This week, together with the arrival of the main excavation team, a number of Ankara University conservators including Selçuk Sener (conservator), Esra Aydemir, Serdar Akgönül, Nilgün Akkara and Cavit Cesur also joined us. The conservation team analysed the lime mortar to be used (lime: limestone gravel: pumice in a ratio of 3:4:2) for its durability, color, and texture. It was decided to go on with the same mortar that had been used during the previous two weeks.

The next task was the pointing of the western wall of Roman Baths, which is accessible from the Lower Agora. Because of the unstable wall above the vault, as a protective measure, a scaffold was set up for stones that might fall down. Pointing also started in the walls of the Early Byzantine thermopolion and shops installed in the East Portico of the Lower Agora. Together with the pointing, we also applied capping in the Domestic Area on the walls of room XXXIX and on the north walls of rooms XLIII, XL, XLI, XLII.

Another urgent task was the conservation of the vault covering room XVI, which had partially collapsed. Since the vault had lost its load bearing capacity, the stone infill between the vault and the wall nearby was no longer supported. In order to make the wall stable, the vault should be reconstructed up to a certain level and the area behind it filled with mortared rubble. After setting up a scaffold the reconstruction of the vault was initiated.

Documentation continued in the Domestic Area, the shops of the Lower Agora and the Roman Baths.