2001 TRENCH PC 23 Gretchen Meyers, Field Supervisor Week 5: Gretchen Meyers, Reagan Browning, Mary McClellan, and Kelly Hayes bucket rain water out of the PC 23 tarp. Week 5 has been a cool, cloudy, somewhat rainy week. It has been yet another interesting week in Trench PC 23 and PC 23 Extension. First and foremost we have welcomed another member to our crew-Cam Le has joined us from the FOD. I am certainly glad to have her extra pair of skilled excavation hands. Cam Le joins the PC 23 crew after three weeks in PF 6 in the FOD. For the duration of the week we have concentrated our efforts in the southern portion of the trench--Loci 3, 4, and 8. My very skilled crew has grown quite attached to the various loci in which they are working. Kelly Hayes and Cam Le have been primarily in Locus 4 where they have been examining the relationship between the mudbrick that we discovered in Locus 1 and its continuation in Locus 4. As we have excavated this area we have noticed that in fact our mudbrick continues to the south in very high concentrations. The level of this mudbrick is a bit higher than similar concentrations in our neighbor, PC 22, and this is raising very interesting questions regarding the destruction and relationship of the various phases of the building. Our mudbrick may be the collapse of the Phase 3 walls of our structure. We will continue to define the mudbrick and then examine the area beneath it for further information. View of PC 23 and extension from the east during trench tours. Locus 8 (foreground), Locus 3 (middleground), and Locus 4 (back right). Mary McClellan and Berta Buurman have been working in Locus 3. This is one of our most complicated areas because they have to deal with the pit made by the looters who raided the site early in the spring. They have carefully excavated the pit, however we are still dealing with disturbed soil. The areas around the pit have yielded a heavy packing and concentration of tile and ceramic, including several fragments of large courseware vessels. We are currently considering whether these concentrations may be packing for a floor level, however further excavation in our Stratum 3 is necessary to understand the relationship of these areas to the overall chronology of the structure. Detail of Trench PC 23 showing packing of tile and stone. Finally, Reagan Browning has been working in one of the loci of the PC 23 Extension-Locus 8. This area has been leveled down to Stratum 2. Several interesting finds have come from this area and we are anxious to understand its relationship to the stone and tile packings mentioned above in Locus 3. In the next few days as Reagan excavates Stratum 3 his efforts should be able to elucidate much about the relationship of this area to the overall interior structure of our building. Gretchen Meyers explains PC 23 during trench tours. Week 6: Gretchen Meyers excavating foundation stones in Trench PC 23. As we approach our final days of excavation in PC 23 we have moved closer to answering some of the questions we posed at the beginning of the season, but at the same time we have found even more. Such is the nature of archaeology. Week 6 view from the north of Trench PC 23 Locus 4 with Judy Culbertson sweeping. We completed our work in Locus 4 and have been able to document a continuous mudbrick packing running N-S along the western portion of PC 23. The similar appearance and proximity of this packing to mudbrick in PC 22 is interesting. With the large square blocks tumbled upon one another the mudbrick of PC 23 looks like evidence for the collapse of a building wall and I think that it is likely that the bricks are part of the destruction of the Phase 3 building on the arx. As we continue to document the relationship between these bricks and those of PC 22 I am hopeful that we will be able to gain a more complete understanding of the various phases of our hilltop structures. Mary McClellan, Gillian Bearns, and Berta Buurman excavating in Locus 3 of PC 23. Work in Locus 3 has also been successful in this past week. We excavated a feature composed of closely packed stones and tile resting upon a layer of intensely dark, moist soil. This soil differs greatly from the soil throughout the locus and its loose and mottled nature seems to indicate a disturbance. While I had originally attributed this disturbance to the clandestini raid, which took place in the spring, the stratigraphic profile seems to indicate two separate instances of disturbance in this area-one ancient and one modern. I think that it seems certain that we have reached the bottom of the area dug through by the clandestini and future excavation will enlighten us on the significance of this highly-used area. Mary McClellan helps shoot in points while Kelly Hayes and Cam Le dig in PC 23. Finally, Locus 8 has yielded some very interesting blocks in Stratum 2. We have uncovered 5 large cut blocks in center of the locus. We haven't as yet uncovered the blocks enough to fully comprehend their size and appearance, however they are all between 80-100 centimeters in length. The placement and size of the blocks is suggestive and may provide clues as to the composition of the building's interior space. A row of large, interesting stones appearing in the extension of PC 23 where Reagan has been digging, as seen from the east. Stones mentioned above, seen from the south. Kelly Hayes working in PC 23 on a cool, rainy day. Gillian Bearns performs the supreme scarp cleaning act in the scarp of Sarah Kupperberg's 2000 Trench PC 19. Reagan Browning takes a pass in the PC 23 extension during week 6. Berta Buurman on her birthday working in Trench PC 23 with Mary McClellan. Gretchen Meyers works to keep up her trench book with 41 finds in one day. Gillian Bearns excavating fragile finds in PC 23. Mary McClellan loves to dig. View from the southeast of Trench PC 23 and extension, with Cam Le and Reagan Browning digging, Gillian Bearns and Judy Culbertson standing. Week 7: Trench PC 23 Team: Reagan Browning, Mary McClellan, Gretchen Meyers, Gillian Bearns, Cam Le, Berta Buurman, and Kelly Hayes. Missing in this photo: Judy Culbertson. As the 2001 excavation season closes we have answered some of the questions that we posed when we opened PC 23 and PC 23 Extension, and some new questions have also come up. We have now backfilled the area excavated this season, but it is certain that this area will be reopened and exciting issues will be re-examined next season. It should give us all something to look forward to… Overview of Trench PC 23 and extension at season's end. In terms of our goals for the season, I think that we have successfully fulfilled one of the primary aims of this trench, namely examining the extent of the clandestino pit that was dug in the late spring. The north profile of Locus 3, expertly excavated by Mary McClellen and Berta Buurman, illustrates quite clearly the extent of the clandestino pit. Another interesting feature of this area can also be seen in the profile. It seems that the clandestino pit was dug into an earlier pit. This earlier pit, which is certainly ancient, was characterized by a very dark, disturbed soil and contained small, amorphous chunks of bronze and iron-wasters from bronze work which would have been valuable in antiquity for their weight. Given the loose character of the soil and the scattered haphazard context of the finds within it, I imagine that this area was disturbed sometime during or immediately following the destruction of the third phase of the building on the arx. It is likely that it was this scattered concentration of metal that attracted looters to this area. At this point the clear stratigraphy of the area indicates that we have reached the bottom of both the ancient and the modern areas of disturbance. Mudbrick in Locus 4 (foreground) and Locus 2 of Trench PC 23. Our second main goal for this area entailed gaining a better understanding of the interior space of the building on the arx. We were able to do this to some extent. The line of mudbrick that Cam Le and Kelly Hayes uncovered in Loci 1 and 4 has provided important evidence for both the walls of our structure, as well as serving as potential floor packing for the last phase of the monumental architecture on the hill. The relationship between our mudbrick and that uncovered in PC 22 is particularly interesting. These two features have nearly the same elevation and clearly their position within the overall structure is contemporary and should be considered together. View from east of Trench 23 and extension. The area to the east of the mudbrick line in PC 23 and PC 23 Extension offers a different type of interior space. Here the mudbrick packing ceases and instead we uncovered several areas of packed stones and packed tiles mixed with courseware and several iron nails. In addition, further east and within the confines of Locus 8-worked on lovingly by Reagan Browning-a large stone platform was uncovered. The extent of the stone platform is yet to be defined and offers the most exciting prospects for upcoming seasons. Its location near the center of the building is suggestive. We will have to wait and see if it is a base for a statue, column or other large central object, or perhaps part of paved area… It is certain that in the upcoming season the questions posed by PC 23 and PC 23 Extension will continue to focus on the plan and arrangement of the monumental building's interior space. Large worked blocks as seen from the north in Trench PC 23. Finally on a personal note, I would like thank the six members of PC 23 and PC 23 Extension. Gillian, Reagan, Berta, Mary, Cam and Kelly proved themselves to be excellent excavators and amazingly hard workers. We would know a lot less about this area if it weren't for their enthusiasm and energy. Thanks for a great season. Gillian Bearnss drawing scarps for Trench PC 23 field notebook. Gillian Bearns directing photography in Trench PC 23. Mary McClellan working on final drawings of Trench PC 23. Berta Buurman sweeping in Trench PC 23. Reagan Browning, Jess Galloway, and Gretchen Meyers at the sifter. Jess "Tripod" Galloway and Gretchen "Mercury Mama" Meyers use phones and walkie talkies to relay messages from the arx to the FOD and Trench PC 18. Gretchen Meyers in PC 23 during final trench tours.   Notable finds from Trench PC 23: Amber bead probably from a necklace or fibula. Two views of a restored fineware kyathos from Trench PC 23.