.bk A15
.fl L826okk1.j
.fd field journal
.ed L901
.ei okk
.rd L826
.ri okk

-mt Notes on collection of pottery and samples; particularly for features 41, 103, 167. In all cases of stratified material we directed the workmen to collect all pottery and samples. The only cases where we did an initial sorting of pottery in the field were features from the gully or wadi wash, and in some cases topsoil. In these cases the manpower it would take to process such a large amount of sherds (in wadi wash, as much as 6-8 times the quantity of an accumulation feature) was weighed against the value of the information from such a study. In the case of wadi wash it is such an inherently mixed feature that the stratigraphic value of the information is quite small. Still, we know the quantity of body sherds and have kept diagnostics: rim sherds, bases, handles, spouts or other applied parts, and incised or painted wares. Regarding the collection of samples, particularly kiln waste, we collected small quantities of kiln waste as q-items or lots, and to some degree the collection practice varied with context. If it appeared to be a feature which was not associated with any structures and the material was spread out homogeneously we kept a representative sample. In the case of the features 41, 103, 167 there was such large quantities of kiln waste and overfired brick pieces that we kept a representative sample of these from each feature, usually one full bag. All of these features were accumulations with no clear association with structures. Misfired sherds or "kiln wasters" would usually have gone into the pottery q-lots and then processed by the sherd yard. In a few cases where they were identified immediately we kept them as q-items. An item of note; there has been some confusion about what to call kiln waste, as it has been called alternatively slag or kiln waste. In addition, there was often no clear differentiation between "kiln waste" and "kiln waster". After the first week or two of excavation we determined that slag was incorrect as it refers specifically to the by-product of metal production, and is a mix of metal and surrounding components. To distinguish it, it is usually quite small pieces, is heavy and black or dark grey in color (yt). We have been calling kiln waste two different items which are both by-products of ceramic production; the first, green vitrified globules, and the second, dark grey-green chunks with air bubbles and calcium carbonate which look similar to basalt. The distinction between these two is that the green vitrified globules are usually light green in color and seem to be melted from over-fired ceramic sherds. This is based on a sherd that we found this season, which had large melted drops of this green material melting from the sherd. Also in the kilns this year there is a dark green vitrified material that is from the high temperature firing of the soil. The second material is the result of the earth around a kiln being fired and is usually dark grey in color. One of the verifications of this is the large pieces of calcium carbonate in this material which is found in large quantity in the local soil. In addition, yt identified some important items to collect, particularly any evidence of kiln wasters or misfired sherds and any evidence of the fuel used such as animal dung or bones which is sometimes fused in the kiln waste material.