KRAP 2006
K-14
Block 6 Summary

The 2006 Block 6 team consisted of Bill Parkinson (supervisor), Rod Salisbury (block captain), Margaret Neff, Abigail Smith, Sean Reynolds, and Juan Vidal (undergraduate students) and volunteers Walt Warner and Mónica Feher.

Goals and previous investigations:

Located in the center of Körösladány-Bikeri, Block 6 was opened to investigate several linear anomalies identified in the magnetometry results from geophysical investigations conducted in 2004. These appeared to be foundation trenches of a structure identified during geomagnetic survey of the site in 2004. Surface collection of the site conducted in the first week of the field season in 2005 revealed a moderately high concentration of artifacts in and around this area. Standard methodology at the site is to remove each stratigraphic layer, natural and cultural, to gain a good idea of both the horizontal and vertical distribution of features and artifacts. The first phase involves mechanical stripping of most of the plowzone. The bottom few centimeters of plowzone were removed by hand. After plowzone removal, each layer was excavated with shovels and trowels, one by one. In the northeast corner we dug a 1x1m test unit (sondage) to get a better sense of the stratigraphy in this portion of the site. The dark greyish brown clay loam changed to a slightly browner silty clay Cultural Layer followed by grey clay Palaeosol containing white calcareous flecking. Subsoil was yellowish brown clay. Soils are deeper here than in other parts of the site, leading to the division of the Cultural Layer into two excavation levels. Although the Cultural Layer was arbitrarily divided in two, there does not appear to be a significant difference in either artifact density or soil colour/texture between the two levels. Excavations revealed no wall trenches or postholes in this Block. Artifacts densities in the Cultural Layer were very light. We conclude that the center of the site had very ephemeral houses, with no wall trenches or deep postholes, or was deliberately left open for some other function (Figure 1).

Feature 35:

Feature 35 was the only feature identified in Block 6. F35 is a bell-shaped pit located in the southeast corner of the block. The pit was first identified at the base of the plowzone as a semi-circular are of lighter soil. The pit contained four distinct stratigraphic layers. Artifacts recovered from F35 include Early Copper Age Tiszapolgár jars and sherds, shell, fish scale and fish bone, animal bone, lithics, a piece of a large grinding stone, and possible pit lining. The original purpose of the pit was probably storage, and it was later filled, with perhaps several fill episodes (Figure 2 and 3).

• Figure 1 – Cultural Layer, Block 6, Körösladány-Bikeri.
• Figure 2 – Pit, F35, Block 6, Körösladány-Bikeri.
• Figure 3 – Pit, F35, Block 6, Körösladány-Bikeri.