 913; Target C - Y: 981.5; Target D - X: 913; Target D - Y: 981
Body: extended on back
Head: missing (found in post retrieval pit 1705, skull unit 10834).
Right Arm: right arm was to the south, the right radius and ulna were articulating below the right leg. Right humerus was not far, but not in articulation.
Left Arm: left humerus was found next to the left tibia and in line with the left radius, however, the proximal ends were together. The left ulna was found further south broken in half.
Right Leg: The right leg was articulating, except for the fibula, and was located at the eastermost portion of the pit. The right foot was found in complete articulation below the left tibia.
Left Leg: The left femur was removed early on in the excavation and was alongside the tibia, so that the distal femur was near the proximal tibia. However, they were not articulating. The left fibula was found over the left illium. The left foot was found in partial articulation below the left tibia.
Other comments: skeleton badly disturbed by later burial 1709. FAST TRACK
Surface Modifications:
Unit Stratigraphy (as recorded in the field):
Skeleton Same As: 10834
Dry sieve volume: 0
Number of Samples recorded by excavator: 1
Number of Related Diary Entries: 12
Settlement Phase:
Associated Mellaart Levels (from Space): VII
Associated Hodder Level (from Space): Unassigned at present
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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 Ceramics Data for 2004 still to be released Clay Object Records: No Chipped Stone Records: No Conservation Recorded: No Faunal Records: No Figurine Records: No GroundStone Records: No 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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