| Entry: | 29th July. Off site ill still. Thought I was over it, but I’m not. I really want to get on with digging, get the plaster things out and get down to the floor. It’s very frustrating being stuck down here when I have so much to do. However, I have plenty to do in the lab too. Managed to catch up with some of the beads, which are so time-consuming for no return, as I don’t have any interest in them. I just record them so we know what we have, and for the future when someone comes to work on them (hopefully next year). Priority tour - for the first time ever I had lots of material, some from most deposits in North, and the only unit in Mellaart was one I’m digging, so I risked being away from the house for 1 ½ hours and went on the tour. Unit 3021 was the one with lots of clay beads (2 whole and 46 fragments) as well as pieces of a number of crude figurines. It comes from just outside the south wall of Building 1 at the W end, and gives the impression of having been gathered up after some kind of ritual or event (rites of passage? Feast? Game?) and tossed out of the window. I don’t feel qualified to deal with technical questions of degree of burning, intentional versus accidental firing etc, but have found out that Su is a potter as well as Sandra, and it might be worth trying to do some experimental work with unbaked, sun-baked, bonfired etc clay objects. While Rissa and Louise were sorting unit 3037 bone - another priority - they came across an animal figurine - a headless quadruped with two deep stab marks, one in each left leg. It was burnt, as was some of the bone, which was a peculiar assemblage possibly representing feasting. The burning could have resulted from the burning of Building 1, as this deposit is just outside the E end of the S wall, where the burning was quite intense. It’s tempting to think they stabbed their figurine as part of the hunt for the feast - well, that’s a Mellaart explanation. 3044 was outside the E end of Building 1, and had two unbaked figurines in very poor condition. The varied nature of the deposits containing sometimes very similar material raises a number of questions. Rissa and I did the video precis for the North units, which was harder than I expected and a learning experience. This evening we had our first lab tour for field staff to come and look at material - that was fun, I think it’s a really good idea. I wish I’d also had time to go round as a digger, instead of being at a desk as an analyst, but you can’t have everything, however much I try! It’s interesting explaining the material, partly because I have to think about it, and partly because questions are stimulating. Tomorrow I must be well.Entered By: Naomi Hamilton |
