Diario del 17 LUGLIO 2017

CAMPAGNA DI SCAVO 2017


GENERALE

Ieri sera, 16 luglio, anche lo scavo di Badia Pozzeveri ha partecipato all'evento "Le Notti dell'Archeologia", promosso dalla Regione Toscana. Il sito ha accolto oltre 100 partecipanti, guidandoli attraverso oltre mille anni di storia e mostrando loro i risultati della ricerca e le scoperte portate alla luce in sette anni di scavi.


Il dott. Francesco Coschino (UNIPI), introduce lo scavo ai partecipanti

AREA 2000

Today in area 2000 we fully excavated, bagged and tagged burials USK2820, USK2817, and USK2823. Pictures were taken of each burial and GIS points were recorded and filled out on the appropriate contact sheets. We then pick axed the area to the West about 2 inches down through the top layer. Next we deep troweled the area and discovered two large pieces of slate about two feet long and one feet wide. Tomorrow we will continue troweling the area and looking for burial cuts.

AREA 3000

Nella porzione nord-occidentale continua lo scavo della fossa sepolcrale US – 3804, contenente i resti scheletrici di un individuo adulto mal preservato, orientato W-E e deposto supino. Lungo il margine sud-occidentale della trincea moderna US – 3386 prosegue la messa in luce di USK 3800, intercettato in parte da una buchetta semicircolare e dalla trincea stessa. Più ad est, lungo la fossa di spoliazione della facciata della canonica di XI secolo, è iniziata la rimozione del riempimento US 3831 della fossa sepolcrale US – 3830, orientata S-N.

Today we began excvation of a new north-south oriented trench, the fill of which is given the context number 3831 which, due to its position directly west of the original facade of the curch and its perfect alignment with a previously excavated grave in a similar position on the northeastern corner of the section, most likely contains at least one if not multiple burials, though thusfar during removal of the fill we have only found chalk, one pottery fragment, one disassociated bone fragment, and two aquatic faunal shell remnants. The fill is mostly composed of mixed yellow dirt and grey clay with small pebbles and rocks. We also cleaned the area adjacent to the east-west oriented grave near wall 3380, situated in the western part of sector B, to reveal a cut suspected to be a grave. This hypothesis was rejected as the cut did not intersect with the original grave as previously thought and was filled with rocks that were previously dated 19th century. A smaller circular cut near the original grave was excavated instead, forming a small pit intersecting with the grave. The original grave was then continued to be excavated. The lower limbs and pelvic area were completely revealed and the coxal bones appear to be articulated, suggestive of a constrained burial. The cranium in poor shape and will continue to be excavated. In the context of 3825, the skeleton on the northern border of the 12th century wall was almost completely exposed. The grave is much larger than originally thought, disproving the previously thought idea of it being juvinile remains. The skull has few visible features and three of the lower limbs have fractures (and large cracks) below the knee. There were only four tarpals found, suggesting that the grave may have been cut or that the skeleton's feet shifted to the side. The pelvis has yet to be exposed. 

AREA 5000

Today we cleaned the wall and put tarps down on the exposed wall dug the day before. We then spent the day pickaxing the top most layer on the new area, finding pottery sherds, and a piece of jewelery thought to have been part of a rosary. Later, we troweled, and brushed it off before taking some pictures. We pickaxed deeper and we found pottery sherds, nails and some animal bones. 

AREA 6000

All'interno della tomba a cassa litica USM 6194 (=USM 6183) è stato messo in luce un accumulo di ossa lunghe a ridosso del lato settentrionale della struttura (US 6196), verosimilmente segno di un'azione di manomissione della tomba stessa successivamente alla sua chiusura. Tale accumulo intercetta lo strato coprente la quasi totale superficie interna della tomba a cassa, US 6198, dal quale già nella giornata di oggi sono apparse le prime ossa tarsali in connessione, probabilmente legate alla sepoltura primaria deposta nella struttura. Sul lato occidentale del settore prosegue lo scavo della fossa US -6176 tramite rimozione del suo riempimento US 6169. A fine giornata le prime ossa in connessione (tibie, fibule, femori ed elementi carpali) sono emerse dallo strato, confermando il raggiungimento dell'individuo per il quale la fossa stessa è stata realizzata. La pulizia generale dello spazio presente tra la tomba a cassa USM 6194 ed il limite nord del settore (il margine della trincea US -6007), ha permesso di evidenziare una zona circoscritta dalla quale affiorano almeno quattro crani e diverse ossa apparentemente non selezionate. L'indagine dei prossimi giorni permetterà di capire quale fosse la natura di tale situazione e l'eventuale rapporto con sepolture o strutture adiacenti.

In section 6032 we worked to level the context in order to expose osseous elements throughout the stratum. We counted four crania in the north-west section of the context as well as several long bones and ribs. The soil was composed of light brown earth with flecks of yellow and white clay with small stones and brick fragments. Many of the osseous elements were severely degraded along the uppermost altitude of the context, presumably due to excavation activity prior to addressing this section. In section 6188, a radius, various phlanages, and other unidentifiable long bones were exposed, expected to be excavated tomorrow. Context 6199 was exposed beneath context 6169. Two tibias, a skull and the right humerus were documented. Section 6188 was photographed by the supervisor, to be used for photogrammetry.