Corinth Basket Nezi Field, context 5515

Collection:		Corinth
Type:		Basket
Name:		Nezi Field, context 5515
Area:		Nezi Field
Context Type:		Fill
Title:		leveling fill inside of pithos cut
Category:		Deposit
Notebook:		1101
Context:		5515
Page:		0
Date:		2008/05/16
Stratum:		20% inclusions: fragmentary tile, wall plaster, bone, pottery, mixed cobbles
Description:		Top slope of the context is level. The soil color is light greyish brown. The soil compaction is firm. The soil is poorly sorted. It is sandy silt.
Notes:		Finds: metal, ivory inlay, burned; 1 bag of glass Tile: 30 k in 105 pieces The reason we are excavating the NW section of the cut for the pithos (5504) is that we have exposed the various deposits of the pithos cut to the E and S (5493), and we need to investigate the extent of the cut to the NW. Unlike under 5392 and 5393, no discernable sloped surface was found, although the soil matrix appears to be the same as 5392 and 5393. This context must equal the "white layer" I labled in my section drawing for 5496, because the area above the highest tile course (i.e., the very S) soon exposed the distinctive yellow clay that we assume lined the outside of the pithos. We have also exposed on the S section of the pithos cut more of the distinctive white floor we observed was cut through by pit 5480/5486. Our workman observed that there appear to be many fragments of roof tiles sticking out from the floor matrix surrounding the pithos cut. About 30 cm down on the very westernmost side, we came down upon a hard, white pebbly floor. Traces of this floor continue all the way around our ring and may very well be the bottom we reached of pit 5480/5486. The appearance of this floor with a clear cut through it proves that we may have dug a little too far out for our pithos cut, especially to the W. We prefer to see it as overshooting the mark on our part rather than two separate (and different sized) cuts made for the pithos. We should also note that our knowledge of the NW corner of the pithos cut was very sketchy and our workman was not able to discern a clear line of demarcation here when the pithos cut was revealed. As we continued to dig, it appears that everything within our pithos cut is the same soil. Our workman is now digging the entire length and width. 16.05.08, BIG CHANGE IN INTERPRETATION (C.K.) Upon further digging, we reached the hard, pebbly floor on the S and its is completely intact all the way to the clay lining of the pithos. This completely changes our interpretation of the secquence of events involving the construciton of this pithos. The cut made for the pithos must be smaller than the outer edgets of our pithos cut. Now we must find a reasonable explanation for the bigger outer ring and how to interpret the fill found within. First of all, our workman mentioned that even recently, underground ovens were constructed in Greece by digging a smaller hole down, lowering someone within, and then digging out from under. This would explain why our smaller cut would not correspond with the diameter of the pithos. Also, the tiles would be coursed up from within. This method of construction would eliminate the need for any packing fill to level out the floor above. We now must reconstruct a scenario by which two separate sized cuts were made for construction of this pithos. Possible explanations include: 1) Cut 1 (the larger cut) was the originally planned cut. It reached the level of the hard pebble floor (made with cement) and the diggers decided to make a smaller hole (Cut 2) to avoid having to dig out so much of this layer. The deposits found between Cuts 1 and 2 is leveling fill to rectify the mistake. 2) Cut 2 (the smaller cut) was the originally planned cut for the hole. However, as part of the construction process (of which nothing is known), Cut 1 was made to facilitate the construction of the upper courses of tile and the mouth. It was perhaps easier to build the top from the outside rather than from within. The builders dug down the some arbitrary level, but reached the hard, pebble floor and decided it was not wirth the trouble to dig further, and used this earlier surface as their work surface. This would also explain why the clay lining the outside of the tiles appear to sit on top of the hard pebble floor. Again, the fill between Cuts 1 and 2 is leveling fill to make the floor flush with the pithos mouth. However, Cut 1 seems too well made and regular to be a simple cut made for a construction phase. 3) The pebble floor is actually the floor contemporary with the construction of the pithos. The outer cut and deposit relate to some later use or repair of the pithos which continues to be used during the time of the upper floor. 4) Cut 2 is original with the upper floor, but Cut 1 is actually a sinking in of the floor level over time, either through settling or pithos collapse.
Context Pottery:		Fineware. pre medieval6 bodysherds. (saved to lot) .; Coarseware. amphora. 4 handles. 45 bodysherds. (saved to lot) .; Coarseware. amphora. 2 bodysherds. (saved to lot) .; Cooking ware. collar rim stew pot (1000-1100), stewpot. 2 rims. (saved to lot) .; Fineware. slipped plain glazed (1100-1300), bowl. 1 rim. (saved to lot) .; Coarseware. pitcher. 4 handles. (saved to lot) .
Pottery Summary:		11 frag(s) 0.06 kg. (100% saved) fineware.
		176 frag(s) 4.06 kg. (100% saved) coarseware.
		66 frag(s) 1.5 kg. (100% saved) cooking ware.
Context Artifacts:		Glass, base of bottle, similar MF 7301 (Corinth XII, p. 118, no. 774, fig. 17), clear yellow (saved to lot); revetment slate 1 green2 (saved to lot); Ivory, burned, inlay ?, cylindrical with spiral groove on one side, flat on the other 1 (saved to lot); Bronze, fragment 1 (saved to lot); Iron nail, round shank, .066 long (saved to lot); glass, clear, green 2 bs (saved to lot); lamp type 16, shoulder 1 (saved to lot); Glass, opaque white, BS 1 (saved to lot)
Period:		Late Byzantine (1059-1210 AD)
Chronology:		11th
Grid:		264.4-262.2E, 1041-1042.35N
XMin:		262.2
XMax:		264.4
YMin:		1041
YMax:		1042.35
Site:		Corinth
City:		Ancient Corinth
Country:		Greece
Masl:		83.8-84.34m.
References:		Report: Nezi Field 2008 by Thanos Webb (2008-04-07 to 2008-06-13) Image: digital 2008 0112