| Entry: | Unfortunately ... There were no any caches within the pits recorded along the vast leveling deposit/ packing U.32761 in Sp.531. We expected to find there amazing foundation-deposits that were set just before laying down the floors of the new-established main room of B.132. Alternatively, instead of revealing the obsidian blades hoarded for a special (votive?) intention it turned out that all of the pits (assigned as F.8332, F.8333, F. 8341, F.8342, F.8343/8335,F. 8344) were empty. Furthermore, the in-fills (U.32771, U.32773, U.23600, U.23602, U.23604/32778, 23606 respectively ) that sealed the cuts might be termed as absolutely sterile concerning the lack of finds or noticeable inclusions. Once more, the expectations had to meet the reality, and as such it must be accepted as it is.
However, the results of the excavation of the small pits interestingly shed a light on the wide spectrum of possible activities that were undertaken within the leveled surface, which was performed just before dwelling the space. The considered phase undoubtedly is related with thorough remodeling aiming to prepare the room to be re-settled. From that point of view the two pits F.8345 and F.8346 must be regarded as the foundation-burials, that were performed in the Northern part of the building.
On the other hand, comparable characteristics of all of the others shallow incisions located in the south and central part of the area remain interesting issue to be discussed at least in the diary. There are several reasons for that. But to put everything in proper order I must emphasize the notion concerning that the lack of the data (represented for instance by the emptiness of the pits) should be conceived also as valuable information. From the presented perspective the analogy of the sterile in-fills might be interpret only in terms of the secondary activities that aimed to seal the depressions and make-even the surface before setting the floors. In that light, far more important is underlying forms and position of the revealed cuts and the roles they might have played in the past. Developing the perception worth noticing is that all of the incisions (U.32772, U.32774, U.23601,U. 23603, U.23605/32779, U.23607 respectively) shared the resemblances in shallowness and regular circular or oval shapes. Taking into consideration especially the small depth of the each cut and regularity, one can assume that they were related with placing vessels within the performed incisions providing their vertical position. As such the cuts might constitute negatives of an individual vessel-objects set within the packing deposit U.32761 during the remodeling phase. The assumption finds more evidences especially if one take into account close vicinity to the fire-installations (F.8340, F.8339, F.8338) that were used at the same time. Suffice is to say that their enigmatic and interim natures imply makeshift accomplishment for urgent cooking proceedings within scenery of the remodeled area. Underlined above the Southern location of the fire-installations and cuts leaves no doubt that they might have something to do with food processing. The hypothesis concerning the cuts as the negatives that were left as the vessel placement is based on their regular shapes. However, among the recorded cuts there were as circular (U.23603, 23605/32779), as oval (U. 32772, 32774, 23601, 23607) forms of the incisions. The latter type might be regarded as an odd one, especially taking into consideration pottery vessel whose base should be rather circular/round. But worth recalling are the wooden vessels referred extensively by J. Mellaart (1967) in his book (‘A Neolithic town...’) where he stated that ‘oval bowls were very common (...), they varied in shape and depth, some of them were like sauce boats, others boat–shaped.’ (Mellart 1967: pp.194-195, plate 106-108; pp. 215).
In general, the presented evidence of the shallow circular depressions set within the packing deposit preceded laying the floors, is not the one that had been recorded so far. The other example might be presented here as the features recorded below the B.77. The revealed there pits F.7602, F.7600, F.7601 were recognized again in close vicinity to the fire-spot U.22092 in the Southern part of the vast area sealed by the make-up U.22080, below the floors of the mentioned building. Whatever the interpretation can be made about the cuts their presence imply wide spectrum of the activities that took place within the scenery of the remodeling or construction phase of the building before it had been (re-) settled. |
