Bamboula, Trenches 1–21

Tr 20:11 (E.V.8)

(VII:171;9-5-39) Digging below 9.04 we have found a clayey brown level at 9.07. Dig below 9.07 and find a fairly regular clayey level at 9.13. Photo Bam. '39 151 at 9.13. Dig below 9.13, through clayey brown earth, and find an ashy grey level at 9.44. (Same:10-5-39) Removing the 9.44 level we find a very firm clay floor at 9.46. In the south there is a bin of clay and stones, lined with chavara plaster. We have cleared in the lines of teh south and east walls of 20:11, digging through mixed brown earth and finally stopping at inthe south and the southern half of the easttrench, with firm dark brown earth with small stones and much ash. In the N. end of the E. trench gritty red earth is found at this level.

[IX:3;21-10-48] Dig below 9.46 in west through firm red earth, finding another firm level a centimeter of two lower, at 9.50. A grey circle appears in the west at this level; the 9.46 level ran over it. We find only two sherds in this level: 1 LCIII coarse; 1 BR II-discard both. Clear out a narrow trench filled with light earth in the line of the SE jamb of the door to 20:14. It is filled with mixed loose earth. It was visible from at least 9.46. It seems to go to about 9.65. Photo 48:B1 from East. The plaster basin in the SW corner is laid on about 3 cm. of red earth, which lie over a clear footing trench for the W.wall. This is packed with stones in loose earth. The red earth found in the NW seems to be the same as that which is cut by the footing trench. The footing trench is 0.23 deep, the bottom stones carefully set in clay (see drawing). Remove stones of bin at 9.46 level, which cut the 9.46 level and continue through the footing trench to the west wall. They lie on double row of mud bricks, which cut the 9.46 level and continue through the footing trench to them: this is a special layer later than the plaster floor of the bin goes up on to them; this is a special layer later than the plaster floor of the rest of the room (see drawing on p.5). (IX:7;21-10-48)

Cut through 9.46 plaster floor. It varies from 2-4 cm. in thickness, and rests on hard gritty red clay.

(IX:7;22-10-48) All the walls of 20:11 are in footing trenches cut through the 9.50 level. This seems to be a consistent level of gritty red earth. It may prove to be the same as the similar levels in 20:15 and 20:16; if so, it is a general fill antedating the LCIII house, thrown in to level of the area prior to its construction. Cut through the 9.50 level and come on a level of small stones overlying ash, at 9.64. Cut through the 9.64 level to the ashy layer at 9.72.

Stamp: none

(IX:21;26-10-48) Move big stone. It lies on loose red earth ca. 20cm. below the level of the few preserved bits of plaster floor. The red earth ends on pure loose chavara fill in a round opening directly east of the pit dug in 1939 (JFD vii,65). There are no sherds in the chavara. It gives way ca. 50 cm. down to loose red earth with many sherds in the north, clearly coming from the northern pit. The fill in the south pit continues pure chavara to the bottom. (Same:27-10-48) Remove the big stone and reset it on the rock-cut foundation. the one completely flat face down. Photo BAM '48 B9 (double-exposed?) removing stone and on foundation.