Excavations uncovered three insitu boulders placed in a row that were used as anvil stones in an area interpreted as a metallurgical workshop. Multiple surfaces of the boulders show signs of wear caused by hammering and grinding. Repeated use of the anvil stone in the foreground (GS 09-03) has created a clear depression on its upper surface and its left side is flattened by wear. The middle anvil stone (GS 09-02) has multiple depressions created by use on its upper surface. The anvil in the rear of the photo (GS 09-01) shows wear on its top and side surfaces, with dirt still embedded in a deep cup-shaped depression on its south-facing side in this photo. To the east (right) of the boulder in foreground, the flat surface of a grinding stone (GS 09-04) is visible in the east wall of the excavation unit. A broken pedestal base of a pot sits on its side to the east (right) of the middle anvil stone. In the upper left corner of the photo, a burned feature interpreted by archaeologists as the remains of a forge has been exposed. The red-and-white band above the photo sign is a two meter scale, marked in 10 cm increments. View looking north across two exavation units: 50N 2W (top of photo) and 48N 2W (bottom of photo). The 2x2m units have been excavated to slightly different depths. Site Ngre Kataa. 1 June, 2009.
A flat, thin iron disk. The object is corroded by rust. Its function is unknown. The disc was found in close association with a large anvil or grinding stone and adjacent to a distinctive pottery vessel and a smaller, irregularly shaped piece of flat iron (SF 09-171). This group of objects was located within an area (mound 6) that archaeologists interpret as a metallurgical workshop. Scale in cm. Width: 9.4 cm. Thickness: .2 cm. Weight: 49.3 g. Site Ngre Kataa. 4 July 2009.
A flat, irregularly shaped iron with circular depression. The object is corroded by rust and its original form and function are unknown. It was found in close association with a large anvil or grinding stone (GS 09-15), a circular iron disk (SF 09-370) and a distinctive pottery vessel (NK 09-787). This group of objects was located within an area (mound 6) that archaeologists interpret as a metallurgical workshop. Scale in cm. Width: 5.7 cm. Thickness: .2 cm. Weight: 9 g. Site Ngre Kataa. 4 July 2009.
Two views of a burned basin-shaped feature (Feature 2) in mound 6, unit 46N 2W, part of an area that archaeologists interpret as a metallurgical workshop. The feature has been sectioned to reveal its profile. Viewed from the top, the circular feature consists of a ring of fire-hardened yellowish red (Munsell color 5YR 5/8) sediment. The fire-hardened matrix is thicker at its top edge than it is at the bottom of the basin, where its color is dark red (Munsell 2.5YR 3.6). In profile view (second photo), the basin appears as a narrow band of yellowish red fire-hardened sediment. The fire-hardened sediment is thin and rounded at the base of the basin, suggesting that it may have formed around a round-based vessel used to heat metals. A thermoluminescence sample of the burned matrix yielded a date of 1490 +/- 50 years (Univ. Wash. 2364). Photo scale in cm. Site Ngre Kataa. 23 June 2009.
The south wall of excavation unit 50N 0W in mound 6 shows stratified layers that accumulated in an area interpreted as a metallurgical workshop. An anvil stone (GS 09-06; left of the sign board) is pedestaled insitu in the adjacent excavation unit (48N 0W). Other pedestaled grinding stones are visible to the right and behind the sign board. These stones were found just below the mound's top surface. A smaller grinding/anvil stone is visible in the east wall of unit 50N 0W, at a depth of one meter below the anvil stone. Burned orange-red lenses that archaeologists interpret as features associated with processing metals are visible in the strata between the stones. Ashy lenses are visible in the south and west walls. Evidence suggests that these layers built up through repeated use of this location for metalworking activities. Width of unit: 2 meters. Site Ngre Kataa. 9 July 2009.
View across four excavation units, looking west across an area interpreted as a metallurgical workshop. An anvil stone (GS 09-01) sits insitu in the foreground in unit 50N 2W. In the northwest corner of the same unit (below the roll of red flagging tape, right), the remains of a partially excavated burned feature interpreted as a forge are visible. A pottery jar (NK 09-686), lidded with a broken rounded base of another pot, is visible in the next unit (50N 4W). It sits adjacent to another burned feature in the unit's northwest corner (behind the pot, not visible in this photo). The jar is overlaid by another burned feature (visible as a layer of orange soil). A second pot (NK 09-685), to the left of the first, is covered by a flat stone (GS 09-13) whose lower surface shows evidence of grinding. A larger flat U-shaped grinding stone (GS 09-12) sits insitu atop a soil pedestal in the northeast corner of the next unit (50N 6W). To the south (left) of the stones, a partially exposed jar rim (NK 09-749) is visible close to the eastern edge of unit 50N 6W). Behind it, a large anvil/grinding stone (GS 09-15; faintly visible because it blends into the surrounding soil color) is partially exposed, with a smaller hammer/grinding stone (GS 09-16) sitting in front and left (south) of the large stone. A smaller grinding stone (GS 09-19; upper left of photo) has been pedestaled insitu in the farthest unit (50N 8W). Subsequent excavations in unit 50N 8W revealed a series of burned features in its northwest corner. A two meter yellow tape is extended along the edge of unit 50N 4W (right). Site Ngre Kataa. 24 June 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Provenance:
Ngre Kataa, Mound 6, Units 50N, 2 to 8 W, various levels
A boulder used as an anvil stone (GS 09-07) sits insitu in an excavated area interpreted as a metallurgical workshop. A black-and-white photo scale stick stands vertically against it. The boulder's upper surface shows signs of use wear and its north-facing side is marked by a cup-shaped depression that resulted from repeated use. To the north (left; center photo), a fist-sized hammer stone (GS 09-09) rests insitu on a pedestal of soil left in place as the unit was excavated. Another stone that shows evidence of use as a grinding stone sits nearby (GS 09-10; left in photo). The narrow band of loose soil angled across the southwest corner of the excavation unit (right of photo) was created by a burrowing animal. Photo stick and small arrow scale in 5 cm intervals; large arrow in 10 cm intervals. Photo scale arrows pointing north. Site Ngre Kataa. 2 June 2009.
Three burned features are visible at the base of level 6 in unit 46N 2W. Two circular features (F1, right & F2, left) have been cross-sectioned, creating a straight edge. Burned feature 3 is an irregularly shaped (rectangular) area pedestaled on the east (right) side of the excavation unit. Along the unit's west wall (left) is an unexcavated rectangular area. Within this matrix was a perforated pot (NK 09-789) lidded with the pedestal base from another pot. The perforated pot contained cowries and small fragments of iron. In units to the north (behind), a row of insitu anvil stones (GS 09-03, -09-02 and 09-01, near to far) is visible in units 48N 2W and 50N 2W. To the east (right) of these, a flat grinding stone (GS 09-08) and an anvil stone (GS 09-06) can be seen insitu in units 48N 0W and 50N 0W. A pottery jar (NK 09-790) rests insitu in the center of unit 50N 0W. To the left of the archaeologist in the blue shirt (Abass Iddrisu), a flat grinding stone (GS 09-12) and a pot (NK 09-685) lidded with a grinding stone (GS 09-13) are visible on the boundary between units 50N 4-6W. Excavation units measure 2 x 2 meters. Site Ngre Kataa. 24 June 2009.
Two views of a burned basin-shaped feature (Feature 2) in mound 6, unit 46N 2W, part of an area that archaeologists interpret as a metallurgical workshop. The feature has been sectioned to reveal its profile. Viewed from the top, the circular feature consists of a ring of fire-hardened yellowish red (Munsell color 5YR 5/8) sediment. The fire-hardened matrix is thicker at its top edge than it is at the bottom of the basin, where its color is dark red (Munsell 2.5YR 3.6). In profile view (second photo), the basin appears as a narrow band of yellowish red fire-hardened sediment. The fire-hardened sediment is thin and rounded at the base of the basin, suggesting that it may have formed around a round-based vessel used to heat metals. A thermoluminescence sample of the burned matrix yielded a date of 1490 +/- 50 years (Univ. Wash. 2364). Photo scale in cm. Site Ngre Kataa. 23 June 2009.
Partial iron projectile point, the tip of the head (left) broken off. The base of the head forms a right angle barb with the short tang. The tang (right) would have been inserted into a shaft made of bamboo, reed or lightweight wood to form an arrow. This point was found in an area (mound 7) that archaeologists interpret as a house mound. The artifact is corroded by rust. Scale in cm. Length: 9.1 cm. Weight: 13.6 g. Site Ngre Kataa. 4 June 2009.