Unit 32040

Category: Layer    dug in 2016

Area: North 

Interpretive Categories: infill burial 

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

Discussion: Infill U.32040 sealed irregular oval cut U.32039. They together had been recorded as a burial pit F.7739 which was situated in central part of E-platform (F.7734) within Sp.531. The infill constituted compact sandy-silt sediments consist of diverse materials including: fragments of backed clay superstructure, pieces of white plaster and relatively huge amount of charcoals (e.g. wood, seeds). Partial exposition of top surface of the presented deposit (U.32040) occurred already after exploration of plastered floors (32042) that represented last white-coating episodes of the platform (F.7734). However, the whole extents of the infill (in the plan) and outline of the cut had been identified after exploration of overlying irregular dirty activity surface (U.32038). Worth noticing is that the complex sediments of the infill did not formed a (commonly evidenced) concave appearance, but conversely they protruded 0,5cm above surrounded white plaster layer especially in NE part of the deposit. The latter fact as well as the small number of the layers that coated the burial pit, amplify a supposition that the inhumation (F.7739) must have been undertaken at the final stage of the occupation B.132.
Complex nature of the sediments recorded within the burial cut (U.32039) might be explained by revealing around the edge of the cut of a rubble of fire installation placed between upper floor plasters which may imply the wide spectrum of different type of materials (oven structure and charcoals) came from a demolished fire installation that functioned at some point within the platform (F.7734).
The described above infill had been deliberately placed within the cut (U.32039) after setting there human body (Skeleton: 32045). However, on the bottom of previously executed bell-shaped hole there had been additional act undertaken which preceded the actual inhumation. A white residue which was recorded as continuous thin (up to 2mm) layer coating lower edge of the cut allows to imply that there was an organic material put within burial. Closer on-field examination of the residue gave an impression of hide-like structure of the coating, rather than mineral one (e.g. lime or marl). In addition, there were patches of red pigment (painting) evidenced on the surface of the white layer. They were especially perceptible in Northern part of the pit. Worth noticing is that the skeleton (U.32040) was situated toward the most Southern part of the burial pit within the distinct undercut, and the bones were covered also by the white residue and red pigment. In particular, the pigment was noticeable on the cranium, lower limbs, as well as on the pelvis. In order to facilitate further analyzes of the white residue and the pigment several samples had been collected all over the pit and they were assigned under the infill unit number 32040. They represent particular type and locales as follows: S3 – white residue from the NE edge of cut; S4 – red pigment from the edge of cut; S5 – white residue from the surface of bones (pelvis); S6 – red pigment with adjacent white coating from the surface of pelvis; S7 – White residue from NW edge of the cut; S8 – red pigment above cranium; S9 – white residue above the knees; S10 – red pigment from the surface of lower limbs; S11 – red pigment within pelvis; S12 – soil from the bottom part of the burial; S13 - soil from the bottom part of the burial associated with skeleton; S14 – red pigment with white residue that covered cranium; S15 – red pigment from the bottom part of the burial cut; S.16- flotation sample of white residue coating the base of the cut.
In addition, there were 2 finds recorded, that apart from the others had close relationship with the skeleton (32045). The latter circumstances allowed to enumerated them under separate X-finds numbers. Respectively, X1 refers to a disc-clay object, and X2 represents obsidian piece that cannot be regarded as a tool, but maybe it is an obsidian (micro)core. Both of them were revealed under the skeleton in its central part (between chest and pelvis). The context of the discovery of two others finds also was intriguing which resulted in extracting them individually from the flotation sample and record as hand-picked material. One of the mentioned finds constituted an animal bone, and the other one was an intermediate hand phalanges that belonged to an adult individual. Intriguing is that both of the pieces of bones were evidenced within pelvis part of the juvenile (32045) that was buried within the burial (F.7739). 

Consistency: firm at the top, firm-frable in lower part of the deposit 

Colour: multicoloured: dark-grey, mid-brown, mid-orange, occasionally white 

Texture: sandy-silt, clay 

Bedding: compound 

Inclusions: backed fragments of fire-instalation's superstructure (rim?) - 8%. Wide spectrum of Charcoals - 5%. Pieces of white plaster 5%. 

Post-depositional Features:  

Basal Boundary: distinct 

Unit Stratigraphy (as recorded in the field): above: (Click to view the record) 32039 below: (Click to view the record) 32038 

Total Deposit Volume: 113 

Number of Samples recorded by excavator: 16

Number of X-Finds recorded by excavator: 2

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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