Unit 31568

Category: Layer    dug in 2015

Area: North 

Interpretive Categories: plaster of niche 7855 

Data Category Information: Location: feature; Description: niche; Material: white clay; Deposition: composite (floors/bedding/plaster/packing/occupation)

Discussion: A plaster U.31568 constituted a light-cream/mid-white layer that covered an orange make-up layer (U.32009). They both coated the Niche F.7855 placed in central part of S-wall (F.3679) of B.132. To better understand the nature of the mentioned feature as well as the unit, worth noticing is that the incised opening (Niche) within the mud-brick structure previously acted as an Oven (F.7732). Accordingly, at some point it was altered into the niche. At that time the domed-part which stood out from the wall was dismantled and preceding base (U.32010) of the fire-installation had been transformed into a raised oval “podium, pedestal” which protruded (up to c.a. 8cm) above the surrounded floor level.
As regards to the Plaster layer U.31568 – originally it overlaid the make-up (U.32009) and consequently covered raised construction abutting the niche to the North as well as inside part of the dome. The letter is confirmed by patches of plaster that preserved in some places within intra-wall part of the feature. There was almost no plaster revealed in the upper back-side of the domed incision.
During the exploration it appeared that the Plaster cannot be regarded as good quality one (as we have evidenced already within the floor surface). Judging by the closure examination of the used material, one may state that there must had been a single coating event that resulted in layering relatively thick paste of white clay (8 - 10mm) all over the prepared niche and accompanied protruding. Intriguing is that the mentioned plaster was heavily tempered by organic material (probably hay or straw chaff). Directly underneath the plaster there was very thin smudge of silty-sand dirt that unfortunately could not be extracted from the overlying coating. For that reason it was taken together with the plaster as 3 respective samples (S1-archive, S2-flotation, S3-phytoliths).
The dirt might be referred to some activities that were undertaken within the spot and took a period of time. The evoking above evidences imply that after throughout alters, related with transformation the oven (F.7732) into the niche (F.7855), there was general leveling and preparation occurred. It was clearly marked by the placement of distinct orange clay make-up layer (32009). However, the make-up was not covered by the plaster (31568) immediately, but after a period of use, it was done much later. The mentioned time of use the make-up as the exposed surface is not only attested by the presence of the overlying dirt, but also it was evidenced by the bad state of preservation and patchy diminishes from its original scope (especially in NE and SW part of the make-up). The places where there was no make-up on the base (32010) of oven (F.7732) had been layered only by the plaster (U.31568) without the orange preparation which had been already worn out by the intensive use at that stage.
The plaster U.31568 as well as Make-up layer U.32009 provide important stratygraphical relationship. To be precise, their presence evidenced on Southern part of the clay construction (U.31546) encircling the bin (F.7867), imply that the plastered Niche (with oval pedestal) as well as mentioned Bin must have been in use at the same period of time. 

Consistency: friable 

Colour: mid-white / light-cream 

Texture: clay 

Bedding: massive 

Inclusions: 40% organic temper (hay or straw chaff) 

Post-depositional Features: small evidence of erosion caused by exposition during the winter season 2015/16 

Basal Boundary: distinct: make-up U.32009 

Unit Stratigraphy (as recorded in the field): above: (Click to view the record) 32009 below: (Click to view the record) 21654, 32006 

Total Deposit Volume: 6 

Number of Samples recorded by excavator: 3

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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