Zincirli Field Manual 2010

The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago—Neubauer Expedition to Zincirli
FIELD MANUAL OF THE NEUBAUER EXPEDITION TO ZINCIRLI

by David Schloen
with contributions by Robert Mullins
[revised June 2010]
T HIS manual describes the excavation and recording methods used at the site of
Zincirli Höyük (ancient Sam’al) by the University of Chicago’s Neubauer Expedition
to Zincirli. To ensure consistency, accuracy, and efficiency during excavation and
postexcavation analysis, all members of the Zincirli field staff are required to study this
manual and to follow the procedures it describes. There will be regular staff meetings
during the field season in which field supervisors and specialists can share information
about the current excavations and long-term research goals. Staff members should also
study the Neubauer Expedition’s website and become familiar with its content.
Site Formation
A Near Eastern ruin mound (called a “höyük” in Turkish or “tell” in Arabic) is an
artificial hill that is the product of a series of settlements built one on top of the other
over a long period of time. Zincirli has an upper mound about 8 hectares in area that was
first settled in the third millennium B.C., if not earlier. Zincirli also has a lower mound
encircling the upper mound (40 hectares in all). The lower mound was occupied during
the first millennium B.C., at a time when the upper mound was made into a specialized
royal citadel.
Near Eastern mounded sites are formed by successive cycles of construction, occupation,
and then destruction of buildings that were made mainly of unbaked mudbricks. After a
longer or shorter period of use, ancient buildings were destroyed by fire, earthquake, or
conquering armies, or perhaps were intentionally torn down in order to make way for
new structures. When mudbrick buildings collapsed or were torn down, their walls
gradually dissolved and created a soil layer if they were left exposed to the elements for
even a few years. The builders of the next architectural phase broke up any remaining
wall stumps and raked them flat to prepare the ground for the new buildings; in some
cases, they reused the wall foundations in their new walls. Uneven areas or pits were
artificially leveled using fill material that was normally dug up from elsewhere on the site.
The stumps of walls, or at least their stone foundations, are usually preserved in this
leveled debris, which allows us to reconstruct the architectural plans of successive
buildings.
In many cases, the debris produced by the collapse of roofs and walls buried the floors
and courtyards, sealing the artifacts and occupational debris left behind on these surfaces.
For sociohistorical purposes, it is this occupational debris in its primary context which is
most informative about the activities of the inhabitants of the buildings. The pattern of
distribution of faunal remains, botanical remains, pottery, stone tools, and other artifacts
can reveal the function of rooms and buildings and the economic and social roles of their
inhabitants.
For chronological purposes, datable material that had accumulated on a surface gives a
terminus ante quem for the surface, which must have been laid down before the material
found on it. Datable material sealed beneath a surface gives a terminus post quem for the
surface, since it cannot have gotten there after the surface was made.
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Map of the 40-ha (100-acre) Iron Age walled city of Sam’al (modern Zincirli Höyük)
as it was in the seventh century B.C., showing the excavation areas of the
Neubauer Expedition of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago
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Digital Globe (Quickbird) satellite image of Zincirli
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“Period” and “Phase” versus “Stratum” or “Level”

A single major cycle of construction, use, and destruction over a period of decades is
often referred to as a “stratum” or a “building level.” But episodes of construction, use,
and destruction are not necessarily site-wide phenomena, so it is misleading to think of
the site as a layer cake of uniform strata or building levels. Strictly speaking, an
archaeological stratum is not an observed physical entity but rather an inferred temporal
construct pertaining to the architecture in use on a site in a particular period.
An observed cycle of construction, use, and destruction of contemporaneous buildings in
a particular excavation area will be referred to as a “phase” at Zincirli, not a “stratum,”
and such phases will not be assumed to continue across the site beyond the area in which
they were observed. This means that each contiguous area of excavation will have its
own independently numbered sequence of directly observed architectural phases. These
local phases will eventually be correlated with one another in terms of broader cultural
and political periods, keeping in mind that one area of the site might have more building
phases than another. But we will avoid the use of the ambiguous terms “stratum” or
“level” in favor of “phase” and “period.”
“Subphases” refer to the raising of floors or other minor additions and alterations made
to one or more buildings in a local architectural phase during its lifetime. The construc-
tional fills brought in to level up an area for new buildings can also be considered a
subphase. The goal of stratigraphic excavation is to identify the various stratigraphic
units (remnants of walls, floors, etc.) that give evidence of phases and subphases of
construction, use, and destruction or abandonment, and to remove them in the reverse
order of their construction and deposition.
Grid System
Zincirli is a circular site around 40 hectares in area (720 meters in diameter). Our
excavation grid is one square kilometer (1,000 meters × 1,000 meters) in size. The grid is
oriented north–south and encompasses the entire site. The grid is divided into one
hundred smaller units, each of which measures 100 meters × 100 meters (10,000 square
meters = 1 hectare). These 100-meter grid units are simply called “grids” in our system
(e.g., Grid 1, Grid 2, etc.). They are numbered from 1 to 100 in ten rows of ten, from
northwest to southeast; i.e., left to right and top to bottom on a north-oriented map, as
shown on the next page.
Excavation Squares
Each 100-meter grid unit is in turn divided into one hundred smaller units, each of which
measures 10 meters × 10 meters (100 square meters). These 10-meter units are simply
called “squares” in our system (e.g., Square 1, Square 2). Just like the 100-meter grid
units, the 10-meter squares are numbered in ten rows of ten, from northwest to
southeast.
The 10-meter square is the basic unit of excavation. Its location is specified by combining
the 100-meter grid number and the 10-meter square number within that grid (e.g., Grid
44, Square 79; or simply 44.79). In each 10-meter excavation square, there is a square
supervisor who supervises the digging and records information.
In some cases, it is necessary to use smaller excavation squares that measure only 1 meter
× 1 meter; for example, when excavating a floor or street on which occupational debris is
found in situ. These 1-meter squares are called “finegrid squares” (or just “finegrids”) in
our system. They are numbered from 1 to 100 within the 10-meter square, in ten rows of
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ten from northwest to southeast, just like the larger grid units. As a result, any one-
square-meter region on the site can be identified by a combination of grid, square, and
finegrid numbers (e.g., 44.79.52).
Square Supervisors and Area Supervisors

Each square supervisor reports to an area supervisor who oversees excavation in an area
consisting of two or more contiguous squares. The area supervisor advises the square
supervisor on excavation strategy and stratigraphic interpretation. The area supervisor
also assigns locus numbers to all stratigraphic units excavated within his or her area and
arranges for photographs as needed. The square supervisor keeps a detailed notebook,
which contains all of the forms, plans, and section drawings that describe what has been
excavated in his or her square (see below).
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Loci and Locus Numbering

In contrast to a grid square, which is an arbitrary division of space, a “locus” is a real
stratigraphic unit (e.g., a wall, floor, pit, etc.), which means that a given locus may span
more than one excavation square. The numbering of loci is thus independent of grid and
square numbers, although we usually record the grid and square of the locus along with
the locus number in order to see at a glance where the locus is on the site.
At Zincirli, each locus number is unique within the entire site. To accomplish this, locus
numbers consist of the letter “L” followed by six digits (e.g., L08-1001). The first two
digits indicate the season of excavation—“08” for the 2008 season—when the locus was
first uncovered. Some loci will be excavated for more than one season but they are
always referred to by the original locus number.
The first two digits are followed by a hyphen to make the six-digit number easier to read.
The third digit indicates the excavation area. The last three digits range from 001 to 999
and are assigned sequentially by the area supervisor to the loci uncovered in his or her
area during a given season. For example, in the 2008 season of excavation, the following
locus numbers would be used in Area 2: L08-2001, L08-2002, L08-2003, etc.
Whenever a locus number is written it is essential to include the season prefix
because the final four numbers are reused from one season to the next.
Separating Loci During Excavation

One of the most difficult things to do in an excavation is to distinguish stratigraphic loci
correctly and hence to keep separate the pottery and other material found in adjacent
loci. It is important to think of this in terms of the distinct temporal “event” of
construction, deposition, or erosion that produced a given locus, even if that event was
in some cases actually a long process, such as the erosion of a mudbrick building or the
slow build-up of a beaten-earth floor. Wherever possible, we want to distinguish material
that is associated with separate temporal events, although there are practical limits to how
far one can carry this out. For example, we would not normally assign a separate locus
number to each thin lamination or striation in an outdoor surface that had built up over
time. Nor would we normally distinguish the digging of a pit from its subsequent filling,
unless the filling of the pit occurred much later.
Note, however, that we will normally distinguish the construction of an installation such
as a storage bin, clay oven, hearth, or pottery kiln from the subsequent accumulation of
debris inside the installation after it had gone out of use. The latter must be given its own
locus number. Similarly, we will normally distinguish the debris that has accumulated on
top of a surface (i.e., on an indoor floor or outdoor street that people walked on) from
the surface itself and from the material under the surface. Each of these receives its own
locus number. This is obvious in the case of a plastered or cobbled floor, but this
distinction should be made even in the case of beaten-earth surfaces that are hard to
distinguish from the debris above and below them.
The general rule is that whenever there is a significant change in the color or com-
position of the soil, the current locus number should be closed and a new locus number
assigned. For example, when digging through fallen mudbrick debris that represents the
collapse of the walls of a house onto a floor, you may suddenly reach a thick deposit of
ash. The square supervisor will close the locus number assigned to the brick debris and
assign the next available number to the ash layer. Distinguishing this ash layer would be
very important, especially if it were lying directly on the floor, because the restorable
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pottery found in ash on a floor is much better for dating the last use of a building than
random potsherds collected from brick debris high above the floor.
Excavating Walls and Floors

Mudbrick walls usually had stone foundations to provide greater stability for the building
and to protect the bricks from moisture. This is especially true at Zincirli, where stones
for building are abundant. The height and width of the foundations depended on the size
of a building. Most stone foundations are two or three courses high and one or two rows
wide. Part of the original mudbrick superstructure may survive on top of the stone
foundations, but in many cases the bricks dissolved long ago into an undifferentiated
mass of debris that covers the floors and the wall foundations. The depth of this
accumulation is unpredictable. In some cases, it is only a few centimeters. At other times,
it can be a meter or more deep, depending on the size of the building.
In cases where the mudbrick superstructure survives, you must be careful not to dig
through the bricks. One way to recognize bricks is to note differences of coloration in
the soil. Most brick walls are more yellowish or reddish in color than the surrounding
soil. By scraping the surface you may eventually detect the wall line, where the line of
bricks shows up in contrast to the surrounding debris. Sometimes spraying water—or
observing the locus early in the morning when there is more moisture in the soil and the
light is indirect—can make the color of the bricks stand out better. It is important to
distinguish the brick lines as soon as possible because once they are found, excavation
can proceed on either side of the wall down to the floor.
As you approach the foundation of a wall, it is imperative not to cut unwittingly through
the floor. The goal is to identify the floor surface and trace it horizontally, so that the
artifacts that were left on the floor by the building’s inhabitants can be isolated and
associated with the final period of use of the building. Unfortunately, it is not always
clear where the floor was in relation to the stone foundations. The foundation stones
might have been placed in a foundation trench entirely below the floor level, or the top
of the foundation stones might have protruded above the floor. If you encounter intact
bricks still in place on top of the foundation stones, it is likely that the floor will be found
not far below the preserved top of the bricks. But if no bricks have survived, there is no
way of knowing whether you will reach the floor first or the stone foundations.
For this reason, excavation proceeds in thin horizontal swathes (5–10 cm deep) across
the excavation square, keeping a sharp lookout for evidence of a floor, rather than simply
probing to locate stone foundations—by the time the foundation stones are located, you
may well have dug right through the floor. This careful excavation technique is especially
necessary in cases where the walls had no stone foundations at all, which sometimes
occurs. In such a situation, the walls must be located by searching for remnants of intact
bricks, which may be shaved down to thin stubs only a few centimeters high. In the
worst case, when no bricks are detectable, the walls can be located by finding the edges
of floors, even though the walls themselves have disappeared.
Floors in elite buildings may be plastered, cobbled, or flagstoned and thus easy to detect,
but most ordinary buildings had floors made of beaten earth. Dirt floors are the same
color as the surrounding soil, so they are usually detected indirectly, by the presence of
material that was deposited on the floor when the building was in use. Beaten earth
surfaces often have ashy patches or organic residues (greenish or yellowish in color) from
human and animal activity. Flat-lying potsherds are another indication of a surface on
which people once walked. In some cases, however, the only indication is a slightly more
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compacted soil layer found at a level where a surface is expected on the basis of other
architectural indications.
Sometimes a floor is well preserved and is still attached to a neighboring wall, with a clear
lipping-up of the floor against the wall that establishes their relative stratigraphic
sequence (i.e., that the floor is deposited later than the wall). At other times, a floor is
preserved only in small patches, with the result that you might dig through a floor level
without realizing that there was a preserved patch only a short distance away. This is
another reason why it is important to excavate in thin horizontal swathes across the
entire square, as noted above, in order to minimize the chance of missing a floor due to
poor preservation. How a surface looks—and what kind of material was left on it—often
depends on whether it was inside a building or located outside in an open courtyard or
street. Keep in mind that a later wall foundation might have cut through an earlier floor
surface, so if there is a visible break between a floor and an adjacent wall, the floor may
actually be earlier than the wall and may belong to an earlier building (or an earlier phase
of the same building).
Excavating Pits
The process of stratigraphic excavation is complicated by the tendency of ancient people
to dig pits at unpredictable locations in order to bury garbage or store food. By digging
pits, they disturbed earlier deposits on the site and introduced material of a later date into
earlier levels of the mound. It is important to detect pits in the course of excavation,
assign them their own locus numbers, and excavate their contents before proceeding to
dig the earlier material into which the pit was cut. If a pit is not identified and isolated in
the course of excavation, the material within it will be incorrectly mixed with the material
in the surrounding locus.
Some pits are easy to detect because they are lined with stones, clay, or plaster. But many
pits are unlined and can be hard to identify. You may see a tell-tale outline in the soil
caused by the slight difference in color between the pit’s contents and the surrounding
debris. Another clue is that the soil within a pit is usually softer and less compacted than
the surrounding soil. An unusual jumble of pottery, stones, and other rubble in one spot
in the square may also indicate the presence of a pit or some other disturbance.
Delineation and Labeling of Architectural Spaces: Rooms, Complexes, Streets, Plazas, and Buildings
Groups of adjacent loci are often interpreted as architectural spaces bounded by walls
and connected by doorways and open areas. In the Zincirli recording system, a “room” is
a walled space that may be roofed or unroofed (note that a walled courtyard is defined as
a room). A “complex” is a physically contiguous collection of rooms that are bounded by
open exterior spaces (streets and plazas); thus a complex is similar to what might be
called an insula or block elsewhere. A “street” is a linear open space between complexes
that clearly functioned as a travel route or passageway (an alley is simply a small street). A
“plaza” is a larger open space, usually at the intersection of streets.
A “building” is an architectural unit within a complex that consists of one or more rooms
that have been interpreted as constituting a single dwelling unit or functional unit on the
basis of doorways, abutting walls, and other criteria. A complex normally contains one or
more buildings, but it is not always possible to demarcate specific buildings within a
complex of rooms. The interpretation of which room belongs to a particular building is
often debatable, hence the labeling of buildings is independent of the labeling of
complexes and rooms. Rooms and complexes are directly observable, whereas buildings
are a matter of interpretation.
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The labeling conventions for architectural spaces, which should be marked on phase
plans, are as follows:
• Complexes are labeled using upper-case letters (e.g., Complex A, Complex B,
Complex C, etc.) with letters assigned from left to right and top to bottom on the
overall site plan (i.e., west to east and north to south), wherever possible.
• Rooms are labeled within complexes using Arabic numerals (e.g., Room 1, Room
2, Room 3 within Complex A, or more briefly, Room A1, Room A2, Room A3,
etc.). If rooms within a complex were removed, inserted, or rearranged from
phase to phase, new room numbers are assigned in each phase or subphase; i.e.,
if a room was partitioned into two smaller spaces, each new walled space receives
a new number in the plan for that phase.
• Streets and plazas are labeled independently of complexes using Arabic numerals
(e.g., Street 1, Street 2, etc.), from left to right and top to bottom on the site plan.
• Buildings are labeled within complexes using Roman numerals (e.g., Building I,
Building II, Building III within Complex A, or more briefly, Building A/I,
Building A/II, Building A/III, etc.).
Excavation Technique
The basic digging sequence is (1) pick, (2) scrape, (3) level, (4) brush. First, pick to a
depth of 5–10 centimeters using a large pick in order to loosen the dirt; then scrape the
loosened debris into a bucket with a large hoe and level the area as you go. When nearing
a floor, dig with a small hand pick and scrape the debris into a dust pan with a trowel in
order to find small items that could be missed using a large hoe. The final step is to brush
the entire area with brush and dustpan in order to get a good look at it before proceeding
to excavate the next 5–10 centimeters.
Pottery Pails
Potsherds found within a given locus are placed in pails to be taken away for washing,
sorting, and analysis. Each pail is labeled with the grid, square, and locus number. If the
locus is being excavated in 1-meter finegrid squares (see below), the finegrid number will
also be included. In all cases, a pottery pail number will be included. Pail numbers are
assigned by the square supervisor in sequential order as pails are filled, regardless of
which locus the pail is from, starting with pail number 1 at the beginning of the season.
If several loci are being excavated at once, the pail numbers associated with a given locus
might be quite random, since pail numbers are assigned as needed in the course of the
day. The square supervisor therefore keeps a running list of pail numbers using the
“Daily Worksheet” form (using as many sheets as necessary). On the “Daily Worksheet”
is recorded the locus number for each pail, the top and bottom elevations of the volume
of soil from which the contents of the pail were collected, and other information about
the pail.
Although each pottery pail comes from one and only one locus, the pail numbering
system is tied to grid location and so is independent of the locus numbering system.
Furthermore, the pail numbering sequence is reset to “1” at the beginning of each
excavation season to avoid long and unwieldy pail numbers that would be required after
several seasons of excavation. This means that both the grid square location and the
season of excavation must be indicated in order to identify a particular pottery pail,
using the format Pyy-gg.ss[.ff]#nnn, where
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• P indicates a pottery pail

• yy is the year of excavation
• gg is the 100-meter grid number
• ss is the 10-meter square number
• ff is the 1-meter finegrid number (if applicable)
• nnn is the pail’s serial number within the 10-meter square
For example, P08-44.79#123 is the pail number for the 123rd pottery pail excavated in
2008 in Grid 44, Square 79.
The locations of pottery pails should be noted on the daily top plan. Pottery tags must be
filled out using a black fine-point Sharpie and attached firmly to the handle of the pail.
They should contain the following information: grid, square, pail, finegrid (if applicable),
locus, initials of the area and square supervisors, and date of excavation. On the back of
the tag should be written the number of “buckets” (8-liter pails full of debris) that were
removed to produce the pottery in the pail. As a backup in case the original tag is lost or
becomes unreadable, an abbreviated duplicate tag should be filled out and placed inside
the pottery pail. This duplicate tag should list the grid, square, pail, and locus.
Intact or Restorable Pottery Vessels
Intact pottery vessels and pots that are smashed in situ and are clearly restorable should
not be placed in a pottery pail but should be drawn on the daily top plan, photographed,
and then bagged and tagged like artifacts and delivered directly to the object registrar (see
below). Such items are treated as registered objects and they bypass the potsherd washing
and sorting process.
If a concentration of sherds appears to contain joining sherds but is not obviously from a
single vessel, the sherds should be collected in a separately numbered pail and the word
“RESTORE” should be written on the back of the tag. The pail will then be delivered
for pottery washing as usual.
Excavation Using Finegrid Squares

Loci consisting of occupational debris lying immediately on top of surfaces on which
people once walked (floors, courtyards, streets) will normally be divided into 1-meter
finegrid squares, with a separate pottery pail for each. The compacted soil makeup below
a beaten-earth surface might also be excavated using finegrid squares, to a depth of a few
centimeters, at the discretion of the area supervisor, even if it belongs to a different
locus, in cases where there is material trodden below the surface whose spatial
distribution is thought to be significant.
Pottery and other small finds must be tagged separately within each finegrid square.
These likely represent the discard of items in the immediate context in which they were
used and thus are important for determining patterns of ancient activity. Wall stumps,
wall and roof collapse, erosional layers, and leveling fills containing debris in secondary
or tertiary contexts (i.e., debris that has been dug up in antiquity and moved once or even
twice from its original context) will not normally be fine-gridded.
Normally, all of the soil within a finegrid square that belongs to a single locus will be
excavated all at once and sent in as a flotation sample in one or more extra-large plastic
bags (see below). However, in cases where the locus is very thick or is horizontally
extensive, a more limited, yet systematic, selection of 1-meter finegrid squares may be
excavated at the discretion of the area supervisor (e.g., alternating squares in a
checkerboard pattern, or one square in four, etc.).
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Handling of Excavated Artifacts

Potsherds are placed in a pottery pail that has been tagged by the square supervisor with
the grid, square, locus, and pail numbers and the date of excavation (see above). Bones
are placed in a paper bag that is similarly labeled, and other small finds are given to the
square supervisor to be tagged and boxed. Charred grain or seeds should not be touched
but must be collected by the area supervisor using the correct technique to avoid
contamination (see below), so that radiocarbon dating can be done on them. Charred
wooden beams must be carefully wrapped in string to preserve them for dendro-
chronological analysis.
Intact pottery vessels or obvious restorable vessels (e.g., vessels found smashed on
floors), inscribed potsherds (ostraca), and unusual sherds should be handled as objects to
be registered. Their findspots should be indicated on the daily top plan, they should be
photographed, if possible, and they should be placed in a plastic bag or pail and delivered
to the object registrar in the same way as other objects. In the case of a restorable vessel
that has been broken into several pieces, the 1-meter finegrid square(s) in which the
vessel was found should be recorded on the tag.
Soil Samples for Flotation and Recovery of Botanical Remains

It is important to remember that a “pottery pail” represents a particular volume of soil
and its contents. In some cases, there is no pottery. This occurs when a pottery pail
number is assigned to a soil sample to be used for flotation (to recover botanical remains
and microartifacts) or for wet-sieving (to recover small artifacts and bones). Each soil
sample sent for flotation or wet-sieving is given its own pail number.
A soil sample for flotation must be taken from each 1-meter finegrid square. Do not
pick out obvious pottery and bone from the finegrid squares but leave everything
except registerable small finds in the soil sample. This results in systematic sampling of
the occupational debris layers found on floors, courtyards, and streets (all of which will
normally be finegridded). All of the soil in the finegrid square should be placed in one or
more extra-large plastic bags. Three identical tags must be created for each bag of soil:
one tag should be tied to the bag and the other two placed inside the bag. The letters
“FS” (for “flotation sample”) should marked on the upper right corner of each tag. Note
that only one pottery pail number is assigned for the soil taken from a given 1-meter
finegrid square, even if the soil fills more than one plastic bag. In that case, add a
lowercase letter (a, b, c) to the pail number on the tag and indicate on each tag how many
8-liter buckets were used to collect the sample. The pail number, locus number, and the
total volume (in liters) of the flotation sample must be recorded on a “Daily Worksheet.”
In addition to systematic sampling according to finegrid squares, a flotation sample must
also be taken from within each oven, hearth, storage bin, trash pit, or other feature that is
likely to contain botanical remains. Flotation samples may be taken from secondary or
tertiary deposits such as leveling fills, but here a judgmental sampling strategy is employed,
meaning that a sample should be taken wherever a substantial concentration of botanical
remains is observed. Such a sample should be quite large, consisting of four buckets of
soil (ca. 32 liters), or all of the soil in the locus if fewer than four buckets are available,
because the density of botanical finds is low and large volumes are needed to achieve a
representative sample suitable for archaeobotanical interpretation. Flotation samples are
not normally taken from topsoil, which contains many modern plant remains.
Carbonized grain or seeds found in primary contexts should be collected for possible
radiocarbon dating. Such seeds must be preserved intact, if at all possible. They should
be handled only with metal tools, wrapped immediately in aluminum foil, and then
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placed in a box. Charcoal fragments of significant size suitable for dendrochronology or

tree species identification (ca. 3 centimeters or larger) should also be collected and
carefully placed in a box padded with toilet paper. Larger wooden beams must be
wrapped in string in order to keep them intact. When charred wood or seeds are brought
in from the field, they should be given to the object registrar for registration.
For archaeobotanical purposes, a full flotation sample might also be taken from the
location where a seed or charcoal fragment is found—not just in primary loci but also in
secondary and tertiary loci (in which case the seeds or charcoal can simply be included
within the flotation sample). Details concerning a flotation sample must be carefully
recorded by the square supervisor on the “Flotation Sample from Locus” form, including
information about the context of the sample, whether it is systematic or judgmental, and
what is known about its chronology. This is crucial for organizing the laboratory work
schedule for archaeobotanical analysis and for getting a quick overview of the
interpretive potential of the samples.
During the process of flotation, the archaeobotanist will keep the heavy fraction from
every soil sample for later study by other specialists. The heavy residue, which may
include lithic debitage, small artifacts, and remains of microfauna, must be dried, bagged,
and tagged, just like the organic remains in the light fraction. Both the organic remains
and the heavy fraction are registered as objects by the object registrar.
Soil Samples for Wet-sieving and Recovery of Small Artifacts and Faunal Remains
Soil samples must be taken from each debris-layer locus to be sent for wet-sieving in
order to recover small artifacts and faunal remains. The samples for wet sieving should
be taken each morning, or at the beginning of the excavation of a new locus, at vertical
intervals of approximately 10 cm. A sample consisting of from one to five buckets of
excavated sediment (8 liters per bucket) should be taken, depending on the size of the
locus. Do not overfill the buckets. If a registerable small find is found in the process of
collecting the sample, it should be separately bagged and logged as usual, following the
normal procedure for small finds.
In the smallest loci, one bucket of soil should be taken from the center of the locus. For
larger loci, more buckets are required, taken from evenly spaced locations within the
locus. In horizontally extensive layers that occupy most, if not all, of the square, a
representative sample of five buckets of soil should be taken, alternating daily between an
× pattern, in which one bucket is filled from each corner of the locus and one from its
center, and a + pattern, in which four buckets are filled from the midpoints on each side
of the locus and an additional bucket is taken from its center. This superimposition of an
× and + sampling strategy forms a “Union Jack” pattern of sampling during the course
of excavation of a large locus, making allowance for the spatial variability in the density
and character of the finds while keeping the task of wet-sieving and subsequent sorting
of the sieved material logistically manageable.
In addition to the systematic sampling described above, in which a sample consisting of
from one to five buckets of soil is taken from each locus in an evenly distributed pattern,
judgmental samples can be taken at the discretion of the area and square supervisors. Unlike
systematic samples, from which pottery and bones should not be removed in the field,
obvious sherds and bones should be removed from judgmental samples and collected as
usual. This is because judgmental samples will not be sorted carefully by a specialist but
will be examined quickly after wet-sieving only by the square supervisor during the
afternoon work period. The purpose is to retrieve small artifacts that might otherwise be
missed from locations that are deemed particularly promising.
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A pottery pail number is assigned to each bucket of soil with the letters “WS” (for “wet-
sieve sample”) marked on the upper right corner of the tag, or “WSJ” for judgmental
samples. The pail number, locus number, and the abbreviation “WS” (or “WSJ”) must be
recorded on a “Daily Worksheet.” The location from which each bucket was filled
should be marked on the daily top plan using a triangle symbol with the pail number and
the letters “WS” (or “WSJ”) written beside it. The elevation of the locus at the time of
sampling should also be recorded as the top elevation of the pail on the “Daily
Worksheet” (in most cases it will be the opening height for the day). Two tags are
required for each bucket: one tied to the bucket and the other inserted into the sediment.
It is important to be clear about the relationship between wet-sieve samples, which do
not retrieve botanical remains, and flotation samples, which are intended to retrieve
botanical remains. In the case of a non-finegridded locus, the two kinds of samples are
simply taken from different parts of the locus. But in the case of a fine-gridded locus
(e.g., a primary floor context), wet-sieve samples will not be collected as for other types
of locus. Instead, the soil in each 1-meter finegrid square will be collected as a flotation
sample in the usual way (described above). After flotation, the heavy fraction will be
sorted as for a wet-sieve sample.
Wet-sieving Procedure
Wet-sieving will normally be done by a hired worker, but it is important for field
supervisors to understand the procedure. The buckets containing the soil samples are
first filled with water and the sediment is allowed to soak for half an hour. Then a length
of flexible mesh (mosquito netting) is laid over the frame of the sieve and the contents of
the bucket are poured into the sieve. The sediment is washed using gentle water pressure
(e.g., by means of a hose) while the large pieces of mud are carefully broken apart by
hand. When the sample is as clean as possible (i.e., all the mud has been washed away,
which should take no more than 5 minutes), the sediment is wrapped up in the mesh on
which it was washed and the mesh is tied up so that nothing spills out of it. The tag that
was originally inserted into the sediment in the bucket remains inside the mesh with the
sieved residue, and the tag that was tied to the bucket is tied to the mesh.
The mesh bundles are eventually brought to the processing yard where the mesh is
opened up flat on the ground and the moist residue is spread out on the mesh to dry. It
will be spread out to dry by square supervisors or square assistants, who should carefully
examine the residue for registerable small finds and remove those if they see them. After
the residue is totally dry (this will take one or two days), it is transferred to plastic bags.
These bags are punctured to prevent the build-up of moisture. One tag is placed inside
the bag and the other is tied to the bag.
The wet-sieved residues will eventually be examined by specialists. Normally, half of each
sample will be studied by a microfaunal specialist and the other half will be sorted by
hired workers who will separate the residue into the following categories using brushes
and the pincers: (1) bones, (2) pottery, (3) flint, (4) shells, (5) botanical remains, and (6)
miscellanea. These sorted finds will be placed in individual Ziploc bags and tagged
separately. Each tag must contain the complete information found on the original tag,
plus the name of the find-category (“Bone,” “Pottery,” “Flint,” etc.) followed by the
letters “WS” for “wet-sieve sample.” These finds will then be given to the registrar.
The heavy fraction resulting from flotation should be handled in exactly the same way as
wet-sieved residue because the flotation samples taken from 1-meter finegrid squares in
primary floor loci serve as substitutes for systematic wet-sieve samples in those loci. The
heavy fraction should be examined for registerable small finds. After drying, half of it
should be set apart for the microfaunal specialist and the other half sorted.
13
Pottery Sorting and Registration

Pottery serves four main purposes: (1) it helps the excavators control the stratigraphy of
the site by indicating when material from different loci is being mixed; (2) it tells us about
the lifeways of the ancient inhabitants; (3) it tells us about the local pottery-making
traditions, outside influences on those traditions, and trade with the outside world; and
(4) it helps us to date occupational phases to particular historical periods via comparisons
with the pottery found at other well-dated sites—although this mode of dating should by
no means be allowed to override the local chronological sequence derived from the site’s
own stratigraphy or the absolute dates obtained via radiocarbon or dendrochronology.
Pottery registration at Zincirli is a three-tiered system: (1) initial sorting, with the discard-
ing of body sherds from non-primary loci; (2) typological description and labeling of all
diagnostic sherds and vessels; and (3) analysis of the diagnostic pottery chosen for
drawing, photography, and publication.
1. Initial Sorting
After pottery is collected in the field, it is washed and dried. Pottery should be sorted
only after it is completely dry. Plastic bags into which the sherds are placed after sorting
should have holes punched in them; otherwise, condensation may build up and damage
the pottery.
The initial sorting of the pottery is done during the afternoon work period by the square
supervisors and square assistants. Two forms are used during this process: the “Pottery
Body Sherd Summary” and the “Daily Worksheet” (these forms are filed in the square
supervisor’s field notebook). After dumping the pottery on the sorting table, the relevant
field context information must be transferred from the pottery pail’s tag onto these two
forms. The number of buckets of dirt excavated to produce the pail of pottery should
have been recorded on the back of the pottery pail’s tag; this number must be copied
onto the “Daily Worksheet” if this was not done previously.
The first step in sorting is to create three piles, one of diagnostics (rims, handles, bases, and
any decorated sherds, e.g., those with slipped, painted, incised, or plastic decoration), one
of body sherds, and one of obvious imports (e.g., Cypriot, Aegean, Anatolian, Mesopotamian).
The body sherds should be counted first since additional diagnostics or imports may be
found when examining the sherds more closely. There are only two cases in which a
body sherd should be added to the pile of diagnostic sherds: when the sherd is decorated,
or when enough of a body profile survives that the pottery specialist can discern what
kind of vessel the sherd once belonged to. Otherwise, body sherds are not very useful
because they can belong to any number of vessel classes or types.
During sorting, body sherds should be inspected to see if they have been used as ostraca
and bear an inscription that has been incised or written in ink. If so, the sherd is a
valuable find. It should be separately bagged and tagged and given immediately to the
object registrar for registration.
Body sherds should be sorted into five groups: (1) plain body sherds (PB), i.e., common
wares; (2) fine body sherds (FB), i.e., those with well-levigated clays and a higher firing
temperature; (3) cooking pot sherds (CP); (4) storage jar sherds (SJ); and (5) clay oven
(tandır/tabun) or crucible fragments (T). The code for each group goes under the
“Type/Class” column in the “Pottery Body Sherd Summary” form. The total number of
sherds in each group and their total weight are recorded. Two sherds are selected that
show the minimum and maximum body thicknesses of the group [but note that we
ceased measuring thicknesses in August 2008]. For most loci, the body sherds should be
14
discarded once this information has been recorded. If the body sherds come from a
fine-gridded locus, however, or from another locus that is designated by the area
supervisor as a primary locus, then all the body sherds should be kept. Body sherds
that are retained from such a locus go into a large plastic bag with holes punched in it,
together with a pottery tag that duplicates the original tag.
At this stage, the diagnostic sherds and the obvious imports should simply be counted
and their total number recorded as the “Number of diags.” on a “Daily Worksheet” form
for the relevant grid-square. The imported pottery should be placed in Ziploc bags (one
bag for Cypriot, one for Aegean, etc.) for later study by the relevant regional specialists.
A pottery tag that duplicates the original tag must be placed inside each bag. The number
of imported sherds separated out in this way should be recorded on a blank tag that is
then placed in the bag with the main group of diagnostics.
Diagnostics should always be bagged separately from body sherds. The original pottery
tag should be placed inside the bag of diagnostics and the bag tied shut—but loosely so it
can be reopened easily. In the case of finegridded loci and other primary loci for which
all sherds are to be kept, the bag of diagnostic sherds should be placed (without a tag)
inside the bag of body sherds, in which the original tag should be placed.
When the initial sorting is completed, the pottery bags are placed in a storage bin, from
which they will be moved to the storeroom for storage by locus and for further
processing at a later date.
2. Typological Description and Registration of Diagnostic Sherds and Vessels

The decision about which pottery is to be studied is based mainly on the quality of its
context; i.e., whether the pottery comes from a primary, secondary, or tertiary locus. All
pottery from primary loci will be studied and, if time permits, pottery from secondary
loci will also be examined. Pottery from tertiary loci may be examined on occasion, since
unique pieces are sometimes found even in disturbed or unreliable contexts; but in most
cases, pottery from tertiary contexts is not registered and is simply left in the bag for
future reference.
The area supervisors will give graded lists of loci to the pottery specialists so they know
which pottery to remove from storage for registration and analysis. There will be regular
staff meetings in which the area supervisors will present photographs and plans of
important loci to the rest of the staff, with comments on the nature of the contexts and
their stratigraphic relationships.
The pottery specialist will select sherds for registration and assign a unique number to
each sherd. Each registered potsherd is assigned a unique number prefixed by the letter
“C.” The first two digits of the number indicate the season during which the registration
number was assigned (which may not be the season when the item was excavated), after
which is a hyphen and a serial number that starts at “1” at the beginning of each season
(e.g., C08-1, C08-2, C08-3, etc.). The letter code and season prefix are an essential part of
the registration number and must be included whenever the number is written. The
registration number is recorded in the “Pottery Register” form with the associated grid,
square, pail, finegrid (if applicable), and locus number.
Each registered sherd is placed in a Ziploc bag together with a tag on which is written the
grid, square, pail, and locus numbers (and finegrid, if applicable), and the sherd
registration number (e.g., C08-123) in the top right portion of the tag.
Any mending or vessel restoration should be done before this stage. The sherds of a
restored or partially restored vessel do not need to be registered individually; instead, the
15
vessel is given an object registration number beginning with “R” (see below) and is
labeled with that number, except in the case of just two or three joining sherds, which are
not assigned an object number but are registered individually with “C” numbers.
After registration, the diagnostic sherds from a given locus are laid on a table (in their
Ziploc bags) and sorted by class: bowl, krater, cooking pot, lamp, etc. The pottery
specialist then records information about each diagnostic sherd or vessel on the “Pottery
Typology” form, using the codes defined in the “Pottery Typology Codes.” In cases
where there is more than one sherd of the same type, these can be recorded together,
indicating the total number of sherds of that type. This cannot be done, however, if there
is something distinctive about the individual sherds. For example, there may be three
sherds from the same type of bowl, but one may have no decoration, another a red-
painted rim, and another an incised rim.
After a sherd or vessel has been recorded on the “Pottery Typology” form, a green dot
should be marked on the upper right corner of its tag next to the sherd registration
number (or the object registration number, in the case of an intact or restored vessel) to
indicate that its typological description was completed.
3. Analysis of Diagnostic Pottery Chosen for Drawing, Photography, and Publication

Once the typological description of diagnostic (including imported) sherds and vessels is
completed, a decision is made about which pottery is to be drawn, photographed, and
published. In most cases, this decision is made on the basis of the degree of preservation
of the vessel. Whole forms and those with relatively complete profiles are always
published. If a particular type is not adequately represented in a particular phase, then
even quite small sherds may be published to ensure that there is a comprehensive
representation of the pottery types from each phase of occupation. This is why it is
important to check secondary loci, since some types may be absent in primary contexts.
Pottery chosen for publication goes through a third stage of analysis in which the pottery
specialist records details about the clay fabric, production technique, and firing. This
information is recorded on the “Pottery Analysis” form, which is appended to the
relevant “Pottery Typology” form. The pottery is then drawn. When a drawing is
finished, a red dot is marked next to the green dot on the tag indicate that the sherd or
vessel has been analyzed and drawn.
Finally, pottery selected for photography (which does not necessarily include all pottery
that has been drawn) is either photographed by the pottery specialist or given to the
object photographer. A blue dot is marked on the tag to indicate that the sherd or vessel
has been photographed. Photographs of individual sherds are named using the sherd
number (e.g., C08-123.jpg), whereas photographs of intact, restored, or partially restored
vessels are named using the object registration number (e.g., R08-321.jpg).
To repeat: (1) a green dot means “typologically registered,” (2) a red dot means “analyzed
and drawn,” and (3) a blue dot means “photographed.”
Small Finds and Soil Samples Associated with Pottery Pails

The term “pottery pail” has an extended meaning, referring not just to a group of
potsherds but to the entire volume of soil or debris in which those sherds were found.
Bones and bone tools, metal artifacts and slag, lithic artifacts and débitage, terracotta
figurines, beads and other jewelry, seals and sealings, cuneiform tablets, and many other
kinds of items that are found in the same volume of soil are labeled in the same way as
the associated pottery, using the same kind of tag and specifying the grid, square, pail,
16
finegrid(s), locus, initials of the area and square supervisors, and date of excavation.
Information about each find must also be recorded on a “Daily Worksheet,” where a
unique “sticker number” or findspot “point ID” is recorded for each item (see below).
Each type of material is placed in a separate bag, together with its tag. Bones should be
placed in paper bags with a tag inside the bag and the tag information written with a
black Sharpie on the outside of the bag. After washing and drying in the processing yard,
the bones will be transferred to plastic bags, which should be perforated to avoid the
build-up of moisture within the bag. Note that human bones should not be washed,
in order to avoid damage to them; they should just be brushed gently to remove
the soil.
Special finds should be placed individually in paper bags with a tag inside the bag and the
tag information also written on the outside of the bag with a Sharpie. Small or delicate
items should be put in a plastic box of a suitable size, padded carefully with tissue paper
both above and below (i.e., not rolled up in the paper) and covered with a close-fitting
lid, in such a way that the item is not crushed but at the same time is held securely in the
box and cannot rattle around inside it. The box is then placed in a paper bag, with a tag
inside the box (if there is room) or else inside the bag and the tag information written on
the outside of the paper bag with a Sharpie. Large and sturdy items can be placed in a
pail or in a large plastic bag instead of a paper bag, with a tag inside the pail or bag and a
duplicate tag on a string tied securely to the pail or around the mouth of the bag.
The findspots and elevations of special finds must be recorded on the daily top
plan beside the sticker number or point ID of the item.
Articulated Human and Animal Remains

Disarticulated bones and teeth found in the course of excavation will be tagged and
bagged like other material associated with pottery pails, but articulated or partially
articulated skeletons receive special treatment. Depending on whether the skeleton is
animal or human, either the faunal specialist or the human remains specialist will be
called in to examine it and to decide how it should be excavated. In many cases, the
specialist will excavate it herself. The associated sediments should be wet-sieved in order
to recover small bones.
If the skeleton (human or animal) was buried in a pit, grave, or tomb, this is given a locus
number as a discrete stratigraphic unit. Not all corpses were buried, however, in which
case the associated locus is the floor or street surface on which the skeleton came to rest.
The area supervisor is responsible for having photographs taken and drawings made (at
1:10 scale) of skeletal remains, in consultation with the relevant specialist. This is
especially important for articulated or partially articulated remains.
In the case of human remains, a “Human Remains in Locus” form must be filled out by
the excavator and placed in the square notebook with the other forms pertaining to the
same locus. Each human skeleton or partial skeleton (if sufficiently preserved) is assigned
a unique number by the human remains specialist, either at the time of excavation or
during subsequent processing of the remains. This number is prefixed by the letter “H.”
The first two digits of the number indicate the season during which the registration
number was assigned (which may not be the season when it was excavated), after which
is a hyphen and a serial number that starts at “1” at the beginning of each season (e.g.,
H08-1, H08-2, H08-3, etc.). The letter code and season prefix are an essential part of the
registration number and must be included whenever the number is written. The
17
registration number is recorded in the “Human Remains Register” with the associated
grid, square, pail, finegrid (if applicable), and locus number.
In the case of an articulated or partially articulated animal skeleton, there is no special
form to be filled out by the excavator, but a unique number is assigned to the skeleton by
the faunal specialist, either at the time of excavation or during subsequent processing of
the remains. This number is prefixed by the letter “A.” The first two digits of the number
indicate the season during which the registration number was assigned (which may not
be the season when it was excavated), after which is a hyphen and a serial number that
starts at “1” at the beginning of each season (e.g., A08-1, A08-2, A08-3, etc.). The letter
code and season prefix are an essential part of the registration number and must be
included whenever the number is written. The registration number is recorded in the
“Faunal Remains Register” with the associated grid, square, pail, finegrid (if applicable),
and locus number.
Individual skeletal elements (bones or teeth) that are to be drawn, photographed, or
analyzed separately will also be registered by the relevant specialist, using the same
numbering system (e.g., “H08” followed by a serial number for a human bone and “A08”
followed by a serial number for an animal bone). If a registered bone is part of a
registered skeleton (or partial articulation), the specialist will note the association between
the bone and the skeleton and this relationship will be represented hierarchically in the
Zincirli database.
When samples are taken from human remains, an additional numerical suffix is added to
identify the sample (e.g., H08-15#1 for the first sample taken from bone H08-15). The
sample number and the date the sample was taken are recorded on the relevant “Human
Remains Analysis” form.
Registered Objects
After excavated material is processed in the expedition compound, items that are to be
illustrated or analyzed further will be assigned unique registration numbers. In the case of
potsherds, faunal remains, or human remains, the registration is done by the relevant
specialist using registration numbers that start with “C,” “A,” or “H,” respectively. All
other registered items are registered by the object registrar using numbers that are
prefixed by the letter “R.” The first two digits of the number indicate the season during
which the registration number was assigned (which may not be the season when the item
was excavated), after which is a hyphen and a serial number that starts at “1” at the
beginning of each season (e.g., R08-1, R08-2, R08-3, etc.). The letter code and season
prefix are an essential part of the registration number and must be included whenever the
number is written. The registration number is written in the upper right-hand corner of
the object tag and is recorded in the database with the associated grid, square, pail,
finegrid (if applicable), and locus number. Colored markers are used to make dots on
object tags to indicate that registered items have been processed by the registrar (green
dot), the conservator (red dot), and the photographer (blue dot).
Although potsherds are registered by the pottery specialist with a “C” number, all intact,
restored, or partially restored ceramic vessels and certain special potsherds (e.g., ostraca)
are registered by the object registrar with “R” numbers. Likewise, special bones can
receive object registration numbers, although the majority of faunal and human remains
do not.
In general, if a particular item is to be photographed, drawn, or subjected to instrumental
analysis, it must receive a registration number. Thus, carbonized seeds or charcoal to be
used for radiocarbon dating are given an “R” number by the object registrar. Items
18
selected for illustration or instrumental analysis after the excavation season, in the course
of a specialist’s study of exported material, must be registered in the same way as items
that are registered during the season.
In order to connect registered objects with their findspots, a “sticker number” system is
used. Each square supervisor will be given sheets of adhesive stickers on which serial
numbers have been printed. A numbered sticker is placed on the tag that is included with
the bag or box of material sent in for processing (not on the bag or box itself). The
square supervisor will record the sticker number for that bag or box on the “Daily
Worksheet” form and on the top plan. The sticker should be placed on the front side of
the tag, in the bottom right corner.
The object registrar will periodically distribute to the square supervisors computer-
generated reports for each locus that list the pottery pails and small finds in each locus.
These reports will include the original sticker number of each find and its registration
number or a note that it has been discarded. The square supervisors will place these
reports in their square notebooks behind the relevant “Locus Information” (or “Locus
Information for Wall or Feature”) sheet, and they will use them to update the “Daily
Worksheet” forms, recording the registration numbers or writing the word “DISCARD”
beside the original sticker number.
Samples for Instrumental Analysis

Samples taken from registered objects for instrumental analysis are numbered by adding
a suffix to the object registration number. This suffix consists of “#” followed by 1, 2, 3,
etc. (e.g., R08-123#1 for the first sample taken from object R08-123). The object should
be photographed before a sample is taken from it. The date the sample was taken and the
sample number(s) should be recorded by the object registrar on the “Object Analysis”
form. All such samples should be given to the object registrar.
Likewise, samples taken from registered potsherds, human remains, or faunal remains are
numbered by adding a suffix to the registration number. This suffix consists of “#”
followed by 1, 2, 3, etc. (e.g., C08-123#1 for the first sample taken from sherd C08-123;
H08-541#3 for the third sample from human bone H08-541; A08-765#5 for the fifth
sample from animal bone A08-765).
Registered Photographs
There is a distinction between (1) field photographs, (2) object photographs, and (3)
candid photographs. Field photographs should be requested by the area supervisors from
the expedition director, who will then schedule them with the photographer. Field
photograph numbers are assigned in sequence by the photographer as the photographs
are taken and are recorded on the “Field Photograph Register” form. Field photograph
numbers are prefixed by the letter “F.” As with object registration numbers, the first two
digits of the number indicate the season of excavation (e.g., “F08” for 2008), after which
F08-1, F08-2, F08-3, etc.). The letter code and season prefix are an essential part of the
field photograph number and must be included whenever the number is written.
Photographs of registered potsherds, human bones, animal bones, and other objects do
not have their own numbers but are identified using the relevant registration numbers
(prefixed with “C,” “H,” “A,” or “R”). Multiple views of the same object are
distinguished by lower-case letters (e.g., photographs labeled R08-123a, R08-123b, and
R08-123c are three different views of registered object R08-123). Object photographs are
registered in the “Object Photograph Register.”
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Candid photographs include photographs of expedition staff members, the expedition

compound, and work in progress at the site. Candid photographs will often be inter-
mingled with field photographs, so candid photographs are also recorded in the “Field
Photograph Register,” but their photograph numbers will be assigned later, after it is
determined which ones will be kept.
At Zincirli, we use a digital camera for both field photographs and object photographs.
The photographer is responsible for keeping track of the digital image files and renaming
these files using the correct photograph number (e.g., F08-123.jpg, R08-456.jpg, etc.). At
the time a field photograph is taken, the photographer will give the photograph number
to the relevant square supervisor, who will enter it in his or her “Field Photograph
Summary” form, which is kept in the front of the square notebook. The photographer
will subsequently print a “Field Photograph” form for each registered field photograph.
The photographer will give this form, which contains a color print of the photograph, to
the square supervisor, who will annotate the photograph and file the form in his or her
square notebook. The photographer will give three versions of each numbered field and
object photograph to the computer database manager: (1) an uncompressed, high-
resolution image file in TIFF format; (2) a compressed high-resolution JPEG file; and (3)
a compressed, low-resolution JPEG “thumbnail” image file.
In addition to registered field photographs taken by the expedition’s photographer, the
area supervisors are responsible for taking daily progress photographs with their own
digital cameras. These photographs are intended primarily for their own use as aids in
writing their area reports at the end of the season; they are not replacements for the
official field photographs, which should be taken by the photographer for every locus
and important find, at the request of the area supervisor. The image files for the daily
progress photographs should be named according to the following convention: (1) site
name and excavation area; (2) date taken, in year-month-day order; and (3) a lower-case
sequence letter (a, b, c, etc.), in case of multiple photographs taken on the same day. For
example, “Zincirli Area 2 2010-07-15 a.jpg” is the first photograph taken in Area 2 on
July 15, 2010. Information about what is in the photograph should be written on a white
board and a meter stick and north arrow should be used whenever possible. The area
supervisors are responsible for giving copies of their photographs every day to the
computer database manager, who will add them to the expedition archive.
Registered Drawings
There is a distinction between (1) field drawings and (2) object drawings, so there is a
separate register for each. Like field photograph numbers, field drawing numbers are
assigned in sequence as the drawings are made. They are recorded in the “Field Drawing
Register.” Field drawing numbers are prefixed by the letter “D”; as usual, the first two
digits of the number indicate the season of excavation (e.g., “D08” for 2008), after which
D08-1, D08-2, D08-3, etc.).
Like object photographs, object drawings are identified using the relevant object
registration numbers. These are recorded in the “Object Drawing Register.” The drafts-
person may also assign working numbers for individual drawings and pages containing
multiple drawings.
Profile drawings of individual potsherds are identified using the relevant pail and sherd
numbers (e.g., P08-44.79#123-7), whereas drawings of restored or partially restored
vessels are identified using the vessels’ object registration numbers.
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Summary of Staff Responsibilities for Numbering

1. Locus numbers (e.g., L08-3001) are assigned by area supervisors.
2. Pottery pail numbers (e.g., P08-44.79#123) are assigned by square supervisors.
3. Potsherd numbers (e.g., C08-123) are assigned by the pottery specialist.
4. Registered object numbers for other small finds (e.g., R08-123), including restored or
intact pottery vessels, special potsherds, etc., are assigned by the object registrar.
5. Human remains numbers (e.g., H08-123) are assigned by the human remains specialist.
6. Faunal remains numbers (e.g., A08-123) are assigned by the faunal specialist.
7. Field photograph numbers and candid photograph numbers (e.g., F08-321) are
assigned by the field photographer.
8. Field drawing numbers (e.g., D08-37) are assigned by the surveyor.
Forms and Square Notebooks

All of the information for a season’s excavation within a given 10-meter square (e.g.,
locus information, daily journal entries, top plans, etc.) is kept in a looseleaf binder. This
“square notebook” is labeled with the appropriate grid and square numbers, and the
standardized forms in it are kept in order by locus number. Binder hole reinforcers are
used to prevent sheets from falling out of the binder. Notebooks will be checked weekly
by the area supervisor. It is imperative that square notebooks be kept up to date
during the course of excavation and that the forms and top plans in them be done
neatly and accurately.
In the square notebooks, the following forms are used for each locus. Loci must be filed
in numerical order, with the forms for each locus arranged in the following sequence:
• “Locus Information” for each locus excavated in the square.
• “Locus Information for Wall or Other Feature” for loci that are not debris layers.
• “Daily Worksheet” (one or more sheets) to record pottery pails and small finds.
• “Flotation Sample from Locus” for recording information about a flotation
sample taken from a given locus or from a particular finegrid square in the locus.
• “Human Remains in Locus” for recording information about human burials.
• “Field Photograph” given to the square supervisor by the field photographer for
annotating photographs.
• “Daily Journal for Locus” in which is written a diary of excavation activities,
strategies, and interpretations pertaining to a given locus.
At the front of the notebook, the square supervisor will place two other forms (or as
many pages of each form as are needed):
• “Locus Summary” listing all of the loci excavated in the square during the season.
• “Field Photograph Summary” listing all of the photographs taken in the square
during the season.
All forms are to be filled out legibly using black ink, not pencil or colored ink.
Dates must be written in month-day-year order (American style).
Supervisors must make photocopies of their “Daily Worksheet” forms every
afternoon and give the copies to the computer database manager.
Top Plans and Surveyor’s Plans

Daily top plans are drawn by the square supervisor to show the progress of excavation in
his or her square. These must be carefully measured drawings, not mere sketches, drawn
21
at 1:50 using a scale ruler (i.e., 2 centimeters on the plan represents 1 meter). The area
supervisors will give advice and instruction about preparing top plans and taking levels.
The locations and elevations of registered objects must be plotted exactly on the relevant
daily plan using the registration numbers assigned by the object registrar (note that a local
sticker number is used on the plan temporarily to mark the location of an object until an
object registration number has been assigned). For loci that are not fine-gridded, pottery
pails and flotation samples should be similarly plotted. Spot elevations at various points
on walls and floors should also be noted on the plan, including spot elevations showing
the daily progress in excavating loci that take more than one day to complete.
The square supervisors’ top plans are to be done with a 0.5 mm mechanical pencil using
millimeter graph paper. They must be numbered in chronological sequence (i.e., TP#1,
TP#2, TP#3, etc.) and annotated with the site name (Zincirli), date, scale (1:50), grid and
square numbers, north arrow, supervisor’s initials, height of instrument, and benchmark.
All loci present in the plan should be labeled and the locus numbers should also be listed
at the bottom. When completed, the top plans are placed in chronological order in the
back of the square notebook.
The expedition surveyor will independently draw the main architectural loci of the site at
a scale of 1:20 (or 1:10 for special features) and will produce publishable plans, adhering
to the drafting conventions included at the end of this manual. But this does not obviate
the need for square supervisors to prepare careful plans because many loci (e.g., fill
layers) and small finds will not appear in the surveyor’s plans. The daily top plans are an
essential component of the square notebook. Area supervisors are responsible for
reviewing their square supervisors’ notebooks to ensure that they are accurate and com-
plete.
Balks and Section Drawings

A 50-cm-wide strip of earth is left unexcavated around the edges of each 10-m square.
This means that the actual area of excavation is 9 × 9 meters and that the “balk” left
standing between squares is 1 meter wide. Balks must be trimmed carefully to provide
clear vertical sections to aid stratigraphic analysis. At the end of the season, the square
supervisor will draw the sections on the north, south, east, and west faces of the square’s
balks with the assistance of the area supervisor. Sections are drawn at a scale of 1:20.
Datum strings with line levels can be used to facilitate section drawing.
Many loci will run through a balk into a neighboring square. It is the responsibility of the
area supervisor to determine whether it is indeed the same stratigraphic unit, and thus to
assign it a single locus number to be used by both square supervisors, or to assign
different locus numbers to the parts on either side of the balk. When in doubt, separate
locus numbers should be assigned.
Supervisors’ Reports
At the end of the season, each square supervisor must write a detailed report about what
was found in his or her square. This report should mention every locus by number,
explaining the stratigraphic relationships among the loci and giving reasons for the
conclusions obtained. The report should also describe the most significant registered
objects (citing object registration numbers) and their contexts.
At the end of the season, each area supervisor will also write a detailed report that repeats
much of the information in the relevant square reports but provides a more compre-
hensive discussion of the stratigraphic and architectural situation in the entire area in
22
relation to the results obtained by the pottery specialists and other specialists who have
studied the material found in the area. Area supervisors will also prepare stratigraphic
diagrams and phase plans that illustrate the conclusions stated in their reports. These
reports constitute the first draft of the expedition’s final report on the area, so it is
important that they be written in a professional manner with a thorough, clear, and
concise presentation of the area supervisor’s evidence and interpretations.
A square or area report should be in the form of a stratigraphic narrative that describes
the sequence of events (e.g., construction, use, rebuilding, destruction, erosion, etc.) that
produced the observed remains. The narrative should proceed chronologically from the
earliest to the latest loci in the square or area. Locus numbers should be shown in
boldface. Every locus number should be mentioned at least once. The most significant
small finds should also be mentioned by their registration number (in boldface) and
described in relation to their stratigraphic position, especially those artifacts that may
indicate the date of the locus.
A square or area report should include a detailed discussion of the evidence that supports
the conclusions that are given, with reference to the relevant plans, section drawings, and
photographs. If more than one interpretation is possible, all interpretations should be
presented, with some indication of which one is thought to be more likely. If an area
supervisor disagrees with a square supervisor, or vice versa, the disagreement should be
noted and an argument given in favor of the opinion that is presented.
List of Forms
The following forms are used at Zincirli. Samples of these forms are attached to this
manual. The staff member responsible for filling out each form and the ultimate recipient
of the form (if different from the originator) are indicated in each case.
Daily Journal for Locus (square supervisor)
Daily Worksheet (square supervisor)
Faunal Remains Register (faunal remains specialist)
Field Drawing Register (surveyor)
Field Photograph (field photographer → square supervisor)
Field Photograph Register (field photographer)
Field Photograph Summary (square supervisor)
Flotation Sample from Locus (square supervisor → archaeobotanist)
Human Remains Analysis (human remains specialist)
Human Remains in Locus (square supervisor)
Human Remains Register (human remains specialist)
Locus Information (square supervisor)
Locus Information for
Wall or Other Feature (square supervisor)
Locus Summary (square supervisor)
Object Analysis (object registrar)
Object Conservation (conservator → object registrar)
Object Drawing Register (illustrator)
Object Photograph Register (object photographer)
Object Register (object registrar)
Object Register Corrections (object registrar)
Pottery Analysis (pottery specialist)
Pottery Body Sherd Summary (square supervisor → pottery specialist)
Pottery Register (pottery specialist)
Pottery Typology (pottery specialist)
23
Work Schedule
During most field seasons, there are seven weeks of excavation. The junior staff (square
assistants) will leave the expedition once the digging is completed. The area and square
supervisors are expected to stay for an additional week to write their reports and assist
with packing up.
There are five days of digging each week (normally Sunday to Thursday), from 5:30 a.m.
until 1:30 p.m. On those days there is also an afternoon work period from 4:30 p.m. to
6:30 p.m. to process the finds in the expedition compound. On the morning of the sixth
day (normally Friday), there is a staff tour of the excavation areas at 5:30 a.m., followed
by work in the processing compound or on the site (e.g., to draw plans or sections) until
1:30 p.m. Following that, there is free time for a day and a half each week (normally from
Friday afternoon until Saturday evening).
Staff Management
Area supervisors and specialists report directly to the expedition director and associate
director. Each area supervisor is responsible for supervising the square supervisors
and square assistants who work in his or her area, not only while excavating in
the field but also during the afternoon work period. The afternoon work period from
4:30 to 6:30 p.m. is not free time for area supervisors, nor is it intended for them to do
their own research. It is imperative that area supervisors devote considerable time and
effort to staff supervision and training, both during morning fieldwork and during the
afternoon work periods, which are intended for updating notebooks, drawing daily plans,
and washing and sorting excavated material. Area supervisors must pay close attention to
all of their staff to ensure that all necessary tasks are done correctly and efficiently and to
verify that field notebooks and daily plans are complete, accurate, legible, and up-to-date.
Although square supervisors are responsible for the day-to-day supervision of their own
square assistants, it is the area supervisors who are ultimately responsible for both the
square supervisors and the square assistants who work in their areas. If all of the area’s
tasks are finished early during an afternoon work session, square assistants and square
supervisors should report to the expedition director or associate director to be assigned
tasks that will benefit the expedition as a whole.
24
TURKISH DIG VOCABULARY
(compiled by Virginia Herrmann)
Pronunciation Guide
a is a short vowel like the “a” in “star”
e is pronounced “eh” like the “e” in “send”
i (dotted i) is pronounced “ee” as in “see”
ı (undotted i) is pronounced “uh” like the “u” in “fuss”
o is pronounced like the “o” in “phone”
ö is pronounced like German “ö” or like British (not American) “ur” in the word “fur”
u is pronounced “oo” as in “moo”
ü is pronounced like German “ü” or French “u” in “tu”
c is pronounced like English “j” as in “jam”
ç is pronounced like English “ch” as in “church”
g is always hard as in “go,” never soft as in “gentle”
ğ is not pronounced; it lengthens the preceding vowel
j is pronounced like French “j” or like the second “g” in American “garage”
s is always unvoiced like the “s” in “sorry,” not the voiced “z” sound in “tease”
ş is pronounced like English “sh” in “show”
v has a soft “v” sound, halfway to “w”
(Note that every letter is pronounced; each letter has only one sound; and two or more
letters are never combined to make a new sound, unlike English “ch” and “sh.” See
http://www.turkeytravelplanner.com/details/LanguageGuide/Pronunciation.html.)

Conversation where from? nereden? pit: çukur
hello: merhaba where to? nereye? oven: fırın
goodbye: hoşça kalın when? ne zaman? floor: zemin or taban
yes: evet why? niçin? house: ev
no: hayır how? nasıl? street: sokak
maybe: belki how many? kaç? building: bina
please: lütfen
thanks: sağ ol or teşekkürler Excavation Nouns Tools
how are you? nasılsınız? excavation: kazı brush: fırça
I’m fine: iyiyim square: kare bucket: kova
so‐so: şöyle‐böyle breakfast: kahvaltı shovel/dustpan: kürek
O.K.: tamam rest‐break: mola pick: büyük kazma
kolay gelsin (nice thing to say water: su hoe: çapa
to someone working) hand‐pick: küçük kazma
again: tekrar trowel: mala
slowly: yavaş Materials and Features wheelbarrow: el arabası or
this: bu pottery: çömlek araba
that: o (or şu) bone: kemik sifter: elek
stone: taş shadecloth: çadır
Pronouns flint: çakmak taşı dump: çöp
I: ben shell: kabuk pen/Sharpie: kalem
you (sing.): sen mudbrick: kerpiç tag: etiket
he/she/it: o plaster: sıva bag: torba
we: biz dirt: toprak string: ip
you (pl./polite): siz ash: kül nail: çivi
they: onlar sand: kum stake: kazık
charcoal: kömür transit (level): nivo
Questions pebble: çakıl meter: metre
what? ne? glass: cam centimeter: santim(etre)
who? kim? metal: metal plan/map: harita
where? nerede? wall: duvar line: çizgi
25
Instructions hot: sıcak meter: metre

please: lütfen cold: soğuk centimeter: santim(etre)
dig: kaz ill: hasta little: az
sweep: süpür long: uzun a little: biraz
clean: temizle short: kısa much: çok
straighten: düzle deep: derin big: büyük
collect: topla shallow: sığ small: küçük
fill: doldur clean: temiz to measure: ölçmek
empty (v.): boşalt easy: kolay
bring: getir another: başka Time
take away: götür more: daha now: şimdi
be careful!: dikkat et! less: az later: sonra
stop!: dur new: yeni hour: saat
work!: çalış old: eski minute: dakika/ dakka
job (work): iş closed: kapalı late: geç
leave it (it should stay): kalsın open: açık day: gün
take it out: çıksın week: hafta
where did it come from? Colors month: ay
nereden çıktı? color: renk year: yıl or sene
did it change? değişti mi? black: siyah today: bugün
look: bak white: beyaz yesterday: dün
wait: bekle gray: gri tomorrow: yarın
continue: devam et brown: kahverengi what time is it? saat kaç
short break: mola red: kırmızı nine o’clock: saat dokuz
from here to here: orange: portakal
buradan, buraya kadar yellow: sarı
up to the string: ipe kadar blue: mavi Numbers
up to the line: çizgiye kadar green: yeşil 1: bir
to this level: bu seviyeye kadar 2: iki
Directions 3: üç
Adjectives up: yukarı(ya) 4: dört
good: iyi down: aşağı(ya) 5: beş
bad: kötü inside: içinde 6: altı
beautiful: güzel outside: dışarıda 7: yedi
hard: sert left: sol 8: sekiz
soft: yumuşak right: sağ 9: dokuz
quick: hızlı at the bottom: altında 10: on
slow: yavaş on top: üstunde 20: yirmi
same: aynı here (this place): burası 30: otuz
different: farklı to here: buraya 40: kırk
separate: ayrı here (in this place): burada 50: elli
mixed: karaşık there (that place): orası 60: altmış
straight/flat: düz to there: oraya 70: yetmiş
not straight/flat: düz değil there (in that place): orada 80: seksen
it should be more level: 90: doksan
daha düz olsun Measurements 100: yüz
vertical: dikey kilometer: kilometre 1,000: bin

26

Zincirli Field Manual 2010

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The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago—Neubauer Expedition to Zincirli

FIELD MANUAL OF THE NEUBAUER EXPEDITION TO ZINCIRLI

Digital Globe (Quickbird) satellite image of Zincirli

“Period” and “Phase” versus “Stratum” or “Level”

Square Supervisors and Area Supervisors

Loci and Locus Numbering

Separating Loci During Excavation

Excavating Walls and Floors

• P indicates a pottery pail

Excavation Using Finegrid Squares

Handling of Excavated Artifacts

Soil Samples for Flotation and Recovery of Botanical Remains

placed in a box. Charcoal fragments of significant size suitable for dendrochronology or

Pottery Sorting and Registration

2. Typological Description and Registration of Diagnostic Sherds and Vessels

3. Analysis of Diagnostic Pottery Chosen for Drawing, Photography, and Publication

Small Finds and Soil Samples Associated with Pottery Pails

Articulated Human and Animal Remains

Samples for Instrumental Analysis

Candid photographs include photographs of expedition staff members, the expedition

Summary of Staff Responsibilities for Numbering

Forms and Square Notebooks

Top Plans and Surveyor’s Plans

Balks and Section Drawings

Instructions hot: sıcak meter: metre

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