| Entry: | Today SRW and I continued to remove concentrations of thick chalky fill from space 342. Having recorded a lens of an ashy grey material on the previous day (unit 18310) we were able to define this further. As a result we believed that unit 18310 represented quite a different depositional event from unit 18309 (being the chalky room fill). The removal of material from unit 18310 revealed that much of the ashy lens was of a limited depth (3-5 cm). However a darker section abutting the wall (F. 5057) along the eastern and northern sections was revealed with some evidence of disturbance. On the previous day the identification of a pot cluster with related finds of obsidian and bone aligned against buttress F. 5063 suggested interesting activity in this unit. The excavation of Unit 18310 revealed a number of what were later identified as ochre painted daub fragments which were recorded as two X finds. Closer excavation and cleaning assisted in the definition of what is believed to be a brick step in Unit 18310 including a possible layer of plaster or daub lining this installation.
In addition to the definition of Unit 18310 Unit 18309 was cleaned and samples were taken. Equally we outlined the step which is to be located against the western profile. Tomorrow we aim to begin the excavation of the material between Unit 18310 and the western step providing an opportunity to reach the natural level of Space 342. If indeed Unit 18310 includes a 'bench' installation (which i believe to be more likely than another buttress seeing a buttress is located in close proximity and is recorded as F. 5063) we can expect that the natural is close to the current level. This would imply that the walls and two buttresses have been truncated vertically by excavation or erosion. |
