.bk A15
.fl L827jlw1.j
.fd report on projects to clarify features in A15
.ei jlw
.ed L827
.rd L827
.ri jlw

k 3
dy on L825, gb, okk and jlw discussed the need to clarify functional relationships between certain features in A15.  Specifically, there is a small ledge on the western interior side of the well, f145, in k93 .  It is about 50 cm below the surface of the surrounding architecture, which coincides with the well top.  Nearby, in A13, there is a drain that runs N-S, but appears to turn to the east at a point west of the well.  The issue is whether there is a relationship between the two and if so, what is the direction of flow of the water. Did it flow from the well, through the drain, to the flagstone pavement to the north? Or, did it flow from the pavement to the south and out of the building? To this end, on L827, jlw cleaned the platform of the well. There was no obvious water channel exiting to the west.  It was his opinion that the ledge may not be purpose-built, but may mark the Phase 2 level of the pavement in that section. The stones below seem larger and the shaft is more vertical below the ledge. The ledge may simply have been a weak spot in the extension of the lining upward to the new floor level to keep the well operational. We will measure the slope of the drain tomorrow to determine the direction of the water flow. Since Phase 3 architecture has covered the south end of the drainage system, we will have to remove it in a future season to be certain of what was built in Phase 2.

k 14
dy two rectangular pits were dug into the accumulation in k14. It was once thought that they were verigation chambers to mix clay for the Phase 5 pit kilns nearby, which are approximately at the same elevation. The ceramic manufacturing specialist, yt believed that they may have been places where ash from the kiln operations was dumped.  The alkaline from the ashes would combine with fine loess particles to form a hard, dense, fine-grained accumulation. To test this hypothesis, we carefully scraped the top of the SW corner of k14 to determine how far to the east this material, seen in the east face of the east baulk of k4, extends. Careful cleaning revealed that althgh the block is about 2m high it is less than 50cm in width. To the north is a much softer, redder accumulation. The block of material resembles the pise cement used in foundations for Phase 5 architecture in A9.  It now is likely that this combination of features is the NW corner of a room enclosed with pise walls.  The walls have been assigned feature numbers f