Roman Bath 78-22 Opening Photo From E. May 3, 1978. BAB 78-1 69.
Work began this morning on a new trench. RB 78-22, after photographing the supervisor's previous trench (RB 78-20 in RB JMP). Two workmen, Takis is foreman. B. Barletta is Trench Supervisor.
RB 78-22 is being started in the NW corner of the building to try to find the northern part of the west wall. The NW corner may have already been uncovered, perhaps incorporated into the Hexamilion, but we cannot be sure of its location until the W. wall is charted.
Our new trench is located directly south of the very thick E-W wall of the Hexamilion in the NW area of the bath. The trench is 1m. wide (N-S) and 2.80 m. long (E-W). Its SE corner is placed 1.30 m. from the SE corner of the thick section of the wall while its SW corner lies 1.60 m. from the S. edge of this wall. It is therefore not on the same orientation as the wall, but has been located by measuring 1 m. southward from the scarp left from the cleaning of the wall. (Trench expanded 3 May northward to back of Hexamilion wall.)
The elevations of RB 78-22 before clearing the foliage are 41.79 (in the S.) and 41.35 (in the N.) After clearing the surface of the trench, we began Basket 1.
| Basket 1
RB 78-22 entire trench 41.19 m to 40.76 m |
pottery lotted and all saved |
The soil is brown and very loose, with many stones.
Sculptural Fragment
RB 78-22
B:3
40.73 m.
saved but not inventoried
| Antefix Fragment
RB 78-22 A:3 ca. 40.73 m. | IA 78-76 |
Basket 1 was stopped when we came upon a level of darker soil, with many fewer rocks and some sand intermixed. This soil is also loosely-packed. It was dug in Basket 2.
| Basket 2 RB 78-22 entire trench 40.76m. to 40.53 (highest point) and 40.39 (lowest point) darker brown soil with sand |
pottery lotted and all saved |
In F:3, at the same elevation as the beginning of the dark stratum dug in Basket 2, we came upon a small pocket of black earth. In it were recovered a few sherds, which were kept separately (placed in Basket 2 in an envelope).The black earth appeared to continue downwards and probably also across the trench at a lower level, and it was therefore left to be cleared after the dark stratum of Basket 2 had been excavated.
When the earth had been taken down to 40.53 m., it was at the same level as the earth cleared earlier from behind the E-W Hexamilion wall. It was decided that at this point the trench would be expanded northward (0.30m. on the E and 0.60m on the W) to include this area of soil up to the S. side of the E-W Hexamilion. Because the soil in this new section is of the same color and consistency (brownish red with sand) as that dug in basket 2, any finds are being included with this basket.
When the reddish-brown stratum was cleared, we found that the blackish earth extended over most of the trench, with the exception of the NE corner, some of which had been cleared accidentally earlier (in F:3) at a slightly higher level. Since the earth slopes upward to the E, it is understandable that the same stratum could be at a higher level
in the E., but it should be noted that the blackish soil in F:3 was only a few centimeters deep. Below we found another red stratum. This blackish earth was cleared in Basket 3.
| Basket 3 RB 78-22 entire trench | pottery lotted and all saved |
Closing level is 40.53 (highest) and 40.39 (lowest).