Bamboula, Area A Circuit Wall (extracted from McFadden's notebooks)

The Circuit Wall Area A:

Daniel distinguished a number of stages in the history of the wall, though it must be emphasised that nothing like a "complete" investigation could be undertaken in the scope of his excavations. The wall was not traced throughout, nor is anything known about its gates.

I. The "bothroi" and Tomb 1 antedate the construction of the wall. The bothroi appears to belong with other bothroi found within the walls, and is included with them in period A (1b). Tomb 1 contained tree Red Polished pots P932, 933, 2841 and a terracotta spindle whorl 549 (wp.000).

II Indications for dating the construction of the wall are given by two groups of sherds:

II a a. Material found on bed rock in Trench 2 E.I. by the inner face of the wall. These must have reached there soon after the construction of the wall. 2 sherds LC II pithos ware 1 " Hand-made plain ware 1 " Myc. III Sh 502

II b b. Fill under the stairway in a section of the wall somewhere to the east of the foundations of the northwest and southwest towers. Presumably the stairway was an original feature of the wall or added shortly after 3 sherds LC II-III Pithos ware Sh 619 1 " RP 1 " WS II

The sherds of (a) may be slightly earlier than those of (b). Daniel equated the former with the stony fill of Stratum B(5) or with C(2). In any case it would seem that the construction of the original wall occurred in LC II B. Walls I and II, which lie on Stratum A (4) are perhaps contemporary with the original circuit wall. Material which may be tumble of Walls I and II (dt 11.59 to 11.35/11.76) is listed under B (2)