Corinth Basket Nezi Field, context 321

Collection:		Corinth
Type:		Basket
Name:		Nezi Field, context 321
Area:		Nezi Field
Context Type:		Fill
Title:		cobble-rich fill
Category:		Deposit
Notebook:		1101
Context:		321
Page:		0
Date:		2008/05/22
Stratum:		subangular boulders, cobbles of mixed shapes and sizes, tile 80%
Description:		Top slope of the context is level. The soil color is dark reddish brown. The soil compaction is firm. The soil is poorly sorted. It is sandy silt.
Notes:		We open 321 to remove a context rich boulders and tile. This deposit was prtially dug as context 287 by JL and MS, but they suspended excavation left this northernmost extent because they realized they were digging out of sequence. Now, however, we think we have exposed the full extent of this context to the N and removed the surroudning earlier fills (318 and 321). As Panos digs, 4-5 large boulders are revealed and removed. Also, we extend the context further S along the W side of wall 316, as not all of this deposit was removed to the S during the excavation of context 287. 321 comes down on a hard red floor surface that covers the entire area of the context except in the northeast corner, where it is cut by a pit. This floor surface reaches wall 316 to the east and awall to the north. (This wall is barely visible on the surface and only really looks like a wall at the level of the floor. It does not have a number yet.) The floor surface also extends into the fill to the east and west. As Panos was defining the cut of this low pit near the eastern side of the context, he went into what should be the robbing trench of wall 316. We say 'should be' because there is a very clear line running north from the northeast preserved end of theat wall. However, there was no line on the western side. Since thie digging was moving into fill that was oustide the limits of 321, we stopped the excavation. The floor surface and the pit cut do continue into this fill, however. Our working theory for the moment is that 321 and its southern context 285 are destruction debris deposits perhaps from wall 316. This same material lies under 3 or 4 very large ashlars just to the W of 321. What we can't explain a tthis moment is what happened to the western edge of the robbing trench for wall 316. Perhaps the wall was robbed out, or fell over, only on the wester side not onto fill but ont the associated floor. If this is the case, then 321 is not the lastest material in this area and we dug it out of sequence. The lates material would be the fill covering the boudlers and tiles to the west. Since we saw noc ut in this fill for 321, that is 321 is not fill from a pit, the fill over and west of this material has to be some sort of erosional deposition (or windblown?) that covers it. This I the latest material in this area. Removal of 321 also revealed plaster on the north face of the large blcok at the south end. This plaster continues into the fill to the west. Note: The director of excavations has decided for practical purposes that we will not be digging in the area west of 321. Thus, even though this material appears to be later, it will be sectioned off and left in place.
Context Pottery:		Fineware. ww plain (700-1120), mug. 1 handle. ; Cooking ware. pitcher. 1 bodysherd. ; Fineware. pre medieval; Cooking ware. pedestal bowl, bowl. 1 rim. ; Coarseware. triangular rim amphora (1100-1260)2 rims. ; Coarseware. ww, kettle. 1 handle. ; Fineware. glaze painted IV, slipped (1220-1260)1 bodysherd. ; Cooking ware. basin. 1 rim. ; Fineware. light on dark II, slip painted (1160-1200), bowl. 1 rim. ; Fineware. slipped plain glazed (1100-1300), pitcher. 1 bodysherd. ; Fineware. light on dark IV, slip painted (1225-1260)1 bodysherd. ; Fineware. ww plastic (700-1120), dish. 1 rim. ; Cooking ware. basin. 3 bodysherds.
Pottery Summary:		5 frag(s) 0.04 kg. (0% saved) fineware.
		48 frag(s) 2.59 kg. (0% saved) coarseware.
		10 frag(s) 0.16 kg. (0% saved) cooking ware.
Context Artifacts:		iron strip curved slightly; horseshoe? L: 0.074 W: 0.020 Th: 0.007; glass colorless bs 1
Period:		Frankish (1210-1458 AD)
Chronology:		second half 13th century
Grid:		264.55-262.68E, 994.85-998.99N
XMin:		262.68
XMax:		264.55
YMin:		994.85
YMax:		998.99
Site:		Corinth
City:		Ancient Corinth
Country:		Greece
Masl:		86.75-87.3m.
References:		Report: Nezi Field 2008 by Joseph Lillywhite, Joel Rygorsky, Matthew Sears, Martin Wells (2008-04-07 to 2008-06-13)