Unit 23214

Category: Layer    dug in 2017

Area: South 

Interpretive Categories: Phytoliths surface 

Data Category Information: Location: external; Deposition: finely bedded

Description: Phytoliths and corpoliths light red surface. 

Discussion: (VK:) U.23214 refers to a thin layer of phytoliths and coproliths of which the preservation was extraordinarily good. Within the top 2-4cm of thickness of this layer, many, extremely thin and laminated layers of the same material could be objerved. U.23214 was distinct because of its colour (red-pink, orange and white) and also because of its superficial texture: it appeared shiny. U.23214 seems to have been preserved better under large pastered features, such as Oven F.8038 and Platform F.21898. In consistency, U.23214 hardly differs from midden U.23227; in fact, U.23214, seems to be the very top, i.e. the surface of midden U.23227, which must have been under immediate pressure from large features such as those mentioned above. They, in turn, must have flattened its surface (at places of contact) and contributed to its preservation. It was noticed that small areas of shiny and white lences, were also found within U23227. This is the reason why, part of U.23214, Sample 7, is found above U.23214 S1 and S2, but also the deposit below U23214 S8 and S9, was of identical consistency, colour and texture with U.23214 S7. All of these samples (S1-S7, and below S8 and S9) seem to be parts of the same context, but differently preserved or differently affected by postdepositional processes above.
Several samples are taken from several parts of U.23214:
S1 (archive) and S2 (routine flotation sample) were taken from this (upper) layered, silty, white, pink part of U23214, in the West of space 620.
Samples S4, S5 and S6 (excavated by Nada E.) were taken again from this upper, layered, silty, white, pink part of U23214, from the South-SW area of space 620.
Sample S3 (archive) and S7 (routine flotation) were taken from a patch of dark-grey sandy fill, full of charcoal, on top of a depression of U23214, with inclination towards the West, at the very west edge of this unit within space 620, continuing, under Wall F.566. S7 was 30 cm x 15 cm and of 7-10 cm of thickness. Its consistency and texture was similar to U.23227: grey, friable, with flecks and small pieces of charcoal, and sporadic, sandy, white lences.
Sample S8 (archive) and sample S9 (routine flotation) were taken from the western part of U23214, under S1 and S2. Samples 8 and 9 formed the lowest, thin, laminated layers of U.23214. Samples 8 and 9 were more sandy and plastery, more white-pink, and merged below to a grey sandy fill of very similar consistency (/possibly identical) to U.23227. The thin layers of S8 and S9 seemed as surfaces of white phytoliths milimetres apart. It was not possible to separate these very thin laminated white layers from the midden below (U.23227) as they merged into grey, sandy, rich in charcoal U.23227. So part of the midden was taken with these samples. 

Consistency: Friable 

Colour: Light red, pink with orange stains or white with pink/orange stains. In the south western part the colour varies from light red to yellowish red on top and to pinkish white on the bottom of the surface. 

Texture: Silts 

Bedding: Layered 

Inclusions: Flecks and small pieces of charcoal 

Post-depositional Features: Truncated in NE 

Basal Boundary: Change in the preservation of accumulated deposits; gradual and diffused; distinct but shares some characteristics with the underlying unit; of wavy form and inclined slope; uneven surface; depressions, rough surfaces, and water-laid lences. In the south western part, the surface is peeling on another yellowish brown surface that may contain corpolite. 

Unit Stratigraphy (as recorded in the field): above: (Click to view the record) 23214.S7, 23227 below: (Click to view the record) 23214.S7, 21898 equal to: (Click to view the record) 23203 

Dry sieve volume: 0 

Total Deposit Volume: 27 

Number of Samples recorded by excavator: 15

Number of Related Diary Entries: 0

Settlement Phase:

Associated Mellaart Levels (from Space): XI, XII 

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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