| Entry: | Ok... Ok... so I haven’t been keeping up with my diary, but I did qualify as a diver on the west coast and got see a full eclipse up north. So why the lack of entries to Dear Diary?, its because we’ve been working on site every evening and I’m a shagged, but there is lots to tell.
The oven FI 546 in the south of the building has been excavated. Very nicely constructed with the remains of shelving on the top of it. It is the latest feature in the room and has only two associated contexts, oven rakeout 5145 (overlying surface 5073) and 5161 which abuts the oven and overlies platform F558. The oven was built abutting the platform. Lifting 5161 revealed a grave cut into the platform. (F.563, cut 5167 skeleton 5169).This was duly excavated revealing the skeleton of an adult.
Quote bone specialist, ‘ Crouched adult burial in a fairly small cut on the southern platform of building 17. There are twelve unfinished bone beads between the arms. It may be the individuals work and put in a bag then placed in a grave. There is also a flat clay ball on the right foot’
So another skelly bites the dust.
What else happened. Oh yes. Myself and Duncan excavated a series of overlying hearths in the SE corner of the building. From latest to earliest excavated..... F.538...F541....and ...F542. Below this and a different building phase is hearth feature F545. Too many floors and surfaces to go into at the moment. Two points of interest......all the hearths were located directly over each other with their own rakeouts and associated floors. The second is that within the destruction phase of the earliest unexcavated hearth F545 (context 5043) was found a figurine. This has caused some excitement as it has a secure context, it is comparatively large to the other clay figurines found and it is thought to symbolise an owl due to the piercings in the ear. Direct evidence of the owl deity associated with Early Neolithic beliefs (in my opinion).We also found the head to an identical figurine when lifting a scapula tool from a later context directly above 5043. This too is thought to derive from 5043. (More evidence of the importance of owls.......mothergoddess t-wit t-who?)
While I was boating and diving in the Med. Duncan excavated the bins and associated ovens... Hooray, see the man in question for details. Suffice to say he did a marvellous job and it fits in the matrix and phasing beautifully.
5073, 5021 and 5020 are all contemporary floor surfaces and have been lifted long ago. 5073 was built on a ridge or step which divided the east of the room from the west of the room. The deposits below 5073 contain truncated floors which once probably spread across the room and all abut platform F558.
Lifting the oven F546 in the SW corner revealed two basins of which their actual original height was protected by infill. These were standing in conjunction with the platform and many other floor surfaces which continue to abut these features.
At the moment we are excavating ovens in the north-east of the room, at least 4 so far and perhaps two of them are contemporary as a double oven... side by side. All have been phased and we are excavating the room back to a single phase using a floor layer which appears to join the south north and west of the room, which in turn overlies a central white make-up layer. I would like to continue excavating the room phase by phase as this increases understanding of how the room developed and lessens the chances of confusing features.
Lucy is excavating a infant burial near the west wall. It is contained within a basket and has an intricate bone pendant associated with it. See Lucy for details.
All the infill from the north and east walls, and the NE section of the west wall has been removed. As removal occurred the conservation team moved in to secure the plaster phasing. Wall features include a basin half way up the corner of the north and west wall. A smaller one beneath it, and at the north end of the west wall....suprise, suprise a crawl hole connecting Space 170 to Space 173 (continues the continuity of the construction don’t you know!) Small amounts of red and black wall painting have been found on these walls but nothing substantial.
Ok so that is the basic run down.... minus the various contexts which make up these features. Work is hard, complicated and furious although Anwen has just joined us to help things along, as the deep sounding is nearing completion. Loads more floors and features to dig and time is running out…..so see you when I get time.
The Chuckster.Entered By: Charlie Newman |
