Unit 30503

Category: Layer    dug in 2013

Area: North 

Interpretive Categories: infill of cut 30502, burial 7127 

Data Category Information: Location: cut; Description: burial; Deposition: heterogeneous

Description: DISCUSSION :
The cut was filled in a single event by a single layer from the bottom to the top. Although, this layer shows different caracteristics according to its position (more or less affected by fire, bioturbation or animal burrows). In any case, this infill is more friable and brownish than the plaster+make-up of the platform f.3694.

The density of loose bones (almost only juveniles) is important. This could indicate that another burial predates f.7127. Could that explain the isolated cranium u.30512 and u.30515, which are maybe even the same individual, who seems to have been pushed up against the edge of the cut? Beside this idea that these craniums belong to an earlier burial, the other possibily is that they are secondary burials of the same events as the other skeletons. The human remains team favour this second interpretation, but the first should still be hypothesized and tested.
In any case, this probable previous burial is not marked by a cut, which was thus probably completely destroyed by cut u.30502.

This infill contains skeletons u.30510, u.30511, u.30512, u.30513, u.30514, u.30515 & u.30524 (maybe one more, from an earlier event, could be identify by the human remains team from the loose bones of the infill ; and u.30512 and u.30515 could be one individual… to be confirmed).

Several shells were found. Only the complete ones, which seems to be in situ and to go with the burial, were collected as X-finds, not the loose fragments found in the fill for which the context of deposit is more problematic.
X1 and X4 were in the upper part of the infill, where the top of the skulls started to be visible. X4 was in direct contact witht the top of the wooden artifact (bowl?) covering the cranium of the child u.30513.
Shells X6 and X7 were deeper and probably more directly associated with the adult u.30514 (they were on top of the right femur for X6, just next to it for X7). Both of them were "upside-down" (the "inside" face below) and contained some brown sediment + red colorant + some fibres/roots (especially X7).

Two beads (X2 & X3) were found and recorded. They both look similar and are made of greenstone. They are very probably related to the infant u.30511. Indeed, they were found in both sides of its head, in a symetical position (such a pattern seems also to occur in burial f.7120 of the platform just next to f.3694, f.3695, where two greenstone beads were also found on both sides of the cranium of the infant u.30523… some kind of earrings associated with little infant?).
Both were very close to the cranium and to pieces of fabric… especially X3 which was surrounded and in contact with textile.

Concerning the wood preserved in this burial (because of the fire occuring in building 52, cf. feature sheet f.7127), beside the main piece covering the cranium of the child u.30513 (the boat-shaped bowl, cf. unit sheet 30513), the infill contains a smaller piece. X5 seems to be a different artifact, although it was probably made from the same wood: maple (according to the archaeobotanists) which is extremly rare on the site and around. X5 was situated just above of the feet of the same child u.30513. It was very fragmented and recorded both as a X-find (X5) and a sample for archaeobot. (S3). It could have been a small artifact put on the body of the infant… something as a amulett? A spoon? Impossible to say so far…But the absence of textile around (but conserved elswhere in the cut) let us think that it is not part of clothing.
S4 is also a sample of wood (propably maple too), but the quantity was very little and no proper artifact was identified. Coming from a completely different part of the infill (southern edge), in a zone very disturbed by animal burrow and bioturbation, it could be an isolated fragment from one of the two other artifacts… 

Discussion: DISCUSSION CONTINUATION :
At the very bottom of the fill, a complete and intact marble bracelet was found (X8). Its position partially in an animal burrow let us think that it was disturbed from its original placement. However, its little size, along with the position and direction of the burrow within the infill, could let us think that it belonged to one of the infants u.30511, u.30513, u.30524 (maybe from an ankle) laying just above it, on the left size of the adult u.30514.

A shiny and "metallic" small piece (couple of centimeters) of crystalline mineral was hand-picked just under the cranium of the adult u.30514. One of its face shows a triangular (equilateral) structure, which doesn't fit at all with mica (the most obvious interpretation). We are still waiting for identification (it doesn't mark paper, and it is not marked by metal). After cleaning, we noticed a perforation next to one edge. The traces are very clear from one face, the opposite face cleaved during the process but it did not prevent the fintion and use of the artifact. This small very very shiny piece of mineral was thus maybe used either as pendant, or beads, or was related to textile.

A small animal spatula was also found in the very bottom of the infill. Animal bones being almost absent of this layer, a question is raised : can we interpret this spatula as part of the burial deposit? Or as comming from the layer below the burial infill? (which looks completely different, like another infill containing charcoal and animal bones.)

Finally, the textile preserved in this burial (because of the fire occuring in building 52, cf. feature sheet f.7127) was first recorded with skeletons. The cord (bandage) from u.30510 stays recorded with this unit. Same for the cord associated with the legs of u.30511. Indeed, they are both boing around the bones.
But all the other textile first recorded with u.30511 are now recorded as part of the infill. Indeed, it appeared that this textile, which is probably not clothing, is not rapping or going aroung neither u.30511, not 30513 just beneath. Even if these two infants/children are both in direct contact with the textile, this last is only found in between the two bodies, as a separation. Maybe u.30511 was put in the burial held by this piece of fabric (but not covered by it)?
More analyses are necessary to know if there is only one or several layers of textile (in that case, could it be a bag?)
Several stripes are seen, but also different kind of materials. Analyses are in progress. Linen/flax is so far confirmed (for the first time on the site) which indicates a possible importation from Levant (absence of seeds in Catalhöyuk). A hypothesis to be tested.
One nice big piece of fabric was preserved by conservation team (X9). Six samples and two subsamples are also recorded (S5, S6, S7, S8, S9, S10, S13, S14) Cf. unit sheets u.30511 & u.30513 and photographies for exact relation with bodies. 

Consistency: Friable to loose (differentialy affected by the heat and the fire of the burning of building 52). 

Colour: Light brown to mid grey 

Texture: Clayey silt 

Bedding: Massive and heterogeneous due to differential impact of fire and heat on the different parts of the infill. Presence of organic material from the bodies may also affect the soil differentialy. 

Inclusions: Organic remains (lot of loose bones, mainly juvenile, maybe only juvenile) + organic remains from the bodies (tissues, fluids, organs,... were sometime removed and sampled when solid and identifiable, but sometime were probably just part of the sediments). 

Post-depositional Features: Burning of building 52 affected this infill (proof that the burial belong to the occupancy of building 52 and not building 51). The impact of the fire may have been different, depending on the part of the infill, in particular depending on the depth (the deeper tends to be less affected) + animal burrows, especially on the egdes and the bottom + bioturbation on the edges. 

Basal Boundary: Some firm yellowish layers is marking an abrupt boundary on the eastern part of the cut (not the deepest one). It seems to be plaster of previous floor. But the central part which is deeper shows another kind of basal boundary. This older layer, cut by u.30502, is more grey and had some inclusion of charcoal and animal bones. It is maybe an infill on which was built the floor seen on the eastern part of the cut. 

Unit Stratigraphy (as recorded in the field): above: (Click to view the record) 30510, 30511, 30512, 30513, 30514, 30515, 30524 below: (Click to view the record) 20614 

Dry sieve volume: 0 

Total Deposit Volume: 98 

Number of Samples recorded by excavator: 15

Number of X-Finds recorded by excavator: 9

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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