Corinth Basket Nezi Field, context 1166

Collection:		Corinth
Type:		Basket
Name:		Nezi Field, context 1166
Area:		Nezi Field
Title:		Foundation trench N of Wall 851
Notebook:		1107
Context:		1166
Page:		0
Date:		2013/05/31
Stratum:		Filled by deposit 1164 & 1218
Description:		The context shape in plan is rectrangular. The top break of the cut is sharp. The sides of the cut are vertical. The break at the base of the cut is gradual. The base of the cut is tapered blunt point. Truncation: The cut has its original shape..
Notes:		As we were digging 1141, we came down on two distinct deposits in the southern area. The deposits seemed to be abutting each other along a straight line just north of wall 851. This depositional pattern indicated that the new deposit south of the abutting line was a foundation trench for Wall 851. Cutt 1166 is therefore the cut made to construct wall 851. This cut was made in a straight line E-W, cutting through contexts 1179, 1181, 1182, 1184, 1190, 1193, 1194, 1195, 1197, 1203, cookpot 1217, and possibly disturbed the stone posthole structure 1196. After cut 1166 was made, Wall 851 was constructed, then fill 1164 was thrown in and packed up against the N face of Wall 851. Since foundation trench 1166 cut through deposit 1179 for the construction of wall 851, it is stratigraphically above/later than this deposit and so the foundation trench fill 1164 was dug first so as to not contaminate these earlier deposits. After the removal of 1164, the shape of cut 1166 proved to be rectangular with a sharp break at the top, vertical walls, and tapered blunt base. The center of the cut area has a greater depth than the E and W sides. The bottom of the cut was reached when a darker red deposit (compared to 1164) was found with large tile and stone inclusions. It is unclear at this point whether these stones and tiles are part of an earlier fill or part of the construction of wall 851. Update 10/6/2013 After the removal of floor 1203, it became clear that this foundation trench extended further down. Excavation of the fill (1164) had stopped previously when the workmen encountered a layer of tiles, stone, and plaster, but it is now clear that this was also part of the wall's founation fill. We have this lower fill a new context number--1218--and dug until the bottom of the cut was reached. The cut was much deeper on the east side, and exposed a large ashlar blcok (36 x 12cm). This block was utilized (presumably) as the base course for wall 851 but was probably reused from an earlier level. It is coincidentally at the same approx. elevation as stone posthole feature 1196. The full depth of the eastern end of the cut was unable to be reached due to a number of large stones embedded in the foundations.
Grid:		276.91-275.02E, 1012.48-1012.81N
XMin:		275.02
XMax:		276.91
YMin:		1012.48
YMax:		1012.81
Site:		Corinth
City:		Ancient Corinth
Country:		Greece
Masl:		85.38-86.31m.