Field Reports from the end of the 1999 Field Season TRENCHES PF 2 & 3 Field Supervisor Alayne Freidel Report 4: July 23 Alayne Freidel in the "FOD." This week has been one of excitement in the Podere del Funghi... Not only have we been uncovering interesting stratigraphy and lovely loads of varied material, but today we excavated one of the few complete and intact vessels found on this site. This remarkable pot is of a ware we are currently referring to as "bi-chrome", because of its two-tone coloring. Unlike most of the other bi-chrome vessels, this one (find # 7-21-99-7) is orange and yellow. The majority are black and orange. MLA student Larry Lehman (kneeling in foreground above left) found the bowl (above right) that was excavated complete and intact. Other than that, the Podere del Funghi has been kicking along quite happily. We are continuing to take down Locus 5. Though this is a lot of work with very little reward, it is important to make sure that we have hit sterile soil. It could very well be culturally significant, and so we must make sure we know exactly what we are dealing with. In general, I am very pleased with our progress, although it would of course be even better if we had another couple of weeks to work. Since this is not possible, we are attempting to really push ourselves in these last few days, squeezing every drop of data from the soil. Left to right: Alayne Freidel, Angela Silva, Barbara LoMonaco, Larry Lehman, Kyle Ellis, and Sarah Holt.   Ceramic vessels and clay tile visible in Trench PF 2 during the fifth week. Report 5: July 30 It is rather difficult to believe the season is almost over. With only documentation ahead of us, I am both amazed and disappointed by the knowledge we have gained in these past few weeks. Overview of Trench PF 2 during week five of the 1999 season. Though no conclusive data has turned up, we have greatly refined our original theories about what exactly went on in the ancient Podere del Funghi. The predominance of roof tiles, bowl-shaped vessels, and the discovery of a pestle have all pointed towards a habitation, and away from a production site. These finds coupled with the definite layer of burning lead me to believe that the midden theory should be taken seriously, though destruction is a definite possibility. We have learned a lot about the shape of the deposit and I am now convinced that the color distinctions between the darker Stratum 2a and the lighter, generally sterile Stratum 2b (feature 1) are a result of carbon staining and not a consequence of deposition. The jumbled up nature of the deposit is a question still unanswered, but hopefully in the future we will be able to explore it more thoroughly. Down to bedrock in Trench PF 3.   Still digging to bedrock in newly opened Trench PF 4. Field Reports from the end of the 1999 Field Season Director's Diary Field Director's Diary Trench PC 13 Trench PC 14 Trench PC 15 Trenches PC 16 & 17 Trench PC 18 Conservator's Report Student Diary After December 2000, see the 1999 Annual Report for the season summary by Professor Gregory Warden.   Co-Directors: Gregory Warden gwarden@mail.smu.edu and Michael Thomas mlthomas@mail.utexas.edu Excavation house phone during the field season: (011-39) 055-844-9834