| Entry: | Peter Boyer 3rd May 1999
Its now six days since my last entry, and I have spent the intervening period working in Building 6, Space 163. Initially this involved the removal of floor make-up layers (4253, 4259) and a slumped floor deposit (4273) in an area clearly altered by activity in the 1960s. Whilst the floor make-up layer 4259 was pretty insubstantial, just overlying infill from a lower building on the eastern side of Space 163, layer 4253 which overlay it was quite extensive. Across much of its area it too overlay infill but at the south-western corner it lapped up against the core of a platform-like feature and in the south-central area of the space overlay a concentration of clay balls in a silty clay matrix. Such was the concentration of the clay balls that they were given a cluster number, 4291, whilst the matrix was given unit number 4290. Upon excavation of this deposit it was realized that it was the fill of a cut feature, cut into the infill of a lower building. The feature was thus half sectioned and recorded, given a feature number, F440, and the unit 4290 prioritized. It was also given a cut number, 4296. Excavation of the feature showed that towards the top of the fill the clay balls were mainly fragmentary, whilst at the base they were mainly complete. The feature, which was roughly circular with a diameter of c.0.8m and 0.22m deep appeared therefore to have been primarily used as a store for clay balls, possibly with later trample having reduced those at the top of the fill to fragments, whilst protecting those more deeply buried. Four clay ball fragments were sampled for clay ball residue analysis. There was no sign of burning in the fill of the feature and therefore no direct evidence of a relationship with ovens, even though the fill was apparently cut by the large oven, F416 to the south-east.
F440 also cut the platform, F428 to the south-west. This appears to have been just the remaining core of a more substantial platform, mostly excavated in the 1960s, and lying on the infill of a lower building. There were no plaster layers remaining, and the feature appeared to consist of structural debris such as fragments of bricks and mortar, and also quantities of burnt oven debris. Clearly the full implications of such a structure cannot be assessed without reference to the 1960s excavation records.
Tomorrow the remainder of F428 will be removed and removal of the backfill of the building below Building 6 will commence. Hopefully this will be the prelude to the complete and controlled excavation of a complete (depending on the extent of the stepping in) space without the handicap of having to work out the extent and nature of previous excavations.Entered By: Peter Boyer |
