Unit 20543

Category: Layer    dug in 2014

Area: South 

Interpretive Categories: dirty floor 

Data Category Information: Location: building; Description: general; Material: dark grey clay; Deposition: single; Basal Spit: unpainted

Discussion: Simply put, this floor (u. 20543) represents the base of the earliest phase that we currently have for this space (492- potentially a back room to Melaarts shrine 8). The floor was distinguished due to its extremely dark color, unusually high clay content (which provided a unique compact quality), and a waxy, smudgeable quality- all characteristics consistent with other dirty floors excavated at catalhoyuk. As far as age is concerned, the size of the clay balls from the cluster (u. 21208) which sits on top of a plaster platform partially constructed overlapping this floor, date this strat to Hodder Level VIII. Unfortunately, due to the haste with which this space was excavated and the implementation of a large mattock in order to expose the floor, a large portion in the middle of the floor was cut through. However, the portion of packed light reddish brown infill which borders the northern wall appears to be natural as we never exposed this dense, dark clay lens in this location. Also, there are possible pits in the NE corner and along the Southern wall of the unit- see plan.
No samples were taken as the only portion that was excavated was cut through and removed before we realized we had reached the floor.
NB Phytolith samples were taken. 

Consistency: dense/ compact- extremely dense lens of dark clay composite denotes the dirty floor 

Colour: very dark grey- extremely dark grey (almost black) clay 

Texture: silty clay- very smooth/ silty texture predominately clay with a waxy/ smudgeable quality 

Bedding: massive- thick clay lens with evenly mixed inclusions of charcoal, crushed brick, and fine plaster. 

Inclusions: fine plaster, crushed brick, and charcoal 

Post-depositional Features: - 

Basal Boundary: not fully excavated 

Unit Stratigraphy (as recorded in the field): above:nfebelow: (Click to view the record) 21212, 20524, 21213 

Total Deposit Volume: 12 

Number of Samples recorded by excavator: 2

Number of Related Diary Entries: 0

Settlement Phase:

Associated Mellaart Levels (from Space): VIII 

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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