| Entry: | 07/08/2010
Dear diary, … no self-reflexive ranting to do today.:)
Started excavating U.15158, an arbitrary unit to the East of space 340. The initial objective was to clarify the limits of buttress F.5052, as we had identified two plaster lines which seemed to delineate its SE corner. That corner had been disturbed by the excavation of late grave F.5060, 2 years ago. However, after some scraping, the plaster lines multiplied to reveal a web of mortar lines around mudbricks. My perspective was distorted due to the diagonal and step-like section across the buttress. I proceeded to make the section rectilinear and vertical as much as possible, cutting through some bricks in the corner.
Then, to clarify the relationship between buttress F.5052, and its surrounding area, I scraped the bottom surface around the buttress, expanding U.15158 over some of the area of F.5060. That area had been trampled on and drying for 2 years, so I took off about 5cm to reach a level of reliable visibility. The outlines which emerged suggest about 40cm of roomfill, followed by another buttress, to the East, running parallel to F.5052 and some confusing mudbricks with mortar on the South side. For the moment these plaster and mortar lines continue to the South, towards space 341. They will be followed tomorrow.
Today's work was a continuation of Thursday's, when XFB and I exposed and levelled the NE corner of the trench, removing U.15138. That revealed a step-like sequence of plaster lines, running in cardinal directions from the SW to the NE. The pattern emerging is quite exciting, not yet intelligible in terms of spaces, but getting there. It's like a map being drawn out of the ground, or a photograph being developed under the spray of the pompa/schpritz/gloria. Finding all these plasterlines has helped us get into a nice rhythm. My eyes are becoming accustomed to the colours and my hands – to the textures of roomfill and mudbrick.
A good thing to anticipate (beyond the chocolate fondue at the end of this diary entry) is that XFB's unit will link to mine tomorrow, mine will get closer to EMM's and that should be a good moment, shedding light over a wider area at the same depth. |
