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trenches behind the lake

Wendy's trench behind the lake   Wendy's trench behind the lake
Behind the sacred lake on the western end Wendy’s trench has some fascinating evidence of occupation. A scatter of pottery suggests a living surface, and the baulk (profile) shows a heavy line of black indicating charcoal. This will be a busy square all day, and this shot was taken before 8 am.
Katie and Ahmed supervising the trench   Katie and Ahmed
Supervising a trench is not all business all the time. Katie and Ahmed share a moment of silliness as they watch Scott and Katie’s square in the central area behind the lake.
Trench at Thutmose III gateway

Trench at Thutmose III gateway   Trench at Thutmose III gateway -- detail
Over by the gateway of Thutmose III Elizabeth is excavating a square just southeast of the gate itself. The mud brick enclosure wall of the New Kingdom (ca. 1479 B.C.) runs away from the gate in both directions, as can be seen here. In the square evidence of a thickening of the enclosure at a later date has been found (left foreground of the square), and the remarkable excavating handiwork of our gufti Mahmoud Abady is again visible here. He is an artist. In the upper portion of the square is a burned area on the floor, and here is a close up of the feature.
Ancient dock at the lake  Sakhmet with view across the lake
The water level in the lake is so low this year that the sandstone blocks making up the ancient dock has become quite visible, seen here from a view just east of the quay and again from across the lake with one of our Sakhmets stealing the photo.
Elaine's square   Elaine's square
Elaine’s square on the west end near the lake has a wall running east-west on the lake side of the trench and none anywhere else (except it is visible in the eastern baulk). However, the soil is richly dark and tells of heavy occupation. Indeed the location, here shown in the photo where Elaine and Katie stand looking over the square, is next to several squares excavated by Elaine last year. In those locations the large enclosure wall provided an opportunity to cut rooms for various uses.
Area behind the lake
The area behind the lake has become a true beehive of activity. Today we’re playing “Where’s Katie”. Correct answerers will NOT receive a prize, but her family will be happy to learn where she’s hiding.
Area behind the lake
At Wendy’s trench Violaine (in her new Indiana Jones hat – straw version) directs work on the hard surface that has emerged.
Reis Farouk   Scott's upper trench
Reis Farouk, calm and regal as ever, directs the large and active group of workers. He took time out, however, to bring up these beautiful bricks in Scott’s upper trench.
Wendy's square   Wendy's square
In Wendy’s square, where things have been popping all day, the beautiful hard surface is now clean and ready for photography. All the pottery here is late period in date (ca. 600 B.C.), but there was obviously an active use of the area.
Wendy and Violaine doing levels for trench
Violaine and Wendy doing levels for the trench. We note that Wendy turned her baseball cap around to do the siting. Very cool.

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