Tepe Düzen: July 23, 2008

After three weeks of excavating at Tepe Düzen, the remains of a building of an impressive size, or a grouping of several smaller buildings, is slowly emerging from the excavated area. In a group of six 5x5m sectors (2 only partially excavated so far) we can distinguish a rectangular room with a length of at least 5m, and possibly two more or less square rooms north of it. The walls of the building are nicely built with two clear limestone paraments and a filling of smaller limestones, like the walls that were found during the previous excavation campaigns. The orientation of the building(s) as well is the same as the buildings excavated before, and like the previously excavated buildings, the walls (all first built during the oldest and second oldest phase) seem to have been reused during all the following occupational phases.

The amount of finds retrieved from this area is huge compared to the ones from the previous excavation campaigns. The third layer, which must be connected to the so-called "second oldest occupational phase", contains a large amount of finds, and several refuse pits, to be connected to the oldest and second oldest occupational phase, make it clear that the peak in the use of this building can be appointed to the early part of the occupation of the site.

As refuse pits usually deliver the most interesting finds, this was also the case in the sectors excavated during the previous weeks. More cassiterite (see webreport Geomorphology) was found, as well as some metal founds (of which some very nice arrow heads), pieces of worked bone (among which pieces of worked antler), and a part of a polished stone axe.

During the next couple of weeks, the excavations in this building will continue, with the aim to know the (complete) architectural plan, and to determine the function(s) of the building and/or the separate rooms with the help of our interdisciplinary small finds specialists.