First thing this morning we uncovered very well preserved burned beam fragments in trench NT1. I spent most of the day in the trench helping Lauren to define and then remove the beams. So today's notes are retrospective.
WT1: Ian has hit bedrock in most of the trench but still can go down in the NE. He is doing the double screening in this locus (#9). Late in the day, Ian uncovered a stone mortar in this locus.
NT1: We exposed, photographed, and removed 3 beams. The first of these was in very good shape and we hope for a dendro date from it. The other two were less well preserved. But from all 3 we took both C14 and dendro samples. In Area B, we continued to bring down the extension and uncovered a nicely preserved fragment of an LBA bowl.
Trench C3: Continuing down in A and C. We can see a very nice wall in the west balk of A. Other construction remains unclear.
Trench C4: finished and closed. Moved Armine to C5.
Trench C5: New trench on far NW side of citadel. It is set in a corner with walls on 3 sides. Dimensions are roughly 4.5x4m but follows architecture so irregular.
Note: Khachatur noted that kalachi tepe is a "secondary volcanic dome" formed at same time as Aragats.