Unit 3905

Category: layer    dug in 1998

Area: South 

Interpretive Categories: plaster make up 

Data Category Information: In Situ: in situ; Location: feature; Description: ridge; Material: pise-like; Deposition: homogeneous

Dimensions: 0.86 x 0.16 x 0.06 m 

Discussion: (3905) represents the solid plaster lip of F.289, which defined the E edge of the floors in the SW corner of space 117. As the deposits between these floors were very dirty and ashy it could be that the purpose of its construction was to contain these 'dirty' deposits from other, cleaner areas of the building to the N and E. It is possible that the lip was built up gradually with the floors to its W although it was hard to distinguish any layering within (3905). However, occasionally there was evidence of plaster layers lipping up to and over the lip. This relationship is difficult to deduce as most of the floors to the W of F.289 were truncated and worn though adjacent to the lip and only survived further to the W. The relationship of (3905) to the burnt oven deposit beneath (3912) is also interesting. Although (3905) was clearly above (3912) in places these intermingled. This could be the product of constructing a wet plaster structure immediately over the waste from an earlier out of use oven to the E. Alternatively, it could be that the oven to the E of F.289 continued to be used after its construction and bits of waste from that oven became mixed with the plaster from the lip as they were swept from it. This seems unlikely though as the remainder of F.289 (3901,3904) lie more clearly above (3912) and was earlier. However, this relationship is difficult to work out as most of the deposit that was the same as (3912) (2656) was removed in 1997. 

Recognition: A raised greyish white lip running from N to S in the S half of space 117. 

Definition: See A. 

Execution: Trowel/leaf trowel. 

Condition: Very dry/cracked. 

Consistency: very firm 

Colour: varied 2.5 Y 8/2 pale yellow; 2.5 Y 6/1 grey; 2.5 Y 6/2 light greyish brown 

Texture: chalky clay 

Bedding: massive 

Inclusions: 5% phytoliths, occasional flecks of charcoal, clay and shell 

Post-depositional Features: salt encrustation and root intrusion 

Basal Boundary: clear/anthropogenic; but the material of (3905) had become intermingled with that of the burnt oven debris deposit beneath (3912); the surface between the two was therefore very irregular and uneven 

Unit Stratigraphy (as recorded in the field): above: (Click to view the record) 3901 below: (Click to view the record) 3699, 3673, 3672 

Dry sieve volume: 0 

Total Deposit Volume: 8 

Number of Samples recorded by excavator: 4

Number of Related Diary Entries: 0

Settlement Phase:

Associated Mellaart Levels (from Space):  

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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