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Space 87
(excavated in 2002 - eastern portion)
Re-tasked to the North Shelter on Tuesday, 10/7. Burcu assigned Francesca and me to Space 87, the eastern 1/3 of which had been previously excavated to its platform.
We were asked to remove a portion of the raised platform lip at the western extent of the unit in order to define its extent. We removed the thick, greasy white clay to show a core of sandy-loam brown infill. The prepared platform curved upwards (about 10 cm) and appears to have been applied directly to atop the infill and curved or angled back down into the west profile wall. This was apparantly a good thing to know.
Space 87
(new!) Unit 19475
The upper fill was a boneyard. Eight clusters of large mammal bone (likely aurach, pig and sheep) were mostly located in association with burned concentration near the center of the unit.
The infill consistency - processed - appears most to align with the fill of Room 5, not the adjacent Room 3 which is interpreted as Space 87's contemporary. (Ch 5,141; Cressford 2007). Amongst the bones were at least 3, possibly 4, horn cores. Two of these are likely aurach and these two were found in close proximity to the central burned feature (Unit 20403). This deposit was similar to that found in the SE corner of Room 3 as well as the closing event on the surface of Space 89. It shared traits of plaster lumps, brick fragments and dark, rich organic material, but lacked Room 3s fruits and nuts and focus on Scapulae -- although 19475 may have one scapula. Most onlookers and Francesca and I had little trouble interpreting this as a feasting deposit. It does appear unusual that so many horn cores were found. Feasting does appear to be associated with housing abandonment and rebuilding, and includes wild bull consumption (Russell and Martin 2004), but it is rare to have horn cores in the assemblage. Reports from previous excavations put the number at fewer than 30%. If this is true, then four horn cores, even if from sheep or the smaller, female aurach, might be considered unusual, particularly since adult male aurachs account for most feasting episodes (Twiss and Russell 2010). The bones that we've tenatively identified (radius, ulna, scapula, carpal, vertebrae, ribs) are all meat-heavy and bar-b-que friendly.
The puzzlement, at least for me, at the moment is clearly defining the margins of the burned concentration. There are upturned brick fragments that might have loosly delineated a boundary of sorts, but their fragmentation, the work of several rodents and the nature of the smeared feature makes this uncertain. It may just be a mix of burned brick, charcoal and ash that was placed into an informal, or natural depression within the infill. The bones continue down - with articulated vertebrae atop some particularly crispy long bones near the bottom. One wonders if these were the choicest bits of dinner, and were consumed and discarded first. |
