Unit 1668
Category: layer dug in 1996
Area: South
Interpretive Categories: midden
Data Category Information: Location: external; Deposition: finely bedded
Dimensions: 2.8m(N-S)x2.2m(E-W)x0.16m depth (E) - 0.23 (W)
Discussion: A series of fine lensed ash, ashy charcoal, clay lenses and mixed fine layers of clay and charcoal. These represent accumulated occupation debris, time scale of occupation is unknown; the lenses and fine layers are interleaved with patches/lenses and rounded coprolite (or food debris?) which unless they were re-deposited suggest a slow accumulation of these deposits - as the stratigraphy also suggests. It covers an area (as excavated) of 2.80m (N-S), cut by wall F.T. to south and continues beyond the L.O.E of this years excavation area. To the east it is equivalent to (1099) and to the west cut by Mellaart. The depth to the east was 0.16m, thickening to the west to 0.23m and all fall at c. 30' angle towards the west. the layer was excavated not by following the individual lenses but by a tip line which was fairly traceable to the north-west where a lens of fine ash/soot was followed (1673). This horizon being a clear one was continued, but in doing that the central area was overdug - so to the north a new number was allocated. This is because (1668) is the horizon at which wall 77 was constructed and he horizon below runs under the wall - but hasn't yet been excavated. The process of accumulation is however the same. There are also three extra samples sample 10 -chemical block, sample 11- thin section and sample 12 - chemical block.
Execution: Trowel and mattock
Condition: Dry, hot and windy
Consistency: moderately weak
Colour: 10YR 4/2-4/3 (Dark greyish brown -brown)
Texture: silty clay
Bedding: Compound layered
Inclusions: 30% <2mm-1cm charcoal, 10% <3mm white chalk flecks
Post-depositional Features: 5% root action
Basal Boundary: Falls on a tip line from east-west with irregular pockets
Unit Stratigraphy (as recorded in the field):
Dry sieve volume: 780
Total Deposit Volume: 822
Number of Samples recorded by excavator: 36
Number of X-Finds recorded by excavator: 6
Number of Related Diary Entries: 0
Settlement Phase:
Associated Mellaart Levels (from Space): Unassigned at present
Associated Hodder Level (from Space): Unassigned at present
| Related Photos: 34 (Opens as a group in a new window) | |
| Buildings: none | |
Spaces: (Click to view the record)
| |
| 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:: 811
Unit description: Cattle DNA samples X5, X8. F1+2 are bone ring fragments (different rings). F3 is a split distal metapodial point. F4 is the tip of a (probable) metapodial point. F5 is a split proximal metacarpal point. X4 is a complete bone point. A very large unit. Fairly fragmented (only phalanges, carpals/tarsals and individual teeth survive intact) but less so than unit 1868, and because the assemblage is dominated by large animal fragments (cattle, equid) it gives the impression of relatively large pieces. Ribs are well represented, but rib shaft fragments are quite short and quite often show butchery marks. Apart from these there are few cuts marks; mainly smash marks across long bones. The unit includes a good number of rib heads, compared to some others. There are more vertebrae here than in 1868. The main animals are cattle and equids, with a comparatively large number of cattle and less horse phalanges. Cattle horn core is present. There are quite a few relatively complete equid teeth, showing both a large equid (caballus) and a smaller ass (hydruntinus identified, and hemionus suspected). One equid tooth row is extremely worn, but others teeth have high crowns and are hence younger. A few bags came in with cattle and equid bones articulating (feet), hence indicating that the unit it not totally mixed/disturbed? There is both very large cattle, and smaller cattle represented. Sheep/goat bones comprise a little skull and some postcranial (but fewer diagnostics). Occasional remains of pig, hare, bird, fox and dog are also present. Observation that 003 size metapodia are often split or broken longitudinally, albeit roughly. Could these be preforms for bone points, or is this the way they break, lending themselves for point making? Also, there are two cattle distal metapodia (on MC and one MT) that are weathered in an unusual way: they both have posterior faces - both shaft and distal ends - which are unweathererd, but the anterior surfaces are extremely rough and in one case worn. It looks as though the bone may have been buried flat with half of the length of it exposed - but why? Last number = 900Figurine Records: Yes
Count of records::none Ground Stone Records: Yes
Count of records:: 6 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
main sponsors
secondary sponsors
