Agora Deposit: J 1:3
Title:   Amphora Deposit
Supervisor:   Marcie Handler
Category:   Fill
Description:   A deposit of six amphorae and one micaceous water jar was excavated between 20 June and 6 July 2005 in the area north of Wall K. The neck and one handle of one of the amphorae (BZ 1213) had been poking out of the surrounding fill since the end of the 2001 season. We removed two layers of fill in the area around this amphora, the first of which (lot 1540) was highly contaminated and contained material dating from the Late Geometric through the Byzantine periods. The second layer of fill (lot 1541) excavated around the amphora dated to the early Roman period (c. 1st century A.D.), and after we removed this layer of fill we revealed the outlines of five more amphorae and one micaceous water jar. The vessels were carefully removed one by one. Along with the one whole amphora (BZ 1213), two mended amphorae (BZ 1262 & 1263) and the micaceous water jar (BZ 1264), there were also in-situ fragments of three other amphorae, but the necks, handles, and/or bases of these amphorae were missing and the vessels were therefore not mended (the fragments of these three amphorae can be found in the pottery tins).
NOTE: This deposit was first excavated 1-2 August 2001 as a "Late Roman layer with complete vessels" (elev. 53.040-53.370 masl, J/17,18-1/6,8). The finds included BZ 669 and BZ 756. Both vessels were left in situ and the deposit was left unexcavated until the 2005 season. BZ 669 was given the number BZ 1213 during the 2005 season (the excavator did not know that a section number was given to the in situ amphora). The remaining fragments of amphora BZ 756 can be found in the pottery tins BZ 1540-1541.
Contents:   Coins:
28 June 2005 #1706
Chronology:   Ca. 1st c. A.D.
Date:   1-2 August 2001
20 June-6 July 2005
Section:   ΒΖ
Grid:   J/16,19-1/5,8
Elevation:   53.086-52.563m.
Masl:   52.563-53.086m.
References:   Report: 2005 Excavations
Image: 2012.86.0894 (2001-12-14)
Image: 2005.02.0001
Object: P 35181