Locus 4 is the cobble construction in the center of Trench 01. It overlaps and likely extends west of the cromlech ring in the eastern part of the trench. There is some question as to whether this construction is a burial feature or a pile/field clearance (see survey entries for a discussion).
After the Lusagyugh excavations, the going theory is that this locus is a clearance pile of cobbles. However, in order to derive a better understanding of the post-deposition processes within BC03 and the practices that have created the (palimpsest) landscape of the KVAS area, I took some time to clean and document the cobbles. And of course, on the small chance that it was a mortuary feature.
As we cleaned locus 2 around the construction, we cleaned the edges in order to see if there was some organization or architecture (e.g. a cromlech ring) that would indicate that it was a built feature rather than clearance. On its western edge (upslope) there is soil beneath the cobbles (height of 0.41m) and more small cobbles. The soil is the same matrix as locus 2, reddish black clay loam, suggesting that the soil under the cobbles is wash. On the eastern edge (downslope) the cobbles spill irregularly onto locus 3 and it has a height of 0.20 - 0.50m of soil and cobbles. This relationship may be the result of cobbles falling downslope, but also the greater height upslope may indicate that the cobbles were piled a significant amount of time after the construction of the original cromlech so that more soil erosion and wash had accumulated in the western area of the trench.
The soil matrix is 5YR 2.5/2 dark reddish brown clay loam with herbacious and grass fiber modifiers.
Locus 4 measures 3.05m E-W and 2.90m N-S, an approximate diameter of 9.975m. The cobbles range in size from 0.05 x 0.06m to 0.24 x 0.26m.
Elevations:
W (Upslope): -23cm
Center: -60cm
E (Downslope): -96cm
14 pieces of obsidian; 20 indeterminate sherds, 14 Group A sherds