Insitu anvil/grinding stones in excavation unit 50N 6W in an area (mound 6) that archaeologists interpret as a metallurgical workshop. Left of center photo, a large anvil stone (GS 09-15) sits next to a small stone, its lower surface worn flat by serving as a hand-held grinder. Behind this stone is an area of unexcavated soil on top of which pottery sherds had been found (now removed). Lower foreground, flanked by the black-and-white photo scale, is the partial rim of an everted-rim jar (NK 09-749). To the north of this (right), a large flat grinding stone with a well-worn upper surface (GS 09-12) has been pedestaled in place. Visible in the southern corner of the west wall of the unit (upper left) in this photo is a flat iron disk (SF 09-159), embedded in the wall above a small stone. Photo scales marked in 5 cm increments. Arrows pointing north. Site Ngre Kataa. 6 June 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Provenance:
Ngre Kataa, Mound 6, Unit 50N 6W, Level 4
Date:
2009-06-06
Location(s) Facet:
Ngre Kataa
Subjects:
Anvil stone; Grinding stone
Subjects Facet:
Excavations (Archaeology); Pottery; Metalworking; Iron
Insitu pottery and iron artifacts associated with clusters C and D of what archaeologists interpret as a shrine that capped stratified deposits in a metallurgical workshop. Cluster D appears in the foreground, left, below unexcavated soil remaining around the 48N 8W unit peg. Here two small stones flank a flat iron disc (SF 09-159, left) and a tri-looped iron bangle (SF 09-158, right). Cluster C is a large grouping of pottery and iron objects located north of the tree stump, center photo. Included were several whole pottery lids, a broken but mostly complete jar associated with an iron bangle (SF 09-148) and a pair of miniature iron manacles (SF 09-171). The bangle is visible, resting on a soil pedestal in front of the tree trunk's center. In the photo's upper right, a large anvil stone (GS 09-32), on which sits a yellow notebook, is visible. Flanking this stone on its western edge was a portion of an ivory tusk. Photo scale marked in 5 cm increments. Arrow pointing north. Site Ngre Kataa. 10 June 2009.
Insitu pottery and iron artifacts associated with cluster C of what archaeologists interpret as a shrine (clusters A-D) that capped stratified deposits in a metallurgical workshop. Center photo are two large pieces of an everted-rim jar, its exterior surface facing outward. Immediately above is a large portion of the same pot, its interior surface facing outward. Found positioned against the jar's interior surface was a pair of miniature iron manacles (SF 09-171, "B"-shaped object). An iron bangle (SF 09-148) was positioned at the jar's mouth, above the manacles. To the left of the bangle is the upper edge of a large grinding stone (GS 09-26), which later excavations revealed to be oriented with its grinding surface down. To the right of the bangle, a pedestal-handled pot lid (NK 09-381) rests with its interior surface oriented upward. At center photo, bottom, a pot lid with a strap handle (NK 09-382) rests on its side. To the right of the north arrow, portions of an another pedestal-handled pot lid lie with its interior oriented upward. Photo scale at upper right marked in cm. Arrow pointing north. Site Ngre Kataa. 10 June 2009.
Insitu pottery and iron artifacts associated with cluster C of what archaeologists interpret as a shrine (clusters A-D) that capped stratified deposits in a metallurgical workshop. Lower center of the photo are two large pieces of an everted-rim jar, its exterior surface facing outward. Immediately above is a large portion of the same pot, its interior surface facing outward. Found positioned against the jar's interior surface was a pair of miniature iron manacles (SF 09-171, "B"-shaped object). An iron bangle (SF 09-148) was positioned at the jar's mouth, above the manacles. To the left of the bangle is the upper edge of a large grinding stone (GS 09-26), which later excavations revealed to be oriented with its grinding surface down. To the right of the bangle, a pedestal-handled pot lid (NK 09-381) rests with its interior surface oriented upward. Photo scale marked in cm. View looking south. Site Ngre Kataa. 10 June 2009.
Excavation of a shrine cluster, two images. The image on left shows a pottery cluster, first exposed in June 2008, as it appeared on 10 June 2009. At bottom center of this image is a pedestal base, above which is a tight cluster of rim sherds. The curved sherd on the far right in this image is the outer edge of the pedestal-handled lid, which is fully exposed in the photo on the right, taken on 16 June 2009. A dog skull in a highly friable state is visible above and to the right of this lid in both photos. In the imgae on the right, an iron bangle (SF 09-219) can be seen resting in an angled position, below and left of which is a dog mandible. These were uncovered by excavation below and behind the pedestal base seen in the picture on the left. Photo scale marked in 5 cm increments. Site Ngre Kataa. 10 and 16 June 2009.
Two views of insitu anvil/grinding stones in excavation unit 50N 6W, part of an area (mound 6) that archaeologists interpret as a metallurgical workshop. In the photo looking northward (arrows point north), a large anvil stone (GS 09-15, foreground, left) sits next to a small stone, its lower surface worn flat by serving as a hand-held grinder. A large tree root is visible to the west of the stone, behind which is an area of unexcavated soil on top of which pottery sherds had been found (now removed). To the east and flanked by the black-and-white photo scale is the partial rim of an everted-rim jar (NK 09-749). To the north of this, a large flat grinding stone (GS 09-12) has been pedestaled in place. In the view looking west, the well-worn upper surface of this narrow stone can be seen. Visible in the southern corner of the west wall of the unit (upper left) in this photo is a flat iron disc (SF 09-159), embedded in the wall above a small stone. Further excavation showed that this disc was part of an object cluster that included a tri-looped iron bangle and interpreted as part of a shrine. Photo scales marked in 5 cm increments. Arrows pointing north. Site Ngre Kataa. 6 June 2009.
An insitu iron bangle (SF 09-132) made from a flattened iron rod with overlapping ends. The bangle occurred as an isolated find in the upper levels of an area (mound 6) that archaeologists interpret as a metallurgical workshop. Photo scales marked in 5 cm increments. Arrow pointing north. Site Ngre Kataa. 6 June 2009.
Insitu pottery and iron artifacts associated with clusters B and C of what archaeologists interpret as a shrine that capped stratified deposits in a metallurgical workshop. Cluster B encompassed the objects on the south (right) side of the photo, west of (below) the tree stump. To the right of the black-and-white photo stick (lower right) is an iron spike (SF 09-174), a half bangle (SF 09-173) and a slightly curved iron disc (SF 09-172) in a carefully placed composition. Immediately to the east (above in the photo), an aglomeration of pottery sherds is stacked. Later excavation revealed a pedestal-handled pottery lid, dog skull and jaw bones carefully placed below these sherds in cluster B. Cluster C encompassed the artifacts to the north (left) of the tree stump. These included a series of pottery lids, portions of single pottery jar and sherds from other pots. An iron bangle (SF 09-148) is visible above and slightly left of the top photo scale, sitting adjacent to a pottery lid (NK 09-381) lying with its interior surface up. This wider shrine assemblage overlaid burned features associated with metalworking activities. Black-and-white photo scale in 5 cm increments. Arrows pointing north. Site Ngre Kataa. 10 June 2009.
A tri-looped iron bangle (SF 09-158) and a flat iron disc (SF 09-159) exposed insitu between two stones. The surfaces of the stones showed signs of use for grinding. This group of objects (cluster D) was found near--and may have been part of--a larger cluster of objects (A-D) that archaeologists interpret as a shrine placed over stratified deposits in a metallurgical workshop. Photo scale marked in 5 cm intervals. Arrow pointing north. Site Ngre Kataa. 9 June 2009.
A cluster of burned features is exposed in the northwest corner of excavation unit 50N 8W in an area interpreted by archaeologists as a metallurgical workshop (mound 6). Along the unit's west wall (left in photo) is an amorphous zone of fire-hardened red (Munsell color 2.5YR 3/6) matrix. A piece of brass bar (SF NK 09-293) was found in soil associated with this burned feature. Above and to the right (northeast), two circular burned features are visible in outline. These basin-shaped features had a thin lining of fire-hardened sediment, red to dark red (Munsell 2.5 YR 3/6 & 4/8) in color. The basins were filled with loose ashy sediment and small pieces of charcoal. A sample of burned matrix from feature 1 (top right basin) yielded a thermoluminescence (TL) age estimate of 1500 +/- 40 CE (Univ. Wash. 2455). Further excavation revealed additional basin-shaped features beneath the amorphous burned feature. The excavation unit's northwest corner peg is visible, upper left. View looking north. Site Ngre Kataa. 27 June 2009.