| Entry: | After a busy start to the excavation season things are starting to settle into a routine again. We have been on site for a couple of weeks now and I have been focusing on removing the last few deposits associated with external space 334 and then beginning to excavate the underlying burnt Building 79.
External space 334 was clearly different from many of the midden areas on the site, and appears to have been the focus for a range of activities. The deposits in this area (17333), (17366) and (17377) consisted of heavily laminated compact trample deposits of ash and silty clay. As well as an external oven F.5018 there were a series of fire pits and burnt scoops [17351], [17363], [17354], [17358] and [17360]. The function of many of these features is not clear, however the external area was probably being used for some kind of cooking / food preparation.
The underlying Building 79, Space 134, is defined by western wall F.5013 and northern wall F.5012, the building extends beyond the limits of excavation to the south and east. The building is heavily burnt and contains a large quantity of burnt mudbrick and plaster, which originate from the collapsed walls, internal features and possibly material collapsing from a second story.
The burnt fill of the building was cut by a sub circular pit [17379] that extends beyond the limit of excavation to the south and east. The function of this was unclear and it may be associated with the pos-abandonment robbing of burnt material or specific material from the building.
Deposits (17390) and (17399) were located along the northern and western walls and may represent the deliberate levelling of the building after its destruction by fire. Deposits (18508) and (18523) and highly burnt and contain baked mudbrick collapse, as well as friable, degraded baked mudbrick. The baked mudbrick are in at least two sizes, as well as more unusual shapes, such as bun shaped bricks. There are numerous pieces of moulded pise-like material in the burnt fill, many with impressions of wooden beams and wattle like forms on their reverse. Two engaged pillars at on the northern wall were capped by plastered capitals or pillar caps identical to some depicted in Mellaart’s reconstructions of the shrines in this area of the site. A crushed human cranium (18520) was found close to the eastern of these features, and it is tempting to see it originally placed on top of the engaged pillar.
The room fill was largely devoid of finds, with 1000 litres of dry sieving only producing a limited number of pieces of animal bone and stone. However there were several finds of interest. Firstly a stone (limestone?) figurine of a seated, bearded man was recovered from (18523) (x1). This unit also contained a very large grinding stone (x2) that must have originally been located on the roof of the building. The burnt fill contains a collapsed wall (18529), which is plastered on both faces. The original location of this wall is unclear, and it is possibly further excavation will show if this is part of the eastern wall of the building, and internal wall, or a wall from the second story of the building. |
