Unit 23024

Category: Layer    dug in 2017

Area: North 

Interpretive Categories: compound layer 

Data Category Information: Location: building; Description: general; Material: mix (dark grey&white); Deposition: composite (floors/bedding/plaster/packing/occupation); Basal Spit: unpainted

Discussion: Compound layer that consists of plaster and makeup in the south - east part of entrance (sunken) area of space 500. This layer was in places patchy in terms that previous excavations (probably due to the specific nature of layers in this area - almost melted together because of the intense fire) partially over or under excavated layers above, but at the same time it was obvious that it is in phase with the makeup that was part of this compound unit. While removing this layer - in order to get this space to a single phase - a remnant of plaster layers visible along east face of the west sunken side of this area were taken as a micromorphological sample in order to determine the number of replasterings of this area.

It should be noted that between features F7953 (oven) and F7957 (hearth) this layer was more charred with higher quantity of ash and phytolith deposits. In terms of consistency and texture it is the same layer just exposed to prolongued hearth and oven use that resulted in charring of organic materials in this layer.

Removal of this layer exposed make-up layer with visible inclusions of plaster, mudbrick pieces, mortar and flecks of charcoal.

It should be additionally noted that south-eastern corner of B131 exibits signs of extremely high temperature burning, making some of the layers completely melted together and extremely hard - so it might not be wrong to consider this area the epicentre of the conflagration.

Looking at the building (even though at this point there is no concrete evidence left) it looks like the fire was set either after the removal of the roof or partiall collapse of the roof - because conflagration of the entire house demands a lot of oxygen which a roofed construction with a small opening on the top does not provide. 

Consistency: soft / friable 

Colour: mixed of light yellow and pink with dark gray 

Texture: silty clay 

Bedding: compound layered - plaster and makeup layers 

Inclusions: plant remains - mainly flecks of charcoal, small fragments of plaster and bricks 

Post-depositional Features: burning 

Basal Boundary: distinct, diffuse 

Unit Stratigraphy (as recorded in the field): above: (Click to view the record) 23048 below: (Click to view the record) 32337, 30096, 23001, 32367 equal to: (Click to view the record) 32389 

Dry sieve volume: 77 

Total Deposit Volume: 106 

Number of Samples recorded by excavator: 7

Number of X-Finds recorded by excavator: 1

Number of Related Diary Entries: 0

Settlement Phase:

Associated Mellaart Levels (from Space): Unassigned at present 

Associated Hodder Level (from Space): Unassigned at present 

Finds Room Information:

All material from site passes through the finds room for washing and separating before it is passed onto the various lab teams. The finds room keeps a basic inventory of what is found. A finds material type list is given here. Further analytical detail maybe provided by the Lab Team data below.

X Finds Material: nothing recorded  

Finds Material Stored: nothing recorded  

Lab Team Data

Please note the list below does not represent everything that might have been found in this Unit, but represents the datasets we have available on-line. Please contact us to obtain more information about this Unit.

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