Unit 30039

Category: Layer    dug in 2017

Area: North 

Interpretive Categories: burial fill 

Data Category Information: Location: cut; Description: burial; Deposition: homogeneous

Discussion: Bone rich layer at base of burial F7961. Feature was not fully excavated during 2015 season, whilst removing remnants of fill 22675 a gradual interfcace was encountered that though not denoted by a marked change in compaction or consistency was notable for the frequency of large fragments of human bone. Further excavation of this deposit did lead to a notable change in colouration and texture to a firm light white grey silt clay seen to be running under south wall of cut 22679 into burial feature 7963.

Comparison with the material that constitutes the walls of burial F7962 to the north showed that this material was comprised of midden-like deposits. The lack of layering within a similar deposit against the sides of cut 22679 suggests that cut 22679 was not fully excavated and that 30039 actually represents the backfill of an earlier cut: 30041.

Though some diagreement surrounds this context later excavation of the surfaces of Platform 7952 showed that 30041 was indeed an earlier burial cut. THY considered 30041 to be an under-dug fragment of 22681 (the burial cut of F.7963) and excavated 30039 accordingly. As a consequence x-finds etc were assigned to the fill of 22681: 22676.

samples taken from portion of deposit tht presented within 22679 the cut for F7961.

Excavated by THY until extensive skeletal remains were encountered when BJB took over the excaation of these remains and the surrounding context 30039. Howeve, due to the interprettion of the cuts by THY BJB was not made aware of the context number.

2017: At the beginning of the season a few diarticulated remains were visible but as the work progressed it turned out that there was a considerable amount of secondary disarticulaed skeletal remains within this feature (and fill). Composition and texture of the fill were redeposited midden deposits (since the burial was cut into the midden layers) filled with animal bones, obsidian debitage and other material. This burial had a number of separate inhumations but cuts or truncations could not be determined visually, partly due to animal burrowing that was extensive. What could be determined is that with the primary inhumation sk23126 was a number of placed artefacts - obsidian mirror, beads, pigment, wooden bowl (?) and a large pottery fragment placed underneath the cranium. It was remarkable to see how the burials within building 129 on the eastern platform F3630 reflect the continuation of this practice - apart from features being in the almost exact position within the building - artefacts placed also contained obsidian mirrors and other things. 

Consistency: soft 

Colour: mid black brown 

Texture: sand clay silt. 10 15 75 

Bedding: massive 

Inclusions: occasional small flecks of charcoal 

Post-depositional Features: heavily disturbed by animal burrows 

Basal Boundary: Anthropogenic. Abrupt. Distinct. Smooth 

Unit Stratigraphy (as recorded in the field): above: (Click to view the record) 22679 below: (Click to view the record) 22675 

Dry sieve volume: 0 

Total Deposit Volume: 203 

Number of Samples recorded by excavator: 17

Number of X-Finds recorded by excavator: 19

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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