.bk A12 .fl k627jl.j .fd journal entries, log entries .ei jl .ed k627 .rd k626 .ri jl f 302 24 st k626 jl 303 27 is 304 26 a 305 26 a 306 26 a 307 26 a f 303 ds curved vault at baulk in a22, see w22 f 304 ds red ^a in a22 baulk, see w22, v91 f 305 ds ashy ^a in a22 baulk, see w22, v91 f 306 ds red ^a under ashy ^a in a22 baulk, see w22, v91 f 307 ds ashy ^a under red ^a in a22 baulk, see w22, v91 k 23 Part of k21 west of blocking stone of doorway; also, area outside of corridor to north and south of blocking stone itself 24 Part of k21 within corridor, east of blocking stone 25 Test trench excavated in season 12 at west side of k22 26 square area of k22 east of test trench and west of circular area 27 Circular area in east of k22 a 31 21 is k23,k24 entrance to a22 apsidal structure 32 22 uk k21,k22 / a22,a31 a22 apsidal structure and a31 entryway taken as a whole .rd k627 33 27 uk k27 circular area within apsidal structure q 570 p 273 25 wk small ledges within trench k25; too deep to get elevations, down 30cm .rd K625 -dy backfill removal continued today. The workers finished the process of removing the backfill and some began cleaning the square; the rest began backfill removal in k13. Also, three workmen (Diadin, Laurence, and Ridah) and I took the relays for two marker points on the south baulk within the apsidal structure a22, sin bp cannot see within it to survey them in. Tomorrow, gb, mkb, lr, okk, ed, and I will meet at A12 at 5AM to discuss the excavation plans and hopefully begin excavating. -sg Since bp cannot see into the apsidal structure a22 from any of her fixed surveying points and therefore cannot survey in any marker points, she, gb, and I discussed a new fixed survey point from which she would be able to see down into a32. We agreed upon the spur of unexcavated land north of k21, from which it is possible to see the south baulk and the ground within a32. In the meantime, I placed two wooden stakes in the south baulk of a32 and surveyed them in with relays. .rd K626 f 302 ds This is a large stone on the east edge of k24/a31. It blocked the east end of the corridor entrance to the a22 apsidal structure. The stone was excavated in season 12, but as it jutted out over the trench k25, over the winter it pulled away from its anchoring dirt in k24 and was threatening to fall into k25. Therefore, gb and I agreed that it should be removed as soon as it had been photographed. Due to its strange location, in the corridor, over a meter of accumulation, gb belived that it was probably not originally placed in the corridor a31 as a blocking stone, but fell in later. a 31 ds This aggregate contains the whole entrance to the apsidal structure (old k21, new k23 and k24), f302, f283, f286, f281, f239, and f282, as well as any features yet to be discovered within k23 and k24. a 32 ds This aggregate is a combination of a22 and a31, so that we can refer to the apsidal structure as a whole, including its entryway, by one title, embracing k23, k24, k25, k26, and k27 (old k21 and k22). .rd K627 a 33 ds At gb's request, I have made the circular area, k27, into an aggregate of its own. Although its function is still unknown, it is clearly distinct from the accumulation adjacent to it, and probably deserves its own aggregate number. .rd K626 -dy gb and mkb met us at A12 this morning to discuss our excavation plans. lr had completed the final plots of last season's excavations in a32, and I had plotted in the relay markers, m5018 and m5019, which I had placed. gb and mkb expressed their opinion that a32 was possibly an Indo-European burial, with the unusual nature of a33 being explained by the wooden dome/awning which would have covered the burial and the grave goods and had eventually collapsed. We also clearly observed for the first time f303, the seeming vault evidenced in the baulk. In k24, a blocking stone f302 was in danger of falling into the trench k25, so we decided to photograph it and remove it. Finally, as the workmen had begun carrying dirt through the proposed path of bp's surveying point, we decided to move it to the south-west of the area, from which see could see the ground and the north baulk of a32. -sg gb wanted to better see the stratigraphy in the south baulk of a22 and in the trench k25, so we decided to further clean both areas and photograph them in the next morning's light before continuing. Also, as the plots of last season were somewhat incomplete, I resolved to take some more relays of a32 before proceeding. .rd K627 -dy This morning, gb taught lr how to draw a section, and okk photographed the south baulk of a22 (v91). gb also investigated the trench k25 slightly, and discovered that the large stone in the east side of the trench did not continue into the baulk, but was oddly stood up vertically over a thick layer of accumulation. It was decided to remove the two small ledges of earth on the east and west baulks in preparation for the picture and let the trench dry (it was still very wet), so that the stratigraphy could be observed. Therefore, lr drew the section of the south baulk of a22, I took more relays, and at gb's instructions, the workmen levelled off the high baulk tops south of a32, so that falling stones would not injure anyone. .ri gb f 303 df is ds vault - there is a marked curving both longitudinally and inward (see v91a-c) with what appears to be vertical bricks, with plaster or mortar faces. This curve matches the curve visible in the plan, hence the very tentative use of the definition as "vault." There are a few parallel layers (2 are visible, possibly as many as 4). There is also a suggestion of a curve on the top of the baulk, which matches the vaulted effect of the curves on the section (and ground floor). L1 As proposed, the "vault" would have no structural stability (hence it could not be a vault). The layers are vertical and curving, as if coating something underneath, which however is not visible (unless it is the congealed f259). a 33 =l W3 ds equals ^rm W3 M1 a kiln? but no waster f 305 H2 banding on the west side of f303 is steeper than on the east, and it does not match the consistence or texture of f259. I can not match layers on the basis of a presumed picture resulting from settling. f 303 H2 okk suggests the term "mounding" which describes well what we see: as if the vault were a brick coating laid over a tumulus-like pile of ash/red soil. If so, f273, f259, and f258 would come first, then f303, then f306, f305, f304. The "vault" does seem to extend lower than f307.