Corinth Basket Nezi Field, context 346

Collection:		Corinth
Type:		Basket
Name:		Nezi Field, context 346
Area:		Nezi Field
Context Type:		Well or cistern head
Title:		Well or cistern head
		Well Head/Cistern continued from 2008
Category:		Structure
		Deposit
Notebook:		1101
		1106
Context:		346
Page:		0
Date:		2008/05/27
		2012/04/03
Lot:		Lot 2008-037
Stratum:		bone, ceramic, glass slag
		Bone, ceramic, glass slag.
Description:		Top slope of the context is level. It is sandy silt. Structure materials: large cobbles and tile. Material size: 0.24 x 0.23 to 0.15 x 0.14m. Material finish: unfinished. Material construction: random coursed. Material bonding: mudbrick.
		The soil color is mixed. It is sandy silt. Structure materials: Limestone, tile, and one stone that is possibly schist.. Material size: 52x42; 56x44; 49x27; 34x28; height excavated about 20cm.. Material finish: Unworked; Roughly hewn with smaller squared stones underneath.. Material construction: Uncoursed on top with regular courses under top layer.. Material bonding: Mud plaster..
Notes:		12/6/2008: 346 is a well or cistern head. It is partially truncated by pit cut 431. 346 may be related to stone-built drain 426, but it is difficult to know for certain at present. Cover slabs of 426 run almost up to the edge of 431, where they meet large stones. Thses stones may be the covering slabs of well/cistern head 346. Problematically, we cannot see any underlying drain emptying into 346 in the section created by the excavation of pit cut 431. As noted already, this structure is partially truncated in the S by pit 431. At what we think is the bottom of 431 (At least in the area of 346), we have a nearly complete semi-circle ring of stones. These curve around in the W and meet another semi-circle of stones in the scarp which was created by excavation of pit cut 431. Thus, the structure 346 was originally circular. The portion of this structure to the N (in the scarp) survives to a higher course than the portin in the S that was truncated by pit 431. We can see four corbelled courses in the scarp, whereas we have revealed only one partial course in the south. Abve these corbelled courses in the N scarp of pit 431, there are four boulders. These are either covering slabs of some sort, or are post-usage installations that closed off the well/cistern. During the excavation of 431 (contexts 336 & 338), some pottery was kept separate from context 338, because Panos dug into the far N scarp , and quickly realized that he might have been inside structure 346, rather than digging fill of pit 431. We saved this pottery as being associated w ith 346, rather 338. April 3, 2012 After cleaning the well head a darked line of soil emerged around the outer edge of the large stones and extends out about 10- 30 cm. We removed the large stones of the wellhead. The darker soil between the large stones is silty sand. The ring (possibly a foundation trench) is context 638. This was later determined to be part of the well wall and is the same context as the well. Small, round boulders (like the foundation ones of thew all) emerged as the large well head stones were removed. A thin layer of sandy silt, soft soil of a reddish brown color mottled with redder clayey material was below the large stones. Tasos thinks that the well cuts into the drain (426) because there is no hole in the well's wall. Preliminary measurements of the well's wall reads as 53 cm using the northern scarp of pit 431. One bucket of ceramics was removed from around the structure's stones. We continued by clearning off the surface of the well in order to expose the stones for drawing. These stones consisted of limestone, tile and one stone that is possibly schist. Animal bone and glass slag or kiln lining. Thanasis says that the mud was used as a bdining agent for the wall. Mixed soil of a redish brown sandy silt with inclusions of pinkish red which appear to be disintegrated mud binding agnet. A red soil emerged from between the stones as the dark soil was cleared from on top. The dark soil was found around the well's structure in between stones that were randomly lain along the outer edge for further support. The measurements of the large wellhead stones which were removed are listed as "dimensions" whereas the size of the well is listed as "size of materials". This is because what has turned out to tbe the well was originally thought to be a foundation trench for the wellhead. Excavation of this context was terminated after removing the wellhead / larger capstones and a a new context was opened on April 6, 2012 for the underlying courses making up the well construction proper as it is unclear if the larger stones were a later additiaon to close up the well access.
		After the well head was cleaned a darker line of soil emerged around the outer edge of the large stones (extends around about 10-30cm). We then removed the larger stones of the well head. The darker soil between the large stones of the well head is silty sand. The ring (possibly a foundation trench) is context #368- this was later determined to be part of the well wall and is the same context as the well. Small round boulders (like the foundation ones of the wall) emerged as the large well head stones were removed. A thin layer of sandy silt, soift soil of a reddish brown color mottled with redder clayey material was below the large stones. Tasos thinks that the well cuts into (truncates) the drain because there is no hole in the well's wall. Preliminary measurements of the well's wall reads as 53cm using the N scarp of pit 431. One bucket of cermaics was removed from around the structure's stones. We continued by cleaning off the surface of the well in order to expose the stones for drawing. Animal bone or glass slag or kiln lining. Thanasis (foreman) says that mud was used as a binding agent for the well's wall. Mixed soil is a brown sandysilt with inclusions of pinkish red which appears to be disintegrated mud binding agent. A red soil (the "mud binding agent") emrged from between the stones as the dark soil was cleared from on top. The dark soil was found around the well's structure in between stones that were randomly lain along the outer edge for further support. The measurements of the large wellhead stones which were removed are listed as "dimensions" whereas the size of the well is listed as "size of materials" (on paper context form only). This is because what has turned out to be the well was originally thought to be a foundation trench for the wellhead. Excavation of this context was terminated after removing the well head/larger capstones, and a new context was opened 06/04/2012 for the underlying courses making up the well construction proper as it is unclear if the larger stones were a later addition to close up the well access.
Context Pottery:		Fineware. slipped plain glazed (1100-1300), bowl. 1 complete profile. ; Fineware. slipped plain glazed (1100-1300), dish. ; Fineware. coarse incised, slipped style VI (1200-1220), dish. 1 rim. ; Coarseware. pitcher. 1 rim. 3 bodysherds. ; Fineware. light on dark I, slip painted (1100-1125), cup. ; Fineware. early champs levee fine, slipped style VI (1170-1200)1 bodysherd. ; Cooking ware. beaker. 1 handle. ; Coarseware. amphora. 15 bodysherds. ; Coarseware. basin. 1 complete profile.
Context Artifacts:		glass kiln lining, 1
Period:		Turkish II (1715-1831 AD)
Chronology:		18th c
		18th century
Grid:		261.44-259.8E, 1003.9-1005.1N
XMin:		259.8
XMax:		261.44
YMin:		1003.9
YMax:		1005.1
Site:		Corinth
City:		Ancient Corinth
Country:		Greece
Masl:		86.81-87m.
References:		Report: Nezi Field 2008 by Joseph Lillywhite, Joel Rygorsky, Matthew Sears, Martin Wells (2008-04-07 to 2008-06-13) Object: MF 2012 61