Bamboula, Trenches 1–21

BAMBOULA (Tr 2:1)

(III:167;24-3-37) Find the continuation of the wall between units 1 and 9(and 5), and locate the wall between units 1 and 8. Work with intrusions, of which there is a very big one in the east corner of unit 1, stopping just short of a pithos in the corner. Find fragments of pottery in it, including p no. , of which upper part was found apparently in situ near the middle of the wall to unit 8, other fragments near the pithos in the disturbed area.. There was no lime deposit in the breaks, so the intrusion cannot be very old.

(IV:25;26-3-37) Dig out the intrusion in the s-w corner. Start clearing to a sandy red brown floor at 9.59-9.74. The fill is typical clay wall tumble, somewhat gritty red earth. This floor is the next oldest strosis after the white floor at 9.35. The red tumble over the 9.59-9.74 floor is the same as that under the white floor at 9.35. There is a good deal of lime on the floor. The white floor at 9.35 is only a small rectangle by . The end is gone, but the white rises at the east edge, surely for a wall, and it can be seen turning from the west wall in the intrusion.

(IV:29;27-3-37) The earth between the 9.59-9.74 level and the 9.62-9.75 is typical earth wall debris. The earth is red brown, very sandly, and with many white particles of decomposed vegetable matter. The floor is similar, but it contains a fair quantity of clay, and there is some ash on the surface. There is a good deal of pottery in situ-some was visible above the 9.43-9.58 level.

(IV:37;1-4-37) We removed the objects at the 9.62-9.75 level yesterday. Today we remove the earth over the actual floor at 9.72-9.78. The 9.62-9.75 level was in places this floor, in others an earth accumulation over it. This floor stops at the inner wall at the west. [printed: Also: Photo 9-10, 45 of unit 1 at 9.62-9.75 showing pots in situ (see p. 36)]

(IV:43;5-4-37) Finish clearing the 9.75-9.78 floor. It is braxos in places, but mostly of mud containing lime and ashl It is quite firm and solid. There is a patch of ash near the center of the room. It is highest in the center(9.72); at the west it is 9.75, at the east 9.78. Cut through the 9.72-9.78 floor to the white (xabara) floor which lies just beneath it. The 9.72-9.78 floor is a remaking of the 9.77-9.78floor, probably at least in part an accumulation. Pottery recorded as belonging to the 9.62-9.75 floor goes generally often to the 9.72-9.78 floor, and some of it seems to rest on the 9.77-9.80 floor. These two upper layers seem to represent accumulation over the original white floor. The white floor slopes up on to the wall to units 5 and 9, and the lime is continuous with that on the wall.

(IV:49;6-4-37) The 9.77-9.78 floor is of xabara in the west half, but in the east we find firm clay with burnt patches...(p51) There has been some confusion in the clearing of the floor, but it is now clear. The original floor is of chavara with patches of red clay with greg ash. In the west it ends at 9.77 at the inner wall, slop ng up on it. In the south it slopes up on the wall to units 5 and 9, and the chavara of the floor is continuous with the chavara of the wall. The chavara is replaced by bedrock in the NW corner. The wall to unit 4 rests on the 9.77-9.80 floor: on the rock at the west, ending with the mud and chavara of this floor farther east. This floor goes to he wall to unit 8. In the SE corner it is cut through by t e pithos (plan p.38 no.5), whose top is 0.10 below the floor. NE:9.79;SE(by pithos) 9.80; W.9.77 Photos Bam 49-50 of units 12,14,15, cleared to solid earth, with intrusions dug.