Nonstructure 304, extramural surface

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Features

Burial pit (Feature 1) Top of page
General description
Disturbed burial pit or looter's pit in prehistoric ground surface.
Use history
Pit was either-- (1) used for a human interment and was disturbed in recent times, or (2) created by nonprofessional excavation of a burial.
Associated features
Human Remains Occurrence 1 (Nonstructure 304, Feature 2).
Excavation procedure
Recorded in provenience data, which are available through the "Field Data: Provenience Data" query in the multisite research database.
Portion excavated
Only the portion of the pit within the excavation unit; feature continues outside the unit to the east and the south.
Horizontal location
Located in southeast corner of a 1 x 1 excavation unit; south of the roomblock in Architectural Block 300.
Vertical location
Prehistoric ground surface (about 35 cm below modern ground surface).
Construction
Pit was excavated into undisturbed native sediment, either prehistorically or recently.
Remodeling/ modification
No
Thermal alteration
No
Sooting
No
Sealed
No
Preservation
Poor.
Degree of preservation
Recently disturbed.
Shape in plan view
Actual:  unknown.
Inferred:  basin-shaped.
Shape in cross section
Actual:  unknown.
Inferred:  elliptical.
Shape comments
Dimensions
 
Actual
Complete?
Inferred
Comments
Length
41
No
North-south.
Width
18
No
East-west.
Height
No
Depth
15
No
Stratigraphy
Stratum
Interpretation
Inclusions
Disturbance
Color
Texture
1
Burial was originally covered with fill, but has been recently disturbed
small sandstone rocks
recent
dark brown
silty clay loam
Human remains occurrence , HRO 1 (Feature 2) (NOTE: Additional information on human remains is archived at the Anasazi Heritage Center, Dolores, Colorado.) Top of page
General description
Concentration of disarticulated human bones and bone fragments (approximately 20).
Use history
Possibly originally a formal burial in a midden; appears to have been disturbed during recent, nonprofessional excavation.
Associated features
Burial pit ( Nonstructure 304, Feature 1).
Excavation procedure
Bones were exposed, mapped, photographed, and analyzed.
Portion excavated
Only the bones within the excavation unit; additional bones may be present outside the unit to the east and south.
Horizontal location
In southeast corner of excavation unit; south of the roomblock in Architectural Block 300.
Vertical location
35 to 40 cm below modern ground surface.
Construction
Not applicable.
Remodeling/ modification
No
Thermal alteration
No
Sooting
No
Sealed
Unknown
Preservation
Poor.
Degree of preservation
If this was originally a formal burial, it has been severely disturbed.
Shape in plan view
Actual:  unknown.
Inferred:  unknown.
Shape in cross section
Actual:  unknown.
Inferred:  unknown.
Shape comments
Dimensions
 
Actual
Complete?
Inferred
Comments
Length
80
No
Extent of exposed scatter north-south.
Width
45
No
Extent of exposed scatter east-west.
Height
No
Depth
27
No
Stratigraphy
Stratum
Interpretation
Inclusions
Disturbance
Color
Texture
1
Remains appear to have been disturbed by recent nonprofessional excavation
small rocks and sherds
Historic
dark brown
silty clay loam