| Entry: | diary entry 7
Have been waiting for Richard to free up the next layer on the platfrom, which is sealed by some wall plaster adjoining the area he is working in (F1320). So yesterday I helped Roddy plan and remove a floor layer from the main floor (11407), and one which butted up to the hearth and rubbish pit area (11299). The floors were separate, but probably contemporary. The one covering the main floor was full of bone, lots of pot which is unusual for this building, and other bits and pieces of obsidian, one bead. The floor was very thick, and seemed to be composed of burnt material, but there was no layering or patterned changing of burning in the thickness, so maybe not burnt in situe?? It revealed a burnt patch in the middle of the floor, enough heat to scorch the earth badly, but fairly localised - no defined edge - looks very much like the remains of a camp fire, maybe a builders fire for use while the house was being built?
Layer thar came away from the oven and rubbish pit freed up the bottom fill of the rubbish pit, so next I removed that (11401). Looked very much like the layers I had removed from above - came down onto a very similar looking surface to the floors - evidence that we are reaching the bottom of the house.
Today I removed 2 layers (11423, 11414) and a plaster face (11417) from the North platform (F.1332), exposing a layer sealed by the possible oven in F.1321. Finally I removed the top layer of 'construction' material (11426) from the SE platform F.1312, relatively thick and also full of finds. Around the ladder entrance way the consistency of the layer changed, exactly as all the others above it, to become more compact, harder, and more brittle. Still a certain level of confusion around where the rubbish pit, the ladder base, and the platform meet but now it makes more sense, and skims and layers are clearly visible. They confirm what has already been said, lots of repairs and trampling - but it gives me more confidence to say that the way the layers above were handled was correct.
Still some confusion with the south and east walls, it is still possible there is an undiscovered niche or side room to the east. I dug out a bit more of the sondage, and there is some possible blocking appearing - efforts to determine exactly what is going on are hampered/blocked by the presence of other archaeology lying over the walls to this house, and the possible side roomEntered By: Alex Pryor |
