| Collection: | Corinth | |
| Type: | Basket | |
| Name: | South Stoa, context 37 | |
| Area: | South Stoa | |
| Context Type: | deposit | |
| Title: | Fill of robbing trench of N-S wall | |
| Category: | Deposit | |
| Notebook: | 1109 | |
| Context: | 37 | |
| Date: | 2015/05/13 | |
| Lot: | Lot 2015-056 | |
| Stratum: | 5% cobbles, 40% coarse pebbles, 2% carbon with 40% carbon at lower level, redder inclusions along east boundary | |
| Description: | Top slope of the context is slight down to the N. The soil color is light brownish brown. The soil compaction is loose. The soil is moderately sorted. It is silty sand. | |
| Notes: | Context 37 was opened to reveal the cut made by the robbing trench of the ancient NS wall. Initial excavation indicates that the soil is clayier towards the top and looser at a lower elevation. The upper soil also contains more carbon inclusions than the lower soil. The cut in the soil that we are looking for is difficult to determine, however the soil is redder and clayier along the eastern boundary and the half meter north of the southern boundary (the ancient wall block). Because pockets of black soil were discovered along the eastern boundary in the southernmost half meter, excavation was stopped. It is possible that it is associated with the darker soil discovered in the 5 meter E-W swath east of this meter section. The material unearthed from the previous tests conducted in the northern and southern sections of 37 (while context 36 was still open) are included in the pottery and material of 37. In these tests, a bronze vessel base was discovered, in addition to an iron nail and several fragments of pottery. The western boundary was discovered in the southernmost half meter of the context, and matches well with the eastern boundary. The soil along the inside of the west boundary is extremely loose while the soil within the rocky boundary is compact. More pottery in the lower levels (about 10 cm down) 1/2 meter from the southern boundary that abuts context 38. A dark compact soil is revealed along an EW ridge in line with the robbing trench (possible) that was context 24. This is delineated by a more clayey soil that is dark like that expected to be found below context 24 to 37's east. A red soil covers 37 beneath the brown/dark brown layer which extends to the east outside of oour boundaries. The eastern boundary remains unclear so we are temporarily leaving a martyr. Ended 13-05-15 wih a clear W boundary but still unclear on the eastern edge. 14-05-15: First thing in the morning, a coin was found for this context in the sieve. Another was found several minutes later, very small and probably silver, and also from the sieve. A mendable piece of Roman ceramic vessel is within the pottery. Also, a gemstone from a signet ring was discovered at an elevation of 81.20 m and is indicated on the drawing. Excavation has continued much in the same vein as yesterday. The loose light brownish brown soil is being removed to reveal a cut from the RT. The possible cut found on the western edge yesterday is being further explored. 2 pieces of worked bone have been found, polished, but perhaps also burned because of the color - one may be part of a stylus. The soil on the eastern side of this context was just noticed to be much more sandy - a very coarse sand. Toward the west, probably related to the large amounts of cement in this area, the soil gets more compact and is noticeably more clay-like. There is no sharp deliniation between the two; it is very mixed, diffuse. The eastern sandy area is so loose it could be excavated with a brush. Large amounts of small plaster chunks are appearing around 1.5 m north of the extant NS wall. On the east side of the context the soil is slightly darker than the soil of the west edge. It is silty sand much like the sand soil found on the NE side. Some exploration was done to find the extent of this darker soil up to the west edge of context 35. Thus far it appears that the soil continues below context 35 and more excavation to the east will be necessary to see if this is another pocket of different soil - which has happened a few times in the context - or if it is part of a larger deposit. Towards the southern boundary of the context we dug deeper than we had across the rest of the context to explore the extent of this soil. Approx 31.5 cm down (81.075 m) from the top elevation (81.390 m) a flat rock surface was discovered. The extent of the flat rock will be explored further, moving towards the south. This is most likely a foundation course, as it is in line with the NS wall. 15-5-15: A second pottery bucket was created for this context. Continued excavation is revealing some large charcoal chunks, but not many. It also seems that this context is part of a larger fill that extended to the west and north perhaps laid as part of the leveling operation for the mosaic. We have a good cut on the east and the hardrock below so were creating an arbitrary west boundary in line with the expanded section of context 36. It happens to be also the W extent of the lowest course of blocks. The east side is marked by the floor and very soft soil below it. 18-5-15: We found a cutting (NS) into the bedrock on the E side of the context next to the squared surface assocated with the well. A coin was found at el. 81.10 m. Shortly after another coin was found at el. 81.21 m. 19-5-15: We continued digging towards the N end exposing the course of blocks below. Roughly 1.6m from the N end there is a significant pocket of white limestone chunks and powder with large stones at the E side of the context. In about the same area, we found a fragment of pebble cement flooring of the type commonly associated with Hellenistic levels in the Panayia Field (this was kept and sent to Pietri). There is a pocket of very brown soil on the east side that continues into the scarp. A similar pocket was discovered on the west until the N boundary, approx 0.5 m, though bedrock underlies it, approx 4-5 cm above the level of the foundation course. The bedrock discovered was not loose, dusty, and easily removed (as on the east side) but hard and compacted. It may be original bedrock, not redeposited as on the east. The context was closed once the martyr along the northern wall was reached. | |
| Context Pottery: | Fineware. Rom- Ital. sig., plate. 2 rims. 1 bodysherd. (saved to lot) .form 20; Fineware. Rom- Ital. sig., dish. 22 bodysherds. (saved to lot) .; Fineware. Rom- ESA, Plate. 1 bodysherd. (saved to lot) .rouletting on floor; Fineware. Rom- Ital. sig., chalice. 5 rims. (saved to lot) .; Fineware. Rom- ESB, bowl. 1 rim. (saved to lot) .form 58; Cooking ware. krater. 1 rim. (saved to lot) .sim to Cor. 18.2 no. 270 (late 1st c. AD); Coarseware. amphora. 1 bodysherd. (saved to lot) .pseudo-coan; Fineware. Rom- Ital. sig., cup. (saved to lot) .implanta pedis stamp; Cooking ware. casserole. 3 rims. (saved to lot) .flanged rim; Coarseware. amphora. 2 rims. 1 handle. 20 bodysherds. (saved to lot) .dressel 2-4; Fineware. preRoman100 bodysherds. (saved to lot) .; Fineware. Rom- Thinwalled ware, mug. 2 rims. 2 bodysherds. (saved to lot) .; Fineware. Byzantine, cup. (saved to lot) .intrusive?; Fineware. archaic, aryballos. 1 bodysherd. (saved to lot) .dipinti of GBAXOS; Fineware. Rom- ESB, dish. 15 bodysherds. (saved to lot) .; Fineware. prehistoric6 bodysherds. (saved to lot) .; Fineware. Roman, pitcher. 1 rim. (saved to lot) .white slipped; Fineware. prehistoric, pitcher. 1 bodysherd. (saved to lot) .matt pitcher; Cooking ware. casserole. 1 rim. (saved to lot) .Slane 1986 no. 90; Fineware. pitcher. 3 bodysherds. (saved to lot) .with vertical gouging | |
| Pottery Summary: | 749 frag(s) 2.05 kg. (100% saved) fineware. | |
| 1042 frag(s) 10.83 kg. (100% saved) coarseware. | ||
| 776 frag(s) 3 kg. (100% saved) cooking ware. | ||
| Context Artifacts: | marble revetment white 6 white and purple 1; Iron, slag, 1; Iron, nail heads, 3; Bronze, unid, 2; Glass, clear, colorless bluish, rim, sim. To unguentarium cor. 12 no. 670 (MF 4042); lamp, Broneer type XXIII (plain) cp 1 (1st c. AD?) (Inv. L-2015-2); Glass, clear, green, bs 12; Glass, opaque, white, bs 10; Iron, nail frgts., 11; Glass, clear, blue, bs 8; Glass, clear, colorless bluish, bowl with thickened rim and straight wall as Jalame no. 6, rim 2; Glass, opaque, purple, bs 1; shell land snail 11; Iron, tack, 1; bone unid - 0.95kg; Obsidian, worked, 2; bronze ring 1; coral? White 1; shell flesh eater 4; Glass, clear, blue, rim folded outward, rim 1; pebble mosaic floor 3; Glass, clear, colorless, bs 3; Stone, pendant, 1; Bronze, pin frag, 2; Glass, clear, green, rim 1; wall plaster white 1; Chalk, 1; Iron, unid, 16; Iron, nail, 6; Lead, unid, 3 | |
| Period: | Early Roman (44BC-1/2 2nd c AD) | |
| Chronology: | late 1st-early 2nd c. AD | |
| Grid: | 326.85-323.9E, 1081.7-1086.9N | |
| XMin: | 323.9 | |
| XMax: | 326.85 | |
| YMin: | 1081.7 | |
| YMax: | 1086.9 | |
| Site: | Corinth | |
| City: | Ancient Corinth | |
| Country: | Greece | |
| Masl: | 81.39m. | |
| References: | Image: digital 2015 1043 Image: digital 2015 1044 Objects (8) Coins (8) |
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