Structure 113, nonmasonry surface room

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Features

Pit: not further specified (Feature 1) Top of page
General description
This feature was a pit in the floor of Structure 113. The pit was slightly oval, and had vertical-to-conical sides. The base of the feature was flat. The pit was left open at abandonment, and roofing material collapsed into it.
Use history
Feature 1 was likely an informal storage pit built in the floor near the entryway into Pit Room 113.
Associated features
Excavation procedure
The feature was exposed on the pit room floor surface and bisect along its north-south axis. Excavated the west half in a full cut then profiled the eastern face. Excavate the east half in a full cut. All fill was put through an eighth-inch mesh except for a pollen sample from the base of the pit.
Portion excavated
The whole feature.
Horizontal location
Near the east wall of Pit Room 113 just south of the possible entryway.
Vertical location
Surface 1.
Construction
The feature was dug into the floor of Structure 113. The walls of the pit were comprised of the undisturbed native sediment.
Remodeling/ modification
No
Thermal alteration
No
Sooting
No
Sealed
No
Preservation
Excellent
Degree of preservation
Shape in plan view
Actual:  cylindrical
Inferred: 
Shape in cross section
Actual:  elliptical
Inferred: 
Shape comments
Pit is a slightly conical basin with irregular sides and a flat bottom.
Dimensions
 
Actual
Complete?
Inferred
Comments
Length
39
Yes
Width
27
Yes
Height
No
Depth
35
Yes
Stratigraphy
Stratum
Interpretation
Inclusions
Disturbance
Color
Texture
1
Roofing material.
Scarce occurrence of charcoal and burned adobe bits.
Roots.
Strong brown.
Loose silt.
Other (Feature 2) Top of page
General description
A 36 cm long trench excavated deep enough to mount several medium sized upright slabs. This feature appeared as a footer trench for upright slabs in the eastern wall of the pit room, Structure 113.
Use history
This feature was a footer trench, which held one or two upright sandstone slabs. These stones, in turn, supported upright slabs balanced on the 6-cm-wide ledge on the edge of the structure's east wall. Brush and beams were likely supported between the double uprights and arched across the structure to create a domed roof.
Associated features
Feature three.
Excavation procedure
Exposed the trench between a ridge on the east side of the pit room and distinct extramural surface. The upright slabs, mounted in the trench feature, were pulled out. The remaining fill was excavated, and screened through eighth inch mesh.
Portion excavated
The whole feature.
Horizontal location
Southeast quadrant of the excavation unit.
Vertical location
Surface-1.
Construction
The feature was excavated into undisturbed native sediment, 6-cm from the eastern edge of the pit room's wall. The trench was dug so that it could support an a 8-cm thick, 25 cm wide sandstone slab. The slabs in this trench helped to support other upright slabs on their interior face.
Remodeling/ modification
No
Thermal alteration
No
Sooting
No
Sealed
No
Preservation
Good
Degree of preservation
One of the upright sandstone slabs was a bit broken and deteriorated probably due to chaining and ranch development.
Shape in plan view
Actual:  other
Inferred: 
Shape in cross section
Actual:  elliptical
Inferred: 
Shape comments
The feature was V-shaped in cross-section.
Dimensions
 
Actual
Complete?
Inferred
Comments
Length
36
Yes
Width
7
Yes
Height
No
Depth
8
Yes
Stratigraphy
Stratum
Interpretation
Inclusions
Disturbance
Color
Texture
Posthole (Feature 3) Top of page
General description
This feature appeared as a circular feature close to the structure's east wall.
Use history
This post hole is just south of a gap in the slab-lining of the pit room which probably represents an entryway through the east wall. The post would have leaned to the north, across the top of opening, supporting the south side of the tapered doorway.
Associated features
Features one and two.
Excavation procedure
The feature was fully exposed on the structure floor. It was excavated in a full cut, and all the fill was collected as a flotation sample.
Portion excavated
The whole thing.
Horizontal location
Toward the northeast quadrant of the excavation unit.
Vertical location
Surface-1.
Construction
The feature was excavated into the floor and leaned slightly to the north. The feature was built into the base of the east wall of the structure.
Remodeling/ modification
No
Thermal alteration
No
Sooting
Sealed
No
Preservation
Excellent
Degree of preservation
There was some burned wood in the post hole, but it was too deteriorated to collect for a dendrochronology sample.
Shape in plan view
Actual:  basin-shaped
Inferred: 
Shape in cross section
Actual:  round
Inferred: 
Shape comments
Dimensions
 
Actual
Complete?
Inferred
Comments
Length
10
Yes
Width
9
Yes
Height
No
Depth
12
Yes
Stratigraphy
Stratum
Interpretation
Inclusions
Disturbance
Color
Texture
1
Burned beam and roof fall within the post hole.
Charcoal.
None.
No color was written down on the form.
No texture was written down on the form.