Unit 4879
Category: layer dug in 1999
Area: South
Interpretive Categories: dump,midden
Data Category Information: Location: external; Deposition: finely bedded
Dimensions: 5.2m+ w-e, 3.0m+ n-s, avearage depth 0.15m
Discussion: General midden/dump layer covering whole area. Quite homogenous but becoming thinner to west and more mixed.
Recognition: beneath distinct deposit
Definition: limits of excavation / deep sounding
Execution: trowel / mattock
Condition: moist
Consistency: moderate
Colour: mixed, mainly light to mid greyish brown
Texture: silty clay
Bedding: compound layered
Inclusions: moderate small to large bone, moderate charcoal flecks, occasional obsidian / clay ball / burnt material frags. Contains ashy bands.
Post-depositional Features: deep sounding
Basal Boundary: faint, smooth, anthropogenic, flattish
Unit Stratigraphy (as recorded in the field):
Dry sieve volume: 612.5
Total Deposit Volume: 796
Number of Samples recorded by excavator: 13
Number of Related Diary Entries: 0
Settlement Phase:
Associated Mellaart Levels (from Space):
Associated Hodder Level (from Space): Unassigned at present
| Buildings: none | |
Spaces: (Click to view the record)
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| Features:: none |
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 ArchaeoBots Sample Recorded: No Ceramic Records: No Clay Object Records: No Chipped Stone Records: No Conservation Recorded: No Faunal Records: Yes
Count of records:: 453
Unit description: A medium-large sized unit from midden deposit. Character of bone is typical of midden, with good surface condition (fairly fast deposition?), little burning (that which is is charred and some calicined), a fair amount of digestion (these put with scrap) and some gnawing. This may suggest that material has various derivations (from burning) and that while it was fairly rapidly accumulating, dogs had access to the material before it got buried. Several Bos carpals must have been in articulation, suggesting minimal postdepositional movement. Both 07 size and 03 animals represented. All body parts represented: forelimb, hindlimb, feet and skull/teeth/horncores. There are lots of long bone shaft fragments, indicating a high degree of bone fragmentation, probably from marrow and grease production. Also, a couple of Bos phalanges are longitudinally split - even toes were processed for marrow/grease. Also some 02 sized frags. Taxa appear to be mainly sheep/goat and cattle. Interestingly, there is no equid material. There are a couple of pieces of boar/pig (a scapula and very worn tooth). Also, a possible cervid humerus (questionable, since such a small fragment). There is a dog mandible, but unusually, also a couple of small carnivore jaws (one cat, and one fox?). Also a pelvis from flot sample 5 which is probably bear (needs checking). **The cat jaw is left side and joins with right hand from unit 4878. Five flot samples (sample numbers 4, 5, 6, 7, 9) have had only diagnostics recorded. Flot sample 5 in particular has a lot of digested bone. Some microfauna removed from here. Some microfauna + fish removed from sample 7. Fish, bird, amphibians from dry sieve removed (not recorded except bird) The dry sieve sample has loads of unidentifiable fragments - and old breaks, meaning lots of crushing up small. (probably many = 03 size, but can't really tell). 4mm flotation sample #8, 100% sorted, was recorded at a later date. Relatively little of this material showed evidence of heating (c. 5%). The bone is dominated by fragments from sheep sizedlong bones and shows a high degree of processing. All identifiable bone, except a red deer phalanx, belonged to caprines. Sample #8 probably represents relatively heavily processed bone which does not show evidence of gnawing or digestion by carnivores. Last record = F 453Figurine Records: No Ground Stone Records: Yes
Count of records:: 3 Heavy Residue Records: No Microfaunal Records: No
Sorry not all of this data is available online at present, please contact us if you are particularly interested microfauna recordsPhytolith Sample: No
Sorry not all of this data is available online at present, please contact us if you are particularly interested phytolith samplesDownload this Units Data
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