| Entry: | Excavation of the wall moulding F.24 on the south wall proved to have a similar two phase construction as F.26 although the primary phase [2140] was more akin to a plaster pilaster than plaster around a timber; however, the form of this was more ambiguous than F.26 because of post-depositional processes (root action and fire) and it therefore could have been of similar form.
Significantly, evidence for another pair of plastered timber uprights has arisen in the past few days, this time positioned at the end of the F.37 platform walls, F.8 and F.10. In the southern one, the cavity left by a timber was backfilled with an ashy deposit rich in charcoal and charred barley and this also contained bone fragments and a greenstone? axe [2142]. This seems like a deliberate deposit which is focused on the south west corner of the platform, an area which was also marked by red painted plaster in an early phase as being 'special'. This area also seems to be the focus of burning - upon removal of the plaster, which had been burnt at the end of Phase II, the mud bricks were also burnt - twice, once bright red and later dark grey. As Mira pointed out, the plaster was also burnt grey indicating a reducing atmosphere while the bricks which were bright red are indicative of an oxygen rich atmosphere.
The burning on the walls were always a problem and now I think we have some idea of why; the southwest corner of Building 1 was burnt twice, and in the same place. The first burning was either prior to the first plastering or afterwards, the plaster was removed and new plaster applied. The former seems more likely as in the second burning, they left the burnt plaster on and simply put fresh plaster over it. If this is correct it suggests an interesting reversal or rather counterpoint to the idea of burning to close a building - here it in fact demonstrates burning as an act to both open and close a building. If it were not for the fact that the burning focuses on the same place in the house this may be explained by other means but such repitition, reiteration of an act in the same place must be significant. Anyhow, returning to the posts at the end of the platform walls, the northern post was much clearer in construction and sequence and may even have had the original posts, rotted in situ. No finds but a few small bones and some charcoal occurred in the fills [2153] and [2155] which appear to be two phases of posts. On this side, the plaster around the post was much clearer too [2154]. These posts are primary features of the platform which were later removed and replaced by low plinths [2137]/[2144] (southern) and [2138]/[2143] (northern) . Almost all the walls have been drawn now except part of F.5 near platform F.13 and the east face of F.3. On thursday, the conservators Cassie and Frank removed a section of painted plaster from F.3 after consolidating it the day before; the process involved cutting away from behind which Roddy came up to help me with after 3pm, leaving a thin backing of mudbrick onto the plaster; then we cut down the sides and base using a variety of tools - trowels, knife and saw, and using two boards (one in front and one behind) we slowly tilted the free block down to the horizontal. Unfortunately it did crack along the brick/mortar lines but we kept it together and Cassie finished paring it down and consolidated the reverse side before leaving the next day.
At the same time, Elizabeth took some core samples from our walls for moisture tests. Further work on the access between spaces 70 and 71 has revealed a slightly more complex picture - it now appears as if there were two openings between the two room originally, a small one less than 0.5m wide close to the south wall and a larger one c.1m wide just to the north; it is the latter which was probably the access while the smaller one may have just been some kind of 'serving hatch' or 'window'. Anyhow, the small one had almost total plaster preservation on its surface [2139] , sealed by the blocking bricks [2128] while the larger one had only the faintest traces preserved on the eastern edge which may relate to greater wear or truncation during the blocking. It is difficult to be sure when this blocking took place but probably some time in phase 2.
All the burials are out now except those under platform F.13; Naomi and my articulated burials in platfrom F.37 were the last and now Chad is on his own, poor chap. Charlotte and Ali went away for the weekend so we've been down to just three for the past few days but Ali returned yesterday and Charlotte this evening; tomorrow I think we can begin taking down some of the ashy fill in the building. The only news is there are more bones in Chad's burials and work on deconstructing the platform F.13 is revealing an interesting sequence of remodelling - though more on that later.Entered By: Gavin Lucas |
