Unit 21113

Category: Layer    dug in 2014

Area: North 

Interpretive Categories: Building infill 

Data Category Information: Location: building

Discussion: Building infill deposited after abandonment and composed of several materials: mudbrick (50% abundance), fragments of oven floors (5%), both animal and human bones and teeth (5%), fragments of plaster floors (2%), fragments of mortar (5%), charcoal fragments and flecks (5%), and very few obsidian flakes and shells. Very heterogenous composition of materials and random distribution throughout the deposit, with a predominant silty clay matrix and very compacted.

A bone cluster was found in the SE side of the unit, composed of a human rib, 3 human incisives, a fragmented auroch humerus and several fragmented and unidentified bones.

The consistency of the sediment is considerably higher in the areas close to both the N and the S walls of the building. Here, fragments of mudbricks and orange clay packing have been (intentionally) placed, possibly to act as baulks and prevent the collapse of the walls after the abandonment of this building.

Articulated juvenile human foot found towards the mid, arbitrary E limit of the unit (X13). An articulated human arm was found towards the middle part of the unit, including the hand and the scapula (X24). We removed the "human pelvis" from the S wall undercut that had been left in position since the 2013 excavation. However, once this bone was retrieved, it was pointed out to us that it was not a human pelvis but a very large atlas, probably from cattle (X16).

Most of the bone found within this unit is intact (both human and faunal), but there are very few, very fragmented charred and calcined fragments (ca 1% abundance).

Most of the large bones and articulated remains found within this deposit are located towards the SE of the unit, close to and into the S wall undercut. Also in this area two superimposed patches, very rich in ashes and burnt remains (mostly charcoal) have been found. These patches had irregular edges and reduced dimensions (ca. 30x40cm). We have interpreted these ashy burnt layers as secondary refuse dumps due to the absence of rubefraction signs in the sediments. Therefore, they are part of the infill deposit and another unit number for these layers has not been taken.

This infill deposit is quite unique when we compare it to other building abandonment infills. Although the amount and nature of the faunal bones might suggest feasting, the occurrence of human bones throughout the deposit and of a fully articulated skeleton (U.19593) contradict this evidence.

Despite the homogeneous heterogeneity of this deposit, it has been found that the majority of the finds are located within the S wall undercut. Some layering has been noticed in this area, such as small ashy patches and several clay packing of different nature. The undercut goes very deep into the wall (30cm in its deepest point, the wall being 35cm in width), although due to the narrowness of the house, it is unlikely that this feature would have compromised the stability of the S wall. Due to the special depositional sequence found in the undercut, the possibility that it was filled in before the abandonment of the building should not be ruled out. 

Consistency: Very compacted 

Colour: Light brown 

Texture: Clay (mudbrick fragments, packing) and silty clay 

Bedding: Compound layer: heterogeneous deposit made up of different materials with random distribution 

Inclusions: Mortar, mudbrick, fragments of oven floors, fragments of plaster floors, charcoal 

Post-depositional Features: Bioturbation (animal burrowing) 

Basal Boundary: Constructional and abrupt. In the S half of the building: prominent, smooth and with an inclination of 15º towards the S wall. In the N half of the building: distinct, irregular and flat. 

Unit Stratigraphy (as recorded in the field): above: (Click to view the record) 21162, 21163, 21169, 21170 below: (Click to view the record) 19570 equal to: (Click to view the record) 19475, 19570, 20627 

Dry sieve volume: 465 

Total Deposit Volume: 550 

Number of Samples recorded by excavator: 5

Number of X-Finds recorded by excavator: 33

Number of Related Diary Entries: 0

Settlement Phase:

Associated Mellaart Levels (from Space): Unassigned at present 

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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