Today we broke ground at Arai caravanserai. I met the workers at the mayor's house and we continued on to the site, where my trenches were already laid out. We removed topsoil from both AC1 and AC2 today, locating the spoil heap outside the caravanserai to the northwest. underneath the topsoil in AC1 is a layer of medium-sized rocks, none worked. this was designated Locus 2. Some ceramic from this locus. Ceramic from the topsoil locus (1) of AC2 today. Though I had been hopeful that the topography in AC2 concealed a column/arch base, Artur informed me as we were opening up AC2 that a few years back some men had come from Aparan with a tractor and dug a hole there, but found nothing. The relatively high topography in the trench is their spoil. We removed this today and brought the whole trench down more or less to the level of the disturbed topsoil. Some ceramics-- from the mixed disturbed shallow soil in the southern region of the trench.
The mayor came to visit and informed me also that the field to the east (which was being cut today) was ameliorated during the soviet period. Afterward while working in the field they would come across many worked stones from buildings, which the mayor now has in his house. He said none have writing on them, however.
Removed the stonefall in AC1, bought a wheelbarrow.