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Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Katherine.
Square 11 east.

Why is Katherine smiling? A curiosity appeared in her square (east 11) today. Her qufti Yasin and she are removing a large New Kingdom wall which you see in the photos of levels 1 and 3, still descending. In level 4, the wall is finishing its lowest course and a small niche appeared over and around which the wall had been built. Inside the niche are a group of Doum-palm fruits. They look rather normal but are actually largely shells filled with dirt. We have removed them for examination. Beneath the wall the sealed context is of the Late Second Intermediate Period, making the fruit some 3600 years old.

Square 11 east.
Ancient fruit.

Allie and Maggie.
Square central 7.

Maggie’s square central 7 has revealed a burial like so many others this season. She and Allie discuss what is visible as the bones become visible beneath a magloob and brick surface that looked like a granary floor. Once we determined that the skull was in reasonably good condition and was articulated to cervical vertebrae we ceased work to await the physical anthropologists next winter. As you can see, however, this burial does have pottery near the face, and the skull is lying on its left side, head to the west facing north.

Square central 7.

Marina and Sheri.
Square central 6 - teeth and jaw bone.

Next door in trench central 6 Marina’s bones found late the day before are more visible. All that we found is in the baulk; you are viewing teeth and bones of the jaw. Unfortunately there was no skull or body found in the square, perhaps indicating that the head was separated from the body in antiquity. We felt it necessary to remove what was in the baulk, and this is what you see Marina placing into a box. Since another burial was found in the same baulk earlier in the season (at a much higher level), we will no doubt carefully take down the baulk in the winter and hope to identify other parts of the body.

Placing remains for storage.

Gaultier. Gaultier fixing points.

Gaultier must draw the new low wall on the west side of square 9, and for this purpose needs to reestablish fixed points in the trench. Because we did not complete drawings in 2011 due to the Revolution, the original corners of the square are missing. Gaultier and Hannah are thus using nails placed on a cross wall to triangulate features in the square. He will put the column bases on his drawing as well.  

Hannah assisting Gaultier.
Gaultier drawing.

 

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