Corinth Basket Nezi Field, context 5579

Collection:		Corinth
Type:		Basket
Name:		Nezi Field, context 5579
Area:		Nezi Field
Context Type:		Fill
Title:		fill of hard, yellowish consistency to E of pit cu
Category:		Deposit
Notebook:		1101
Context:		5579
Page:		0
Date:		2008/05/21
Stratum:		5% inclusions: small pebbles, ceramics
Description:		Top slope of the context is slight down to the S. The soil color is light yellowish brown. The soil compaction is cemented. The soil is well sorted. It is silty clay.
Notes:		This area was defined as distinct from Context 5580 becaue of the presence of clay pockets within it, and also because it ws covered by a light skin of hard, light dirt that set it apart from the reddish appearance of context 5580. Once the skin was removed, the newly-exposed soil matrix appered similar in color and composition to the surface with tiles exposed elsewhere. The border between the cobble wall and the tile floor in this W interface is still diffuse. Another interesting feature that has been revealed is part of a semicircular cut oriented in the same direction as cut 5498, which overlies it. A.C. has evaluated its position and feels that two cuts may represent different cutting events, rather than this point representing a continuation of the same cut. We did take and elevation on the edge of the newly defined cut, and it matches perfectly the line of the old, meaning that the cut probably marks a line between remaining fill (// to 5516) of the pit, and one of the layers of fill into which the pit was cut. Consequently, this context may be slightly mixed. We can explain the presence of this additional fill layer within the pit if it was part of an uneven layer of fill that the pickman perceived to be part of the bottom at the time that 5516 was excavated. The shape of the pit does not change, but the shape of the floor does. Or it may be something else entirely. The pickman tested the surface of the white, hard soil on the W side of the cut, and it does not appear similar to 5516 at this point. Another interesting soil stain cropped up to the E of pit cut 5498: a fine yellowish-white clay stain, maybe 0.50 x 0.50 m in size, ostensibly associated with the layer of flat tiles exposed in 5589 and 5586. The pickman actually included a bit of the matrix of soil underlying 5580 in his pass and exposed more tiles- some flat-lying, some not. The possibility of a surface seems less plausible here. We stopped excavating because the pickman noticed that the soil was softer and finer, but it may be that it continues. We are switching baskets to be safe, but there seem to be the same tiles overlying a flat surface beneath it. Update, 27.05.08: a true cut was identified in this area today, but its W limits remain diffuse-- see context 5644 for more information. The interpretation, in brief, is that it seems to represent another cut below the first one.
Context Pottery:		Fineware. premedieval18 bodysherds. ; Fineware. glaze painted III, slipped (1160-1200), bowl. 1 rim. ; Fineware. ww plain (700-1120)3 bodysherds. ; Fineware. glaze painted III, slipped (1160-1200), dish. 1 rim. ; Fineware. slipped plain glazed (1100-1300), dish. 1 rim. ; Fineware. dark on light slip painted, slipped (1140-1180), dish. 1 rim. ; Fineware. premedieval1 bodysherd. ; Coarseware. pitcher. 1 bodysherd.
Pottery Summary:		15 frag(s) 0.09 kg. (0% saved) fineware.
		188 frag(s) 1.22 kg. (0% saved) coarseware.
		20 frag(s) 0.25 kg. (0% saved) cooking ware.
Context Artifacts:		lamp, glazed nozzle 1; revetment 3; glass, clear, bs 3; glass, green goblet base 1; Bone flute, like MF 8975; glass, clear, yellow bs 1
Period:		Late Byzantine (1059-1210 AD)
Chronology:		3rd quarter of the 12th century
Grid:		263.61-262.91E, 1037.49-1038.11N
XMin:		262.91
XMax:		263.61
YMin:		1037.49
YMax:		1038.11
Site:		Corinth
City:		Ancient Corinth
Country:		Greece
Masl:		84.77-85.16m.
References:		Report: Nezi Field 2008 by Sarah Lima (2008-04-07 to 2008-06-13) Object: MF 2008 12 Coin: 2008 165