| Entry: | Burials continue; the only thing of note is that the burial I am working on, [2119] has turned up five bone rings associated with the left hand - it appears as if one was around the thumb and there were two on each of the first and second fingers. The main news concerns work on the architectural features, specifically the access between Spaces 70 and 71 - ie. wall F.201 and the wall moulding on the north wall, F.26. Ali has been removing the blocking brickwork of F.201 and as hoped, a plaster surface/flooring is appearing beneath where they have filled in the original 'crawlway'/step, confirming the original interpretation. The other exciting development concerns the sequence of construction for F.26 where Charlotte is working and its relation to the burial F.44 and the step F.46. It seems that the wall moulding has two phases - the later phase [2131] is as it appears and seems to have been built over the burial F.44 as it sealed some cranial fragments which were lodged in the fill of F.44 were clearly sealed by the later phase of F.26. Although both phases of the step F.46 appeared to abut F.26, only the later phase possibly could [1999], suggesting it is later. The earliest phase [1996] must be more or less contemporary with the primary phase of F.26 [2130]. The other interesting thing concerns the change in morphology/function of F.26; the primary construction appears to be ?solid plaster with a concave recess - perhaps for holding an upright timber. After the insertion of burial F.44, it was transformed into a larger wall moulding akin to F.24 on the opposite, southern wall. It will be interesting to see in the excavation of the latter if this has a similar primary construction or perhaps is a single phase product.Entered By: Gavin Lucas |
