17 LUGLIO 2018  

Area 3000

Nella porzione nord-occidentale del settore è iniziato lo scavo delle buche US – 3956 e US – 3958, allineate con US – 3951 e aventi le stesse dimensioni. In particolare US – 3956, posta ad ovest di US – 3958, sembra avere una forma ad imbuto, che va restringendosi mano a mano che ci avviciniamo al fondo. Più ad est è iniziata l’indagine di ciò che rimane di una fossa sepolcrale di XI secolo, il cui riempimento superficiale è stato in parte intercettato ed asportato da una tomba successiva appartenente alla stessa fase cimiteriale. Nella porzione meridionale si è proceduto con l’abbassamento generale del settore, con lo scopo di continuare ed approfondire le fasi di vita precedenti alla costruzione della chiesa di XI secolo.

Today on the South side of Section B we lowered the protruding areas around the graves a few centimeters with pickaxes, then with brushes and trowels we cleaned from West to East in order to view any potenial new features within the section. Then we began scraping the surface from South to North starting at the southern most wall of section B and revealed in the southwest corner two possible new contexts. Two potential new holes were found, due to a darker soil stain, they contained small cobbels within themToday in hole -3956 the bottom of the post hole was reached and pictures were taken. In hole -3958 was dug down was dug down about 50cm. In cut -3960 a bone fragment was found in the fill believing it to be part of either a radius or an ulna. They then dug down 4cm, then extracted the bone finding no more skeletal remains yet within the fill. 

Area 5000

Today, we continued to explore the features we identified during the session yesterday. As the small hole located near the furnace bell was dug out shortly into the morning, one member of our team was relocated to start investigating the possible structure that predates the 12th century wall (to the East side of the trench). A small piece of pottery was found at this section. Two of us, working at the charcoal pit mentioned yesterday, proceeded to chip away at very dense and dry clay that was hardened by the bell casting, like terracotta, where we found a dot of a small fragment of oxidized bronze. Another two of us continued to work on the unfinished bottom of a previously found pit, during a former season. Upon further investigation of this feature, the discoloration indicatng the boundaries of the fill appeared to extend across a larger area than imagined. Due to the difficulty of working with the sedimentation and after discussion, it was agreed that further excavation on this feature is not required.

Area 6000

Today in area 6000 we finished removing the skull, vertebrae, ribs, and scapula of USK6218. There was a piece of slate under the skull indicating that his head may have been placed on it when the burial took place. When we removed the remains of USK6218, another set of remains that include lower limbs was discovered as a part of a separate burial.

We continued extracting fill 6235 to uncover the remains of the burial. We revealed more of the upper skeletal remains finding hand bones, vertebrae, a radius, an ulna, and part of a humerus. We discovered a potential separate fill, however more excavation needs to take place in order to determine if this is correct.

We started removing fill 6217 that appears to be surrounding two graves that have been previously excavated. Shards of pottery and slag were discovered.