Appraisal Methods and Excavated Surface

The methodological approach we chose was function of strategic and logistic settings. It consisted in the following choices of procedures and appraisal techniques (Tab. 2):

Tab. 2 - Methodological procedures applied to document monument B3.

The following figure gives an overview of the excavated surface in relation to the main structural remains (Fig. 11). An illustration of the surface we excavated in 1999 can be found in our preliminary report (Blumer and Vial 1999: 241). Due to the limited time, we decided not to set up a complex system of quadrangular sections, but to develop the excavation surface by adding irregular sections, which enabled us to follow specific archaeological questions progressively. Another difficulty in arranging the sections was due to the temperament of our fieldworkers, who were not always eager to follow straight lines! Since they were all novices in this kind of work, we preferred to give them a certain amount of freedom instead of directing them too strongly. At least end, no archaeological data was lost and the goals were reached, and this shows the viability of our strategic choices in organizing the excavation. Fig. 11 gives also the precise location of the stratigraphic cuts we made and documented. Two cuts (Cut 3 and Cut 4) are located at some distance from the main excavation area and are thus not placed on this map.

Fig. 11

In each newly opened section, the following methodological procedure was applied: (1) removal of debris and sediment accumulated during recent terracing work (shovels), (2) excavation of soil layers covering structural remains or anthropic deposits (trowels), (3) excavation of anthropic deposits around structural remains (trowels), (4) surface documentation of structural remains (scale drawings and/or digital and positive color photographs, altitude measurements).

In the some sections, the surface obtained showed clear accumulations of collapsed structural elements. In such case, and at specifically chosen locations, we removed the collapsed elements after proper surface documentation, in order to access and document the base of the anthropic structures. The removed stones were piled at specific spots: near square N98 for the western outer wall and near square U3 for the cut through the eastern outer wall.

The excavation of the platform chamber filling necessitated the numbering of the surface stones belonging to the collapsed chamber roof. An individual number reported on the 1:10 scale surface drawings marked all concerned stones. At campaigns end, the numbered stones were stored under a plastic sheet in the area of square A5.

The archaeological material was collected with individual three-dimensional coordinates, so we can replace each artifact in its initial sedimentary and structural context.

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