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    Plan

    Plan détaillé Texte intégral Introduction 1. General presentation 2. Infills of the buildings 3. Description of the buildings 4. Summary of observations; chronological and use of space scenarios Annexe Auteurs

    Klimonas

    Ce livre est recensé par

    Précédent Suivant
    Table des matières

    Chap. 7

    Sector B, residential area on the slope break between the middle and lower terraces

    Le Secteur B, zone résidentielle sur le ressaut entre basse et moyenne terrasses

    Jean‑Denis Vigne, François Briois et Yodrik Franel

    Avec la collaboration de Lucie Amami, Ophélie Armand, Pierre-Antoine Beauvais, Juliette Bertaut, Ambre Di Pascale, Jessie Duval, Roz Gillis, Sylvain Grosfilley, Remi Hadad, Rana Hawam, Bastien Jakob, Solange Rigaud, Jérôme Robitaille, Etienne Roussée et Régis Touquet

    p. 129-184

    Résumés

    The excavation conducted on the slope break separating the middle from the lower terrace, less than 10 m south of the Communal building, brought to light the remains of 27 buildings cut 50–80 cm (minimum) into the slope. Fifteen of these buildings were still covered by sediment accumulations preserving their upslope circular half. This sedimentary cover was composed of thin abandonment/demolition basal layers overlain by a thick colluvial fill, accumulated after the site’s abandonment and massively reworked by Sotira excavations. The buildings were either round or elliptic, with dimensions between 2.25 and 6.4 m (3 to 21 m²). The terrace dug for the earliest buildings was reused for two or three later constructions. Earth walls were built in shallow foundation trenches and strengthened by wooden poles or posts when necessary. Earth benches sometimes ran along the wall bases. Eight edifices had more or less sophisticated entrance structures, always oriented to the east. The use of stones for building was exceptional. Evidence of partition walls or central posts in some buildings suggests light roofs. The floors were levelled and plastered. Internal hearth pits were found in all but two buildings. Several other hollowed structures were observed, such as “mosaic” or cupmark pits, deep mortar and ritual deposits. Most buildings were used as dwellings and for artisanal activities. Based on foundation trench intersections, it was possible to reconstruct the chronological succession of the buildings. The Harris matrix suggests six to eight phases.

    La fouille menée sur la rupture de pente entre les terrasses moyenne et inférieure, dans le Secteur B, à moins de 10 m au sud du Bâtiment communautaire, a mis en évidence les restes de 27 bâtiments. À l’ouest et au sud, neuf d’entre eux sont tellement érodés qu’il n’en subsiste que le fond des structures en creux (B01, B02, B03, B04, B06, B15, B17, B19, B21, B23). Recouverts d’accumulations sédimentaires d’épaisseur variable, les quinze autres bâtiments, dans les zones (a-d), ont conservé au moins leur moitié circulaire amont, encore aujourd’hui entaillée dans la pente de 50 à 80 cm. Ce chapitre décrit en premier lieu le comblement sédimentaire de ces encoches. Il est composé d’une succession basale de minces couches d’abandon, de dépotoirs domestiques ou de démolition. Les dépôts ou vestiges liés à l’occupation des bâtiments sont absents, à l’exception de quelques structures en creux dont des foyers, et de deux pierres à cupules (cupmarks), restées scellées dans le sol. La majeure partie de la couverture sédimentaire est constituée par des remplissages colluviaux riches en matériel PPN détritique, ce qui indique que le comblement final des encoches entaillées dans la pente a été réalisé avant l’occupation du site du 5 e millénaire (Sotira). Ces colluvions épaisses ont été fortement remaniées par des creusements pratiqués durant le Néolithique avec céramique (et secondairement, durant l’Antiquité). La deuxième partie du chapitre est consacrée à la description des bâtiments. Dix des seize constructions les mieux conservées étaient installées sur la terrasse d’un bâtiment précédent : B26 sur B05, B07 et B09 sur B08, B14 et B29 sur B13, B26 et B25 sur B27, B12 sur B10, B28 sur B18, B21 sur B19. Par conséquent, ces seize bâtiments sont regroupés sur seulement sept terrasses, chacune d’entre elles ayant été plus ou moins réaménagée deux ou trois fois de suite. Tous les contours amont étaient circulaires. Parfois, afin de maintenir l’horizontalité du sol, la partie aval du bâtiment était installée sur un remblai de terre (B04, B08, B18). Cependant, cette partie aval a généralement disparu par érosion du versant. Les sept bâtiments pour lesquels elle est suffisamment bien conservée indiquent une forme soit circulaire (B05, B07, B09) soit ovale (B08, B10, B18, B28). Le grand axe variait entre 2,25 (B24) et 6,4 m (B18) et la surface utile estimée entre 3,1 et 21 m². Tous les bâtiments étaient entourés d’un mur de terre implanté dans des tranchées de fondation peu profondes, souvent renforcé par des piquets ou des poteaux de bois, surtout dans la moitié aval, ou lorsque le mur amont n’était pas adossé à une entaille du versant suffisamment profonde. De nombreux dépôts remarquables ont été découverts cachés dans les bases des murs. Au moins trois des plus grands bâtiments présentaient des banquettes de terre internes courant le long de la base du mur (B04, B10, B18). L’entrée du bâtiment était visible pour huit d’entre eux, toujours à l’est, comme pour le Bâtiment communautaire. Elle était souvent pourvue d’un dispositif assez sophistiqué impliquant une pierre de seuil (B08, B09, B10, B18), un chambranle (B07, B08, B10, B18, B28) et peut-être un escalier (B08) et un couloir (B08, B28). Les pierres n’ont pas été utilisées pour la construction, à l’exception des seuils, des éventuels escaliers, de radiers supportant parfois les sols lissés (B12) et d’une unique et massive structure de soutien pour une partie du mur de B10. La présence de cloisons armées de pieux en bois n’a pu être suspectée que pour deux ou trois bâtiments (B07, B08, B10), mais la plupart du temps, les sols étaient criblés de tant de trous de poteaux probablement diachroniques qu’il était difficile d’identifier la moindre organisation. Bien que discutables, des trous de poteaux centraux (ou des groupes de deux ou trois poteaux centraux) ont été identifiés pour trois bâtiments (B09, B10, B18). L’ensemble de ces observations suggère la présence de toitures légères dans la composition desquelles pourraient entrer quelques petites plaques de calcaire (B07). Que ce soit sur le régolithe marneux ou sur la havara, les sols étaient toujours soigneusement nivelés et recouverts d’un mince enduit. Lorsqu’ils reposaient sur les restes arasés de bâtiments précédents, il semble qu’ils étaient implantés sur un radier de pierre recouvert d’enduit (B12 ; voir aussi B10 et B25). Tous les bâtiments bien conservés (N = 14), à l’exception de B05 et B26, présentaient des fosses semi-hémisphériques plus ou moins profondes et larges que nous avons pu interpréter comme des foyers internes, en raison de la rubéfaction de contact du régolithe marneux ou du sédiment et mobilier accumulés dans leur remplissage. Ils étaient généralement situés dans le quadrant nord-ouest des bâtiments. De nombreuses autres fosses ont été découvertes, sans toutefois présenter la même régularité d’un bâtiment à l’autre : fosses « mosaïque » (B02, B17, B28), fosses à cupmark (B28, B29), profond mortier creusé aux dépens du substrat calcaire (B18) et de nombreuses fosses énigmatiques présentant parfois des dépôts remarquables suggérant des rituels de fondation ou de condamnation. À l’exception peut-être du très petit B24 et du B05 associé, tous deux apparemment dépourvus de foyer (activités techniques ?), tous les bâtiments suffisamment bien conservés présentaient des caractéristiques suggérant qu’ils servaient à la fois d’habitation et de lieu d’activités artisanales. La dernière partie du chapitre tente de reconstituer la succession chronologique des bâtiments, en se basant sur les intersections entre tranchées de fondation. La matrice de Harris suggère six à huit phases successives et la présence simultanée de six ou sept bâtiments au maximum pour les 260 m² concernés.

    Texte intégral Introduction 1. General presentation 2. Infills of the buildings 2.1. Zone (a), B05, B06, B07, B08, B09, B24 infills 2.1.1. Observations from the excavation 2.1.2. Observations from the profiles 2.1.3. Conclusion 2.2. Central area: zones (b) and (c) 2.2.1. Zone (c): the fill of building B10 2.2.2. Zone (b): deep and complex fills 2.2.3. Conclusion 2.3. East area: zones (d) and (e) 2.4. Conclusion 3. Description of the buildings 3.1. General overview 3.2. Buildings B03 and B04 3.2.1. Location, shape, measurements and chronological relationships 3.2.2. Internal layout of B04 3.2.3. Earthwork fill 3.3. Buildings B05 and B24 3.3.1. Shape and dimensions 3.3.2. Foundation trenches and possible entrances 3.3.3. Internal arrangements: floor and hollowed structures 3.3.4. Conclusion 3.4. Building B06 3.5. Building B07 3.5.1. Shape and dimensions 3.5.2. Foundation trench 3.5.3. Circulation level, floor treatment and fire structure(s) 3.5.4. Post holes and architecture; entrance? partition? 3.5.5. Conclusion 3.6. Building B08 3.6.1. Shape and dimensions 3.6.2. Foundation trench 3.6.3. Levelled floor, earth embankment and pit structure(s) 3.6.4. Entrance 3.6.5. Post holes and architecture 3.6.6. Other internal features 3.6.7. Conclusion 3.7. Building B09 3.7.1. Shape and dimensions 3.7.2. Foundation trench and entrance 3.7.3. Circulation level and floor; fire traces 3.7.4. Post holes, architecture 3.7.5. Other internal features; hearth pit? 3.7.6. Conclusion 3.8. Building B10 3.8.1. B10 shape and dimensions 3.8.2. Supporting structure of the north-western wall 3.8.3. Wall, internal benches and foundation trench 3.8.4. Entrance 3.8.5. Hearth pit and associated deposits 3.8.6. Floor, posts, poles and other internal arrangements 3.8.7. Conclusion 3.9. Building B12 3.10. Buildings B13, B14 and B29 3.10.1. General presentation 3.10.2. Reconstruction of foundation trench organisation and chronology 3.10.3. Shape and size of the buildings 3.10.4. Post and stake holes, benches; architecture 3.10.5. Floors, hearths and other internal arrangements 3.10.6. Conclusion 3.11. The remains of B15 3.13. Building B17 3.13.1. Location, shape, size, foundation trench 3.13.2. Remains of the floor and internal arrangements () 3.13.3. Conclusion 3.14. Buildings B18 and B28 3.14.1. Shape and dimensions of the buildings 3.14.2. Foundation trench, walls, internal bench and entrances 3.14.3. Floors and floor coatings 3.14.4. Post and stake holes; architecture 3.14.5. Internal features: hearths, cupmark and other pits 3.14.6. Conclusion 3.15. The remains of buildings B19 and B21 3.16. Building B23 3.17. Buildings B26 and B27 3.17.1. Location, shape and dimensions 3.17.2. Foundation trenches and earth walls 3.17.3. Levelled and plastered floors; hearth structures 3.17.4. Posts and stakes; architecture 3.17.5. Other internal developments 3.17.6. Conclusion 3.18. An additional building between B26 and B12 (B25) 4. Summary of observations; chronological and use of space scenarios 4.1. Summary of observations 4.2. Chronological succession of the buildings: Harris matrix 4.3. Space use scenarios Annexe Auteurs

    Texte intégral

    Introduction

    1Sector B was the second largest sector excavated after the Central Sector. It is located a couple of metres southwest of the latter, straddling the southern edge of the Klimonas natural middle terrace and part of the lower terrace (fig. 7-1). In this sector, the 471 m² mechanical stripping carried out in 2014 (32 m N-S x 17 m E-W) mostly brought to light archaeological features dating back to antiquity (chap. 4), with the exception of some pole or post holes in the northwest. It also revealed two shallow curvilinear trenches, accompanied by a pair of post holes and pits very close to the northern limit of the excavation. These have been interpreted as the eroded remains of two PPN circular buildings (B01 and B02), and their deepest hollowed-out structures. These testify to the Neolithic village stretching down to the lower terrace.

    Fig. 7-1. Location of Sector B, straddling the middle and the lower terrace of Klimonas, a few metres southwest of the Central Sector.

    Localisation du Secteur B, à cheval sur la moyenne et la basse terrasse de Klimonas, à quelques mètres au sud-ouest du secteur central. Relevé et DAO R. Touquet, Inrap, J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Survey and CAD R. Touquet, Inrap and J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    2In order to test the hypothesis of continuity between B01 and B02 and the Central Sector, four further mechanical trenches were opened during the 2014 season, close to the southern edge of the middle terrace (TB1-4). These brought to light thick stratified PPN deposits with localised accumulations of building earth (appendix 7-1). Therefore, in 2015, a second mechanical stripping operation over a surface of 395 m² (20 m E-W x 6-10 m N-S) took place near these trenches in Sector B. It slightly overlapped the first 2014 clearing and prolonged it to the north, close to the limit of the Central Sector (fig. 7-1). This operation revealed the remains of at least 25 additional circular buildings cut into the slope in a complex and diachronic arrangement. During the 2015, and particularly the 2016, season, this area provided important information on building techniques and the diversity of this “residential area”, as well as lithic and bone tools, pendants, colourants, botanical and faunal material.

    3This chapter describes the arrangement and organisation of each individual building, except the two easternmost ones (B20 and B22, which will be presented in chap. 8), and is based on the survey and description of the 703 structures (St) and 133 stratigraphic units (SU) listed in appendix 7-2.

    1. General presentation

    4The first mechanical stripping of the upper area immediately brought to light two new shallow curvilinear trenches at the west extremity (B03 and B04), similar to those of B01 and B02, as well as an extensive layer of greyish-brown sediment rich in PPNA material, spread over the slope, and delimitated to the north by an abrupt transition with the havara and marl “substratum” (fig. 7-2). This delimitation, outlining a 20-m-long portion of more or less coalescent arches, highlighted the northern outlines of at least six additional buildings cut into the upper part of the slope, like building B800 in Sector F (chap. 6). Diverse features from historical periods, inside and outside this greyish-brown sediment layer (pits, terrace walls, plough furrows), were also rapidly identified, including cultivation terrace walls built at the limit of the natural terrace, protecting the PPNA deposits from the general erosion of the slope.

    Fig. 7-2 – Sector B, 2015 season. View of the first stripping, from west to east at the beginning (A) and end (B) of the season. In the foreground, the eroded curvilinear foundation trenches of B03 and B04. In the background, the excavation conducted during the 2015 season showing the presence of several building levels stepped into the slope.

    Secteur B, campagne 2015. Vue du premier décapage, d’ouest en est, au début (A) et à la fin (B) de la campagne. Au premier plan, la tranchée de fondation curviligne érodée de B03 et B04. Au second plan, la fouille menée lors de la campagne 2015 qui a confirmé la présence de plusieurs niveaux de bâtiments étagés dans la pente. Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    5This first analysis enabled us to subdivide the surface into three main areas (west, central and east, fig. 7-3), according to the nature of the substratum and the organisation of the buildings (chap. 2, fig. 2-17). The west area, also called zone (a), grouped the remains of at least six buildings, including the eroded B03 and B04, as well as the four circular segments outlined by the northern limit of the greyish-brown layer and the substratum (B05, B06, B07, B08). The remains of mid-slope floors (B09) pointed to a possible seventh building. The central area, resting partly on marl and partly on havara, mostly extended towards the south and contained the thickest sedimentary accumulation (appendix 7-1). It was separated in the south, into the lower and deeper zone (b), with at least six buildings (B12, B13, B14, B15, B17, B23), and the upper zone (c), with the large, well-preserved B10 building. The east area, located on a thick havara slab, was strongly carbonated upslope, named zone (d), with the large B18 building and the smaller B28. The highly eroded mid-slope, zone (e), contained the remains of buildings B19 and B21. Excavations were not pursued further to the east, where stripping revealed the presence of buildings B20 and B22 (chap. 8).

    Fig. 7-3 – Sector B. Location of the west, central and east areas, the buildings’ greyish-brown infill, the main PPNA features and 20 probable buildings at the end of the 2015 season, before the exhaustive excavation of the fills and buildings in 2016. Reconstruction based on the assumption that all these buildings were circular. Post-PPN features are not represented.

    Secteur B. Localisation des zones ouest, centrale et est, des remplissages gris-brun des bâtiments, des principaux faits archéologiques du PPNA et des 20 bâtiments probables tels qu’ils étaient suspectés à la fin de la campagne 2015, avant la fouille exhaustive des remplissages et des bâtiments en 2016. Reconstitution fondée sur l’hypothèse que tous ces bâtiments étaient circulaires. Les faits archéologiques post-PPN ne sont pas représentés. Relevé et DAO J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS, et R. Touquet, Inrap.

    Survey and CAD J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS and R. Touquet, Inrap.

    6In accordance with the excavation process (described in chap. 2), we will first present the infill of the less eroded buildings, then the general organisation of the buildings and their individual characteristics, and finally the relative chronology of the different buildings.

    2. Infills of the buildings

    7The infills were studied and analysed based on the stratigraphic excavation of trenches or quadrants separated by berms and by the detailed study of berm profiles (see detail in chap. 2 and appendix 2-3). The profiles and trench descriptions not presented here can be found in appendices 7-3 and 7-4, respectively.

    2.1. Zone (a), B05, B06, B07, B08, B09, B24 infills

    2.1.1. Observations from the excavation

    8The substratum of the Sector B west area was composed of pedogenised greenish-grey, finely bedded marl from the lower Lefkara series (chap. 3). This marl was relatively loose and broke down into small prisms. This substratum was severely weathered by the circulation of superficial water and deep bioturbations; it crumbles easily and as a result, the archaeological hollow structures were poorly preserved. The deposits were eroded along a double slope, towards the west and south.

    9Towards the west, only the base of structures B03 and B04 escaped erosion (fig. 7-2 and 7-3). The Sector A clearing in 2014 indicated that no pre-pottery remains were preserved beyond the western limit of these buildings (chap. 2, appendix 2-1). To the south, no archaeological structures were preserved in the slope, which is slightly steeper here than in the easternmost areas. The 2014 excavation had already shown the advanced state of erosion of buildings B01 and B02, subsisting at their base as a result of a small havara layer.

    Fig. 7-4 – Sector B, 2015 season. View of the eastern part of zone (a), taken towards the east. On the left, the thick infills of B07 and B08 partly excavated in 2014 (TB4 still visible). On the right, the stony sediment (SU 6022) accumulated on the floor of B09. Between them, the ochre primary fills of the same building. In the top right, the curvilinear trench of B17 and, behind, the floor of B13-B14-B29 with the cupmark.

    Secteur B, campagne 2015. Vue de la partie orientale de la zone (a), prise vers l’est. À gauche, les épais comblements de B07 et B08 partiellement fouillés en 2014 (TB4 encore visible). À droite, la nappe caillouteuse (US 6022) accumulée sur le sol de B09. Entre les deux, les remplissages primaires ocres du même bâtiment (US 6021). En haut à droite, la tranchée curviligne de B17 et, derrière, le sol de B13-B14-B29 avec sa meule à cupule. Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    10The eastern part of zone (a) was less eroded. The excavation evidenced 30-to-80-cm-thick sediment accumulations (fig. 7-4), leaning to the north against the vertical limit cut into the substratum by PPNA people. It also lay on the overlapping floors of the different buildings, all of which were approximately the same altitude. This sediment accumulation could, therefore, be considered as the infill of the corresponding buildings, i.e., B05, B06, B07 and B08. It is composed of heterogenous greyish-brown to ochre-brown silty sediments, rich in PPNA lithic material, with few and poorly preserved animal bones, locally enriched with stone or gravel, especially in the northeast basal fill (SU 6078; fig. 7-5, A). As was already clear from the TB4 excavated in 2014, the heterogeneity of this formation was at least partly due to the presence of numerous post-PPN pits (chap. 4, fig. 7-5, A). Just before reaching the buildings’ floors, especially in TB25 and TB27 (building B08), this sediment changes sporadically into much more structured stratigraphic units, enriched with building earth or limestone platelets (fig. 7-5, B).

    Fig. 7-5 – Sector B, zone (a), buildings’ infills (2016 season). A, Thick secondary fills of B08 (TB24) under excavation, with stony sediments intersected by undelimited post-PPN pits with more homogeneous sediment. B, Final excavation step of the B08 fill, showing the building’s smoothed floor with a large fire pit (left) and still covered (right) by some remnants of primary deposits rich in building earth and limestone platelets. C, South edge of building B09 viewed towards the north (TB22); in the foreground, a small piece of the smoothed (coated?) floor, topped by a thick stony infill with a limestone platelet.

    Secteur B, zone (a), remplissages des bâtiments (campagne 2016). A, épais remplissage secondaire de B08 (TB24) en cours de fouille, composé de sédiments pierreux percés par des fosses post-PPN au sédiment plus homogène et au contour mal délimité. B, dernière étape de la fouille des remblais de B08 dans TB25, montrant le sol lissé du bâtiment percé d’un grand foyer (à gauche) et encore recouvert à droite par quelques lambeaux de dépôts primaires riches en terre à bâtir et en plaquettes calcaires. C, bordure méridionale du bâtiment B09 vue vers le nord (TB22) ; au premier plan, un petit reste de sol lissé (enduit ?), surmonté d’un épais remplissage pierreux comportant une plaquette calcaire. Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    11To the south, on the edge of the natural terrace (fig. 7-4), these more or less horizontal fills were bevelled by the oblique erosion of the slope, which became thinner and thinner to the point of disappearing. They lay on the remains of a levelled and probably coated floor (St 688), directly visible during the first clearing (fig. 7-4 and 7-5, C). Given its position, it was unlikely to be part of one of the four aforementioned buildings but rather a fifth edifice (B09), a hypothesis later confirmed by excavation. The sediments overlying this B09 floor were more structured, and therefore more similar to those found at the base of the northern trenches than at the top: fine and homogeneous ochre silt (B09, SU 6021) with abundant and poorly fragmented animal bones (chap. 24), overlain by a vast layer of earth rich in blocks over 10 cm large, as already observed to the north (SU 6078; fig. 7-5, A) and interpreted as a demolition or secondary fill.

    2.1.2. Observations from the profiles

    12The three northeast/southwest profiles cut into these sedimentary accumulations refined our excavation observations (fig. 7-6; see also appendices 7-3 and 7-4).

    Fig. 7-6 – West view of the three northeast/southwest profiles cut into the infill of the zone (a) buildings of Sector B: B05 and B24 (A), B07 and B08 (B) and B09 (C). FT, foundation trench. Hollowed structures cut into the floors of the buildings are mentioned but not represented in their full depth because they were not excavated at the time of the drawing.

    Vue vers l’ouest des trois coupes nord-est - sud-ouest réalisées dans le remplissage des bâtiments de la zone (a) du Secteur B : B05 et B24 (A), B07 et B08 (B) et B09 (C). FT, tranchée de fondation. Les structures creusées dans les sols des bâtiments sont juste mentionnées mais non représentées dans toute leur profondeur, car elles n’étaient pas encore fouillées au moment du relevé. Relevé et DAO Y. Franel, Inrap.

    Drawing and CAD Y. Franel, Inrap.

    13The westernmost profile (CPN 11, fig. 7-6, A) was a little over 2 m long. It brought to light the B05 foundation trench (St 6771) in the north, with only the base of the earth wall preserved, and a small portion of the floor (SU 6112) of the same building. The latter was intersected by the foundation trench (St 6825 and St 686), the coated floor (SU 6113) and diverse hollowed structures associated with the very small building B24 (not figured in fig. 7-3), built on the B05 floor post-demolition. The secondary fills of the bases of these buildings (SU 671.2 and 671.1) were intersected in their centre by vast post-PPN digging (St 6827). No occupation, abandonment, demolition or primary filling layers were visible in the profile between the floors or the coarse and disturbed secondary fillings.

    14About 2.5 m to the east, the CPN 10 profile (fig. 7-6, B) was 8 m long and showed the north foundation trenches of buildings B07 (FT B07) and B09 (St 6846). Here again, the walls were not preserved except at the very base of the B07 north foundation trench. The remains of possible coated floors from both buildings were inserted between these trenches, dotted with post holes and pits. The fills covering these features had been extremely reworked by repeated and successive digging, some of which dated back to the Sotira Neolithic culture, as attested by rare pottery sherds, sometimes found deep in the fill. Contrary to CPN 11, this profile evidenced the presence of unquestionable (although admittedly thin, damaged and local) basal formations, liable to be interpreted as the buildings’ primary infill, accumulated shortly after the abandonment of B09. Namely, SU 6022 and 6095, the previously mentioned ochre silt with well-preserved animal bones, probably correspond to a short episode of domestic dump accumulation in the building between its abandonment and demolition. The stony and thicker SU 6021, overlying SU 6022, can also be interpreted as a later primary fill from outside the building during or shortly after demolition, in spite of damage by multiple post-PPN pits. We will see below that this sediment came from the dismantling of a stone structure associated with B10 (see below).

    15Another 2 m further east, the third profile (CPN 05, fig. 7-6, C) was over 5 m long and was delimited to the north by the B08 foundation trench with scant earthen wall remains (St 6823), and to the south by a slope erosion line. Here, the natural regolith substratum was replaced by a darker, more clayey and homogeneous sediment (SU 6131), interpreted as the remains of an embankment designed to prolong the building terrace further on the slope. A fine layer of primary fill (SU 6120) lying directly on the levelled building floor covered the whole expanse of B08, overlain by a demolition level containing more earth (SU 6111). These layers were overlain by backfill with abundant stones over 10 cm long (SU 6078), derived from a stone structure associated with B10. This backfill was particularly thick to the south, and similar to the thinner layers mentioned in the CPN 10 profile (SU 6021). Again, this stratigraphic sequence was strongly disturbed by successive digging activities, most of which were attributed to the Sotira Neolithic.

    2.1.3. Conclusion

    16Conducted in 2016 (chap. 2), the double horizontal and vertical decryption of the sedimentary accumulations of zone (a) provided invaluable information regarding four issues.

    17First, it clearly illustrated the general organisation of the PPNA slope development aiming to build at least six successive buildings. The northern limit of four structures (B05, B06, B07, B08) was vertically cut into the regolith substratum. In spite of slope erosion over the past 10,000 years, the preserved depth of this digging was 80 cm for B07 and B08. They were probably both at least one metre deep. The floors of these buildings were horizontal and more or less all at the same level. The first artificial terraces were reused for later buildings, therefore requiring less effort. Some discrete evidence suggested that the terrace might have been prolonged to the south by artificial embankments, similar to the assumed B800 embankments in Sector F (chap. 6).

    18Secondly, the walls of the building were only visible due to the presence of shallow arched foundation trenches (maximum 20 cm deep), containing deteriorated spots of preserved building earth at their base. Their location at the foot of the vertical limit of the PPNA excavation clearly indicated that these curvilinear earthen walls leant against the vertical cut, as in the Communal and B800 buildings (chap. 5 and 6).

    19Thirdly, no occupation layer was discernible in any of the buildings. The only evidence of occupation was the hollowed structures described later in this chapter.

    20Fourthly, thin stratigraphic units preserved on the floors of the buildings evidenced short events of demolition and domestic dump accumulations shortly after abandonment, followed by more or less significant accumulations of stony sediments from the dismantling of other PPNA buildings located higher on the slope. This colluvial contribution to the infill of the building terrace might have occurred during the centuries following the abandonment of the village. Later on, they were exploited by the Sotira occupants of the site, who intensively excavated them, sometimes so deeply that they hollowed the PPNA building floors.

    2.2. Central area: zones (b) and (c)

    2.2.1. Zone (c): the fill of building B10

    21The whole of zone (c) corresponds to the large and well-preserved B10 building, which was already identified in the preliminary trench (TB1) excavated in 2014 (appendix 7-1). The good state of preservation here, in contrast to the zone (a) buildings, probably results from the secondary carbonatation of the earthen features (walls and benches), attributable to the havara -substratum.

    22The northern termination of B10 is marked by a circular excavation outline defining a 4.8 m diameter, cut into the havara (St 6600 = St 6). A thick earthen wall, bordered to the south by a narrow bench, leans against the preserved length of the PPNA excavation, forming almost a half-circle (fig. 7-7). The southern edge of the platform was heavily damaged by two large coalescent pits (St 6698 and 6699) and several smaller pits (e.g., St 6774), and by natural slope erosion. The latter is especially severe on the substratum fault separating the middle terrace from the lower terrace (see road profile in chap. 3).

    Fig. 7-7 – Sector B, zone (c): fill of building B10, view from east to west, midway through the first excavation at the end of the first excavation. In the foreground, behind the threshold stone, thick deposits of building earth hollowed out by Sotira pits are visible.

    Secteur B, zone (c) : comblements du bâtiment B10, vue de l’est vers l’ouest, à l’issue des premiers décapages. Au premier plan, derrière la pierre de seuil, on peut voir d’épais dépôts de terre à bâtir percés de fosses Sotira. Cliché 2015 J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo 2015 J.D. Vigne, CNRS.

    23The quadrant excavations of the north B10 half-circle revealed that the building was cut at least 50 cm deep into the havara at its northern limit (fig. 7-8). It also brought to light a succession of secondary accumulations (SU 6600.2-5) of a heterogeneous silty-stony sediment, rich in reworked PPNA material (fig. 7-8), similar to that of the zone (a) secondary colluvial fill. These deposits were dotted by numerous pits, some with small Sotira pottery sherds, and some with a quadrangular profile typical of historical cultivation pits. The fills often lay directly on the levelled (coated?) havara floor of the building (SU 6600.10), sometimes on irregular blocks of building earth. These are particularly abundant on the east section (fig. 7-7). The final excavation phase revealed that none of these blocks were set into a foundation trench, thus confirming that they should be -interpreted as non-reused demolition products.

    Fig. 7-8 – Zone (c), Sector B. View towards the east profile of the B10 northern wall and bench, and the infill of the building along the north-south axis (north section of CPN 02).

    Secteur B, zone (c). Relevé vu vers l’est de la coupe du mur septentrional, de la banquette nord et du comblement du bâtiment, selon l’axe nord-sud (segment nord de CPN 02). Relevé S. Rigaud, CNRS, C. Douché, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne, P. Mylona, MNHN. DAO C. Douché, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne, P. Mylona, MNHN.

    Drawing S. Rigaud, CNRS; C. Douché, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne; P. Mylona, MNHN. CAD C. Douché, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne and P. Mylona, MNHN.

    2.2.2. Zone (b): deep and complex fills

    24In contrast to zone (c), only the easternmost part of zone (b) rested on the havara. The rest lay on the same regolith of greenish-grey marl constituting the substratum of zone (a). B17 and B23 and the west half of B13-14-29 (fig. 7-3) were on the soft marl regolith, while the east half of B13-14-29 and B15 were on the havara. Zone (b) was the only place where PPNA features were preserved so low on the slope (fig. 7-9), due to their location on a similar palaeochannel to those discovered in the road profile of 2009 (Vigne et al. 2011a; chap. 3, appendix 3-6). The 2014 excavation of structures St 630-633 had already pointed to the existence of this palaeochannel (chap. 4), which probably followed the limit between the marl and the havara. It cut through the edge of the middle terrace, creating favourable conditions for building earth constructions, due to a natural drop and thick accumulations of sediments, which also sheltered them from subsequent erosion.

    Fig. 7-9 – Assembled photos of zone (b) from the south (first stripping, 2015). In the foreground, large Sotira pit St 69, the B29 cupmark and, just behind on the right, a large stone laid at the bottom of the Sotira digging. At the northern limit of the trench, in the centre of the photo (TB2), the profile of the 120 cm drop between zones (c) and (b) is visible.

    Photos assemblées de la zone (b) depuis le sud (premier décapage, 2015). Au premier plan, la grande fosse Sotira St 69, la meule à cupule (cupmark) de B29 et, juste derrière à droite, un gros bloc posé au fond d’un creusement d’époque Sotira. A la limite nord de la tranchée qui apparait au centre du cliché (TB2), vue en coupe du dénivelé de 120 cm entre les zones (c) et (b). Cliché et DAO J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photos and CAD J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    25The sediment fills are therefore 120 cm thick at the foot of the southern limit of building B10, where they lay on the shared floor of buildings B26 and B27, cut into the havara. They bevel until they disappear three metres to the south, at the floor preservation limit of buildings B13, B14 and B29. The presence of secondary pits, slope erosion and the strong impact of bioturbations rendered the interpretation of this thick sediment accumulation difficult. The north–south profile excavated in 2014 (TB2, appendix 7-1) was first interpreted as a succession of more or less horizontal stratigraphic units cut northwards by the vertical excavation of the large pits (St 6698 and 6699), mentioned above. The discovery of the B26-27 intermediate platform showed that severe bioturbations of the earthen wall may have transformed it into a fine and homogeneous silt, especially when no secondary carbonatation occurred (see zone (a) above), and led to a reinterpretation of this profile as follows (fig. 7-10):

    • The original succession of PPNA sediments was intersected by three deep post-depositional holes (white in fig. 7-10): i) the above-mentioned St 6697-6699 pits to the north, ii) the funnel-shaped pit in the middle of the profile (SU 6036) and iii) a small pit clearly dating to the Sotira Neolithic near the southern limit (SU 6037). All these pits went down to the building floors and even cut into them. The first two were centred on the earth walls of B26-27 and B13-14-29, respectively, suggesting that they were excavated for building earth;
    • In the northern compartment, the basal sedimentary complex (SU 6039) corresponds to the remains of the earthen walls of buildings B27 (St 6631 and 6632) and B26 (not represented in fig. 7-3), with the latter leaning against the former, and to the demolition and fill of these two buildings;
    • Further north, this accumulation was overlain by a stratified complex and a layer of stony earth (SU 6035), interpreted as a stone floor, overlain by a fine floor coating (SU 6034), corresponding to the remnants of the floor of an additional, superficial and very eroded building named B12 (not represented in fig. 7-3);
    • The southern compartment was composed of the demolition layer of building B14 (SU 6046) and the different fills (SU 6043 and 6042) of the latest two buildings successively built on this platform, B13 and B29 (not represented in fig. 7-3).

    Fig. 7-10 – North–south profile (CPN_02, south section) of zone (b): A, Assembled photographs; B, Drawing and interpretation.

    Profil nord-sud (CPN_02, section sud) de la zone (b) : A, photographies assemblées ; B, dessin et interprétation. Relevé 2015 et DAO R. Gillis, CNRS, et R. Haddad, U. Paris-Nanterre ; révisé 2016 par J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS et Y. Franel, Inrap.

    Drawing 2015 and CAD R. Gillis, CNRS and R. Hadad, U. Paris-Nanterre; revised 2016 by J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS and Y. Franel, Inrap.

    2.2.3. Conclusion

    26Both the (b) and (c) zones significantly differ from each other and from zone (a): carbonated substratum and good preservation of the elevated earthen remains in (c), intense utilisation (10 buildings) of a natural depression with thick sedimentary accumulations in (b). The fills are very similar in the three zones.

    2.3. East area: zones (d) and (e)

    27The eastern area extended over about 20 m from west to east. It lay on the same thick havara formation as the one on which the Communal building St 10 was partly built less than 10 m further to the north (fig. 7-3). In this area, the slope was more abrupt, contrasting with a practically horizontal upper terrace edge, in which the eroded archaeological fill only attained a thickness of about 30 cm, with very dismantled structures notched into the slope.

    28Zone (e) was located on the gently sloping upper part of this area, corresponding to the 6-m-large building B18, on which the smaller B28 building was subsequently built. The infills of these buildings did not exceed 30 cm (fig. 7-11). Only the occupation and demolition features and the primary fill of the second smaller building (B28) were preserved in the form of a large cupmark sealed into the floor and a thick layer rich in building earth (SU 6089 and 6106), similar to that of B10, respectively. The latter was secondarily carbonated to such a high degree that it was often lithified. These formations were overlain by a secondary colluvial fill (SU 6059 and 682.1). As for zone (c), the secondary fill was very rich in reworked PPNA material and cut by large Sotira pits (St 6672, 6835, 6789…; fig. 7-12).

    Fig. 7-11 – View to the east of the north-south profile (CPN_12) cut into the B17-B28 fills in zone (d).

    Vue vers l’est de la coupe nord-sud (CPN_12) réalisée dans les remblais B17-B28 de la zone (d). Relevé et DAO Y. Franel, Inrap.

    Drawing and CAD Y. Franel, Inrap.

    Fig. 7-12 – Sub-nadiral view of zone (d), showing the western half of the shared B18 and B28 platform, still covered by infill sediments in the eastern half (bottom of photo). These fills are intersected on the left by pits from the Sotira culture and filled with large blocks. On the occupation floor, we can distinguish the cupmark sealed in the soil, as well as various hollowed structures, including the foundation trenches and the large rounded fire pit (left).

    Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    29Vue sub-nadirale de la zone (d), montrant la plateforme commune aux bâtiments B18 et B28, dégagée dans sa moitié ouest et encore recouverte par les sédiments de comblement dans sa moitié est (en bas de la photo). Ces comblements sont percés à gauche de fosses de la culture Sotira comblées de gros blocs. Dans le sol d’occupation, on distingue la cup-mark scellée, ainsi que divers aménagements en creux dont les tranchées de foundation et la grande fosse foyère sub-circulaire (à gauche). Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Fig. 7-13 – View of zones (d) and (e), from the south. In the foreground, the remains of buildings B19 and B21. At the back, the curvilinear arc of building B18 is visible.

    Vue des zones (d) et (e), depuis le sud. Au premier plan, les restes des bâtiments B19 et B21. Au fond, l’arc curviligne du bâtiment B18 est visible. Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    30Several remains of at least two edifices were found on the slope, in zone (e), just below the zone (d) platform (fig. 7-13). They were composed of the foundation trench (St 6675) of building B19, associated with a portion of levelled ground (SU 6675.1). The latter was intersected by a second foundation trench (St 6744). The length and radius of the curve of this trench indicated a large-sized building, possibly 8 m in diameter (B21). The small remnant of preserved sediment on the B19 floor was lithified by carbonate impregnations, as in zone (d).

    31The general fill characteristics of the four buildings in zones d–e did not differ significantly from those of the buildings in zones (a), (b) and (c), except that they showed signs of marked post-depositional carbonatation.

    Fig. 7-14 – A, Assembled sub-nadiral views of the series of building floors found in Sector B (except B01 and B02), all taken on the 17th May 2016, before the excavation of the hollowed structures in most of the buildings (except B03, B04 and B17). The scale is 1 m long. The north is to the top. B, Names of the buildings.

    A, assemblage de photos sub-nadirales de la série de sols de bâtiments découverts dans le Secteur B (sauf B01 et B02), toutes prises le 17 mai 2016, avant la fouille des structures en creux de la plupart des bâtiments (sauf B03, B04 et B17). La mire mesure 1 m de long. Le nord se trouve en haut. B, nom des bâtiments. Clichés et DAO J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photos and CAD J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    2.4. Conclusion

    32Each of the five zones (a–e) in Sector B presented local characteristics, mostly related to their individual geomorphological and pedological contexts. Nonetheless, the careful excavation of the sometimes thick and complex fills overlying the building floors highlighted very similar patterns and processes of development, abandonment and primary and secondary fills of the terraces excavated into the slope. They can be summarised as follows:

    • The successive and partly, or totally overlapping buildings were erected on a small number of terraces indented up to 120 cm deep into the slope substratum. The north curvilinear earthen wall leant against the vertical limit of this excavation.
    • Very little or no occupation remains were left on the buildings’ floors, except for hollowed pits (including fire pits), pole or post holes and the two exceptional B28 and B29 cupmarks.
    • The products of demolition were partly left on the floor, and were either composed of building earth disintegrated into a thin silty layer on the marl substratum of zones (a) and (b), or better preserved in the form of secondary carbonated blocks on the havara of zones (c) and (d).
    • Thick and massive colluvial deposits from the erosion of PPNA features located higher on the slope and therefore rich in reworked PPNA material constituted the secondary fills of the buildings, after their decay.
    • Numerous post-depositional excavations disturbed these fills, the deepest of which clearly dates to the Sotira Neolithic and the shallowest to antiquity. However, careful analyses of the material included in some of these pits, especially animal bones (chap. 24), suggest that a small number of them could have been dug during the PPNA occupation of the village.

    3. Description of the buildings

    3.1. General overview

    33Figures 7-14 and 7-15 present a panorama of the floors of the 22 excavated buildings (as well as B-20, which has not been excavated) respectively before and after the excavation of the foundation trenches and other hollowed structures. The highly eroded buildings B01 and B02, found lower down on the slope, are described in appendix 7-5. The 4638 three-dimensional coordinates of the structures, SU’s, isolated objects and profiles are listed in appendix 7-6, A. For the depths of the foundation trenches see appendix 7-6, B.

    34Initially, it appears that, as with Communal building St 10 and building B800, presented in chaps. 5 and 6, all these buildings were delimited by a relatively shallow curvilinear foundation trench, in which an earthen wall was implanted and reinforced in places with wooden posts or stakes. These walls (and benches) were only really preserved in one case (B10), as bioturbations disturbed the earth down to the base of the foundation trenches. However, some wall portions have been identified in spite of being transformed into a rather homogeneous but very loose silt by the activity of small and abundant Enchytraeidae worms (see chap. 9).

    35Apart from in the six most eroded buildings (B03, B04, B15, B17, B21, B23), these trenches delimited large portions of levelled floors often covered with a natural or artificial coating, lying on marl substrata (to the west) or havara (to the east). In two cases (B09 and B28), the floor was blackened over a large surface, probably after a fire. However, no blackened or burnt building earth was found associated with these probable fires.

    36The foundation trenches and floors delimited sub-horizontal terraces with diameters of 3 to 6.5 m, notched into the slope. Some of these terraces were reused to implant a second (B05 and B24, B18 and B28, B19 and B21, B27 and B26; and maybe B10 and B12), and even a third building (B29 on the platform of B13 and B14), smaller than the previous one (B24, B26, B28, B29). However, there is no evidence that the slope was terraced prior to the construction of the buildings, as is the case at Jerf El Ahmar in the Euphrates Valley (Stordeur 2015), for example.

    37The floors of the buildings were dotted with many pole or post holes and pits. At least 11 of the 16 edifices with partially preserved floors presented an oval-shaped pit, a semi-hemispherical profile, red walls coloured by the oxidation of the iron contained in the marl (Fe2+ to Fe3+) and an infill containing either charred crusts, shattered pebbles or heated artefacts. These were interpreted as hearth pits (fig. 7-15). Similar pits in buildings B10, B28 and B19, were also interpreted as hearths, in spite of the absence of a reddish colour, because they were built on the havara, a sedimentological formation devoid of iron. When several buildings were implanted on the same platform, there were often as many hearth pits as foundation trenches: two for B07-B08 and B26-B27, three for B13-B14-B29. This suggests that most of these buildings contained a single hearth structure, that they can be considered as dwellings and that the whole area was residential. On the other hand, only two buildings (B28 and B29) yielded in situ grinding instruments (cupmarks). Some of the pits studied in other buildings may have contained cupmarks that could have been retrieved before the building was abandoned.

    Fig. 7-15 – Assembled sub-nadiral views of the series of building floors found in Sector B (except B01, B02 and B17), all taken on the 31st May 2016, after the excavation of all the hollowed structures. The reddish pits indicate the fire pits of the buildings lying on the marl regolith. The scale is 1 m long. The north is to the top.

    Assemblage de photos sub-nadirales de la série de sols de bâtiments trouvés dans le Secteur B (sauf B01, B02 et B17), toutes prises le 31 mai 2016, après la fouille de toutes les structures en creux. Les fosses rougeâtres représentent les foyers des bâtiments installés sur le régolithe marneux. La règle mesure 1 m de long. Le nord est en haut. Clichés et DAO J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photos and CAD J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Fig. 7-16 – Buildings B03 and B04 after the first stripping (A) and the exhaustive excavation of the structures (B).

    Bâtiments B03 et B04 après le premier décapage (A) et après la fouille exhaustive des structures (B). Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    3.2. Buildings B03 and B04

    3.2.1. Location, shape, measurements and chronological relationships

    38At the western end of Sector B, just beneath the thin arable soil, two shallow curvilinear trenches dug into the greenish-grey marl regolith and filled by grey sediment highlighted the bottom of the foundation trenches of two highly eroded buildings, B03 (north) and B04 (south). A number of hollow structures were associated with them (figs. 7-16 and 7-17). These were excavated during the 2015 season, with further excavations for the southeast of B04 in 2016.

    39A large area of unstructured space separated B03 and B04, so that it was impossible to specify their chronological relationships.

    40Detailed descriptions of building B03 and other features can be found in appendix 7-7.

    41The foundation trench of building B04 (St 6682) showed some similarities with that of B03: the same preserved length (4.5 m), same orientation (W-SE), although slightly deeper (12 cm). Its profile was asymmetrical, more vertical to the north than to the south. Its fill contained no building earth, probably due to bioturbation. A series of stake holes in the trench (St 6708, 6680, 6717, 6723; fig. 7-17 and 7-18) indicated that the north wall was built on a wooden framework composed of c. 10-cm-thick stakes implanted at least 15 cm deep at the base of the foundation trench. This may be due to the fact that, contrary to most of the other buildings, B04 (and B03) did not lean against a deep notch made into the slope.

    Fig. 7-17 – Planimetric survey of buildings B03 and B04.

    Relevé planimétrique des bâtiments B03 et B04. Relevé J. Bertaut, U. Paris 1, and J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS, DAO J. Bertaut, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne.

    Survey J. Bertaut, U. Paris 1 and J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS. CAD J. Bertaut, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne.

    42The diameter suggested by the curvature was slightly smaller than for B03 (4.9 m contra 5.6 m). The ground surface can be estimated at c. 19 m² with a usable surface or 16 m², assuming that it was circular. It intersected the buildings adjoining it to the west (B05-B24) and was therefore later than them.

    3.2.2. Internal layout of B04

    43There is no trace of smoothed soil, probably because it has been eroded out.

    44To the southeast limit of the preserved features, an alignment of six highly eroded holes corresponding to 5–10 cm-thick stakes spaced at c. 15–20 cm intervals suggested the presence of a bench limit or a light partition coming up against the eastern foundation trench (St 6931 and 7103-7107, fig. 7-17; not visible on fig. 7-18).

    Fig. 7-18 – Sub-nadiral view of structures associated with building B04 at the end of the 2015 excavation.

    Photo sub-nadirale des structures associées au bâtiment B04 en fin de fouille de 2015. Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    45The other B04 dug-out structures were divided into two groups, the smaller ones in the northwest and the larger ones in the centre, around a large hearth pit.

    • The north-western group consisted of five post holes (St 663, 664, 6685, 6686 and 6608, fig. 7-17 and 7-18). With the exception of the last one, which is slightly uncertain, they all reached a depth of between 15 and 22 cm, sufficiently deep to be part of B04. Three of them corresponded to stakes with 10–14-cm diameters (St 663, 6683, 6686). A fourth one (St 664) was probably related to paired post holes. The fifth one (St 6685) corresponded to a larger post associated with a wedge stone (St 665) opening onto a hollow, possibly resulting from its removal during the abandonment of the building. Two shallow (5–10 cm) and two wide (35–40 cm) pits containing remarkable objects completed this ensemble: St 6684, associated with stake St 6683, yielded a picrolite pebble and large flint flakes, while St 6687 contained a stone hammer accompanied by other macro-tool elements, large flint flakes and animal bones. This set of post holes and pits was reminiscent of the B800 complex and interpreted as an entrance structure.
    • The group of structures located to the southwest of this feature were distributed around the hemispherical hearth pit St 6686 (fig. 7-19 and 7-20). It was truncated by erosion, but was still 16 cm deep with a diameter of 64–68 cm. It was filled with a light-grey, ashy silt, changing lower down to a more compact brown sediment. It was lined with a 5-mm-thick marl rubefaction. The fill of this hearth pit was characterised by the presence of flints, pebbles, a picrolite bead, a large Spondylus fossil and various macro-tool elements, possibly representing a sealing deposit. In the vicinity of the hearth, several depressions and, above all, two concentrations of heated pebbles and stones (St 6689 and 6720) were probably related to the use of the hearth structure itself.

    46Two stake holes were found round this fire pit, one to the northeast (St 6721), the other to the southwest (St 667). Seven small pits (containing remarkable flint blades) were also found; five to the southwest and two to the northeast. All these features remain enigmatic. Some lithic elements seem to have been secondarily deposited or trapped, whereas others clearly belonged to the surrounding sediment, since they sunk horizontally beyond the limits of the depressions. This was notably the case in St 6690.

    Fig. 7-19 – Three excavation phases of the St 6688 hearth pit and associated features.

    Trois états de la fouille de la structure foyère St 6688 et des aménagements associés. Clichés J. Bertaut, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne, and R. Khawam, MNHN.

    Photos J. Bertaut, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne and R. Khawam, MNHN.

    3.2.3. Earthwork fill

    47The question arose as to the substratum in which these structures were implanted. It is obviously not the greenish-grey marl or even its regolithic upper part since it contains erratic PPNA flints. Rather, it has the appearance of the crushed havara already observed in Sector F, which we interpreted as an earthwork fill for building B800. A thin, darker horizontal bed interbedded in this formation could represent a short-lived trampling level, formed during the construction phase. In any case, it seems that building B04 was built on an earthwork fill, intended to level the slope prior to construction.

    Fig. 7-20 – Planimetric survey of the complex of pits and remarkable objects organised around the St 6686 hearth pit.

    Relevé planimétrique du complexe de fosses et objets remarquables organisé autour de la fosse foyère St 6686. Relevé et DAO J. Bertaut, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne.

    Drawing and CAD J. Bertaut, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne.

    3.3. Buildings B05 and B24

    3.3.1. Shape and dimensions

    48Buildings B05 and B24 were successively built on the same terrace, with their western and southern edges being removed by the installation of B04 and slope erosion, respectively (fig. 7-21 and 7-22; appendix 7-8). It is thus difficult to reconstruct their exact shape, even if wide portions of preserved foundation trenches defined an almost perfect semi-circle. If we assume that these were circular edifices, the diameter of B05 was 3.10 m, for a ground surface of 7.5 m² and a usable surface of 6.2 m². B24 was smaller, with a diameter of 2.25 m and surfaces of 4 and 3 m², respectively. The upper digging of B05 varied from 36 cm (to the east), to 5–10 cm, for an excavated volume of less than 1 m3. B24 was dug out in the floor of B05 over an average depth of 8 cm, giving a removed volume estimated at 0.3 m3.

    Fig. 7-21 – Sub-nadiral views of buildings B05 and B24, framed by buildings B04 (to the west), B06 (to the north) and B09 (to the east), before (A) and after (B) excavation of the hollow structures into the floor. Excavation: J. Duval, U. F. Rabelais; S. Grofillay, U. St Etienne and S. Rigaud, CNRS.

    Vues sub-nadirales des bâtiments B05 et B24, encadrés par les bâtiments B04 (à l’ouest), B06 (au nord) et B09 (à l’est), avant (A) et après (B) la fouille des structures creusées dans le sol. Fouille J. Duval, U. F. Rabelais, S. Grofillay, U. St Etienne, S. Rigaud, CNRS. Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Fig. 7-22 – Planimetric survey of B05 and B24 buildings, adjoining B04 to the west, B09 to the east and B06 to the north.

    Relevé planimétrique des bâtiments B05 et B24, jouxtant B04 à l’ouest, B09 à l’est et B06 au nord. Relevé J. Duval, U. François Rabelais, S. Grofillay, U. St Etienne, S. Rigaud, CNRS ; DAO S. Grosfilley, U. St Etienne.

    Drawing J. Duval, U. François Rabelais; S. Grofilley, U. St Etienne and S. Rigaud, CNRS. CAD S. Grosfilley, U. St Etienne.

    3.3.2. Foundation trenches and possible entrances

    49The foundation trenches of the two successive buildings were only represented by their northern semi-circle. They widened and narrowed in a rather puzzling way. Although they were eroded by the slightly deeper and more recent buildings B04 to the west and B09 to the east, they still appear in both of them in the form of very shallow trenches; this probably includes the small portion of the trench in St 6943, which can be related to B05 to the southeast (fig. 7-22).

    50It is even possible that the interruption between the south-eastern end of St 6771 and this small remnant trench corresponds to the entrance in B05, perhaps highlighted by the shallow pit of St 6968. It is less convincing to link the small southern trench St 686 to B24. If it is later than this building, it may have obscured the southern end of the B24 foundation trench and its possible south-eastern termination. In any case, it appears that the trench in B24 was interrupted to the east, to make way for an entrance on the same axis as that of B05.

    3.3.3. Internal arrangements: floor and hollowed structures

    51Due to a small havara veneer overlying the marl regolith, the floors of buildings B05-B24 were relatively well preserved, except to the south, where slope erosion deprived us of their termination. There is no evidence that the floor of B05 was plastered; however, the floor of B-24 certainly was, as indicated by a large spot of smooth plaster preserved to the north (fig. 7-21, A).

    52Within the B05-B24 boundaries, apart from the large Sotira pit (St 6827) which cut through the plastered floor of B24, the floors of both buildings showed no excavations that could be interpreted as anything other than a stake or post hole. There was a dozen or so post holes (sometimes paired: St 685), but the chronological and spatial organisation remains unclear. The northern wall of B05 does not seem to have been reinforced with stakes, unlike that of B24, with a foundation trench dotted with four holes with small diameters. Only one cavity is large enough to correspond to a bigger post (St 6941).

    53Some of these post holes yielded remarkable deposits, notably in the south (St 685 and 686), in the form of large flint blades (chap. 14), fossil shell ornaments, picrolite beads (chap. 19) and Lefkara chalk pestle figures (chap. 20).

    3.3.4. Conclusion

    54The small size of buildings B05 and, especially B24, contrasts with the care taken in constructing their floors, evidenced by the presence of remarkable deposits and wooden frames reinforcing the earthen walls. Neither of these buildings comprised a hearth, and the only observed hollows were related to stakes. These buildings do not appear to have been used as dwellings, but rather for artisanal activities or storage, which required the protection of a carefully built construction. We noted the marked similarities between these two buildings (same floors, same axis for the probable entrances, same types of functions), although the second construction (B24) was smaller than the first.

    3.4. Building B06

    55Only a portion of the incision of building B06 subsisted, over a little more than 1 m2 (fig. 7-23, A). It was composed of a 36-cm-deep sub-vertical curvilinear trench cut into the marl substratum and by the more or less flat surface of a highly eroded levelled floor. It was delimited to the west by the foundation trench of building B05, to the south by that of B09 and to the east by B07.

    Fig. 7-23 – View (A) and planimetric survey (B) of the remains of building B06, intersected in the west by B05, in the south by B09 and in the east by B07. The north is at the top.

    Vue (A) et relevé planimétrique (B) des restes du bâtiment B06, coupé à l’ouest par B05, au sud par B09 et à l’est par B07. Le nord est en haut. Fouille, cliché, relevé et DAO J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Excavation, photo, survey and CAD J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    56The fill of this notch was heavily disturbed by more recent excavations and bioturbations. If the levelled ground had once been plastered, no such evidence was observed. It was dotted with four shallow structures (4 to 6 cm in diameter), with margins softened by the pedological degradation of the regolith: the diffused remains of a peripheral foundation trench (St 6872), highlighted by the deposit of several remarkable objects (large flint blade, hammers); and three small post holes located a few centimetres south of the trench (fig. 7-23, B). The largest post hole (St 6869) contained a striker and a handstone fragment, whereas the smallest (St 6873) was probably a possible simple bioturbation.

    57The diameter corresponding to the circular arc St 672 was about 5 ± 0.5 m, which suggests that the surface of the building was about 20 m2, assuming that it was circular.

    3.5. Building B07

    3.5.1. Shape and dimensions

    58Building B07 formed an almost perfect circle with a diameter of 3.6 m, giving a total estimated ground surface of 10.2 m² and a usable surface of 9 m² (fig. 7-24 and 7-25, appendix 7-9). To the north, the platform cut into the regolith, made up of greenish-grey marl with a wide havara vein, over 80 cm deep. The total excavated volume for the building can be estimated at c. 4 m3.

    Fig. 7-24 – Sub-nadiral view of building B07 before (A) and after (B) the exhaustive excavation of the hollowed structures.

    Vue sub-nadirale du bâtiment B07 avant (A) et après (B) la fouille exhaustive des structures en creux. Fouilles F. Briois, EHESS, et O. Armand, U. Paul Valéry. Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Excavation: F. Briois, EHESS and O. Armand, U. Paul Valéry. Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS

    3.5.2. Foundation trench

    59The foundation trench was only a few centimetres deeper than the levelled ground it surrounded. The building earth remains in the trench were rich in remarkable deposits, but were heavily bioturbated and had disappeared in places. Its course was disturbed at many points and for various reasons. To the southwest, it was cut by building B09, with a similar ground level to that of B07 which therefore did little to flatten/level the latter’s trench, leaving only a faint but clearly visible trace of its course. To the south, the excavation of the B08 hearth pit (St 6852) and the erosion of the slope were responsible for the lack of continuity between the eastern and western arches of the trench. To the northeast, it was further interrupted by a Sotira pit (St 6850) and the excavation of the foundation trench of B08. These three interruptions can be considered to be of “taphonomic” origin. Two other discontinuities seem more clearly related to the original design of the foundation trench. The more significant one was located at the north havara vein and might result from the difficulty of excavating the latter. The natural havara vein may have thus been part of the wall. To the east, a short rise (5 cm) in the trench base (St 6922), associated with two post holes, could have been part an entrance structure (see below).

    3.5.3. Circulation level, floor treatment and fire structure(s)

    60The circulation level delimited by the foundation trench was very irregular: its depth varied over 26 cm, between +98.71 and +98.97 m. This situation resulted primarily from differential erosion, which preserved the often still plastered original soil in the areas lying on the havara, whereas it was eroded to about 20 cm on the marl substrate. However, a preserved piece of plaster (US 6094, fig. 7-25) on the marl suggested that the entire surface was initially plastered.

    Fig. 7-25 – Planimetric survey of the components of building B07.

    Relevé planimétrique des composants du bâtiment B07. Relevé F. Briois, EHESS, et O. Armand, U. Paul Valéry. DAO O. Armand, U. Montpellier, et J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Survey: F. Briois, EHESS and O. Armand, U. Montpellier. CAD O. Armand, U. Paul  Valéry and J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    61Two, and possibly three, pit structures appeared in the B07 foundation trench TFB07 (fig. 7-25). The most damaged one (St 6921) consisted of the remains of a pit with a red clay lining comparable to that of the B04 hearth structures, possibly the remains of a hearth linked to a dwelling predating B07, though not B06, which was too far away. Two semi-hemispherical pits, rubified over 1–3 cm thick, were indisputable hearth pits. The first (St 6852) intersects the B07 foundation trench and thus corresponds to a more recent building, probably B08 (see below). The second (St 6795; fig. 7-26), located in the centre of B07, is probably part of this building. It is 30 cm deep and 58 cm wide and has a semi-hemispherical shape. However, the circumference was disturbed to the northwest by a small coalescing pit entirely filled with rubified clay. The grey silt fill, rich in small limestone blocks and flint, did not seem to be related to the thermic functioning of the structure. An unheated limestone block (20 x 13 x 12 cm) lay at the bottom of the pit.

    Fig. 7-26 – Sub-nadiral view of the hearth pit located in the centre of building B07.

    Vue sub-nadirale de la fosse foyère localisée au centre du bâtiment B07. Cliché O. Armand, U. Paul Valéry.

    Photo O. Armand, U. Paul Valéry.

    3.5.4. Post holes and architecture; entrance? partition?

    62The analysis of the B07 floor revealed the existence of a dozen post holes of different sizes (fig. 7-25).

    63Three, perhaps four, of them were located in the foundation trench. One or two, located to the southwest, were small (St 7160 and possibly St 6961; 20–25 cm deep); the other two, to the east, were larger and deeper (St 7100 and 7159; 30–40 cm). As in St 800 in Sector F (chap. 6), these could have been used to consolidate the raw earth wall downslope, where, due to the lack of support on the upslope notch, it was the highest and most fragile. Indeed, as with St 800, there is no trace of wooden reinforcement for the perimeter wall in the northern half of the structure, where it was supported against the north cut into the slope, to a height of at least 80 cm.

    64The two posts to the east, about one metre apart, could be part of an entrance structure. Each of the posts is paired with a second post of comparable size (St 7158 to the south; 6916 to the north), as is the case for building B08; see below). The southernmost of these pairs is also associated with two small stake holes.

    65Six post holes were located in the building floor (fig. 7-27). Considering that erosion reduced the depth of the holes dug in the marl by 10 to 20 cm, three of them are particularly deep (45 to 50 cm; St 6817, 6926, 6927). The first two contained wedge stones (6817 and 6927) or were associated with a pit, indicating recovery of the post during abandonment (St 6926). These features are possibly related to the erection of an internal partition delimiting a small space to the northwest, opposite the presumed entrance. This partition wall could also have supported the roof, partly composed of limestone platelets (see above). The other smaller post holes may be part of the same structure, as could the havara ridge to the northwest. This may have been set aside because of the hard substrate, as well as to contribute to the space partition. Post hole St 6818, which may belong to this structure, contains a remarkable accumulation of flint blades in the fill (chap. 14).

    Fig. 7-27 – Structural elements of building B07: foundation trenches (in black), central hearth, stake and post holes. The numbers indicate the depth in cm; in areas of marly substrate (cf. fig. 7-25), 10–20 cm must be added to estimate the original level in which the posts/stakes were driven. In yellow, presence of wedge stones. In green, remarkable object deposits.

    Éléments structurants du bâtiment B07 : tranchées de fondation (en noir), foyer central, trous de piquets et de poteaux. Les chiffres indiquent la profondeur en cm ; dans les zones de substrat marneux (cf. fig. 7-25), il faut leur ajouter entre 10 et 20 cm pour estimer le niveau original dans lequel le poteau a été enfoncé. En jaune, présence de pierres de calage. En vert, dépôts d’objets remarquables. Relevé F. Briois, EHESS, et O. Armand ; DAO J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Drawing F. Briois, EHESS and O. Armand, U. Paul Valéry. CAD J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    3.5.5. Conclusion

    66Building B07 was small in size and firmly set into the upper slope. Conversely, the southern peripheral wall leant against a system of posts, as for building St 800. The modest-sized central hearth was the main structural element, along with a possible internal partition framed on wooden stakes and poles, which could have supported the roof. The most probable location of the entrance is to the east. Contrary to buildings B05 and B24, these structures suggest that B07 was a dwelling.

    3.6. Building B08

    3.6.1. Shape and dimensions

    67The shape of B08 was demarcated to the north, east and south by the foundation trench, and to the west by demolition levels and fillings (fig. 7-28 and 7-29; appendix 7-9). It followed an ellipse with axes measuring 5 and 4 m, an estimated ground surface of 15.7 m² and a usable surface of c. 12 m². In the upper part, the notch dug into the marl slope for implanting the construction terrace partly reused the one for B07, extending it towards the east over a surface of about 2.5 m and a depth of 85 cm. Here again, an incision was made in the marl regolith substratum. This formation formed the substratum over most of the edifice’s surface, except in the northwest where the floor lies on the havara vein on which the B07 hearth pit was dug. If we deduct the volume already removed during the construction of B07, the excavated volume for implanting B08 can be estimated at about 4 m3.

    Fig. 7-28 – Sub-nadiral view of building B08 before (A) and after (B) the exhaustive excavation of the hollowed structures.

    Vue sub-nadirale du bâtiment B08 avant (A) et après (B) la fouille exhaustive des structures en creux. Fouilles F. Briois, EHESS, O. Armand, U. Paul Valéry et P.‑A. Beauvais, U. Jean Jaurès. Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Excavation F. Briois, EHESS; O. Armand, U. Montpellier and P.‑A. Beauvais, U. Toulouse. Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Fig. 7-29 – Planimetric survey of the structures related, or potentially related, to building B08.

    Relevé planimétrique des structures liées ou potentiellement liées au bâtiment B08. Fouilles et relevés F. Briois, EHESS, O. Armand, U. Paul Valéry, P.‑A. Beauvais, U. Jean Jaurès ; DAO J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Excavation and survey F. Briois, EHESS, O. Armand, U. Paul Valéry, and P.‑A. Beauvais, U. Jean Jaurès; CAD J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    3.6.2. Foundation trench

    68As with B07, the foundation trench was only a few centimetres lower than the levelled floor it surrounded, and the scant building earth it contained was very bioturbated, except to the north, where a few sometimes secondarily carbonated flakes were preserved. The course of the B08 foundation trench was interrupted to the northwest by the large Neolithic Sotira pit (St 6784, 6822, 6850), to the west and southwest by the erosion of the slope and the later siting of building B09, and to the southeast by an entrance gate. Its average depth was only 7 cm greater than that of B07, but it increased by 10 cm from north (where it was only slightly greater than that of B07) to south.

    3.6.3. Levelled floor, earth embankment and pit structure(s)

    69With the exception of a very small area to the northwest, lying on the havara, the circulation level had completely disappeared. If it had once been plastered, no traces remain. The levelled floor was perfectly horizontal from north to south, and took up the level (98.80) of the B07 floor without significant variation. The horizontal downslope required the laying of an earth embankment (SU 6131) composed of greenish-grey marl that had been kneaded and recompacted. The preserved thickness of this embankment could be estimated at c. 5–10 cm, owing to a small test excavation (fig. 7-29).

    70The hearth structure St 6852 was most probably linked to B08. It was located opposite the entrance, as for B07, but did not occupy the centre of the space. The slightly elliptical (59 x 71 cm) hemispherical bowl sunk to the edge of the havara to a depth of about 30 cm (fig. 7-30) and showed a slight delineation towards the west. It was lined with a thick layer of red clay to the west and northwest, but only in its upper third. Its silty filling contained significant levels of mineralised (calcined) crusts, as well as some heated pebbles, evidence of thermal use.

    Fig. 7-30 – Hearth pit related to building B08.

    Fosse foyère attribuable au bâtiment B08. Cliché O. Armand, U. Paul Valéry.

    Photo O. Armand, U. Paul Valéry.

    71A rubified strip (St 7262) cut into the east and west by two pits that can be related to B08, suggests, as for B07, the existence of a hearth prior to B08, and perhaps a now disappeared earlier building.

    3.6.4. Entrance

    72The entrance feature was marked by a 50-cm-wide break in the foundation trench to the southeast. Approaching this break, the two branches of the foundation trench curved sharply towards the interior of the building and symmetrically in relation to the axis of the entrance (fig. 7-31). Each terminated in a pair of post holes, each with a diameter of 15–20 cm diameter (St 7244 and 7245) – the more terminal hole sinking 25 cm below ground level, the other reaching only 11 cm. This arrangement of paired posts was completed to the east by a slight depression (St 7246), containing a c. 20-cm-thick, roughly polyhedral dense limestone block (St 7187), about the size of the depression. The block might have been laid in situ at the time of the construction of building B10, in order to fill the cavity left after the demolition of B08 and to support the B10 earth wall foundation to the northwest. Alternatively, this block may correspond to a step for exiting B08 and returning to the circulation level. This second interpretation is more likely because of the unusual size of the block, compared to all the other rare blocks of secure PPN origin found on the site, and because the low level of the depression (St 7246) required a thick step in order to leave building B08. To reach the outside circulation level at that time (when B10 did not yet exist), it would have been necessary to climb at least 50–60 cm.

    Fig. 7-31 – View of the entrance to building B08, inside to outside, framed by two pairs of posts and underlined by a limestone block serving as a step. Above and to the right of the photo, the platform of buildings B26-B27. Excavation P.‑A. Beauvais, Jean Jaurès University.

    Vue de l’entrée du bâtiment B08, de l’intérieur vers l’extérieur, encadrée par deux couples de poteaux et soulignée par un bloc calcaire faisant office de marche. En haut et à droite du cliché, la plateforme des bâtiments B26-B27. Fouille P.­‑A. Beauvais, U. Jean Jaurès. Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    73The possibility of two or three other steps transforming this into a kind of small staircase could not be excluded. Four post holes, two downslope (St 7183, 7184) and two upslope (St 7185, 7186), located on either side of the gate and extending it outwards, are probably connected to this entrance structure. They outline a small entrance channel, which could have framed the upper steps of the exit staircase, and limited the entry of runoff water into the building.

    3.6.5. Post holes and architecture

    74Only a few post or stake holes were clearly attributable to building B08. These included:

    • St 6817 and 6818, already mentioned in relation to B07, which might have served to reinforce the perimeter wall of B08 to the northwest, where it did not lean against the upslope notch;
    • A set of three post holes, including a pair, (St 6865, 6914, 6915), aligned to the northeast, which could correspond to a bench limit or partition wall;
    • A set of four post holes (St 6766, 6866, 6919, 7270), including a pair, grouped to the south and interpretable in the same way. The structure would have been symmetrical to the previous one.

    75Other post holes were clearly related to constructions prior to building B08, since they were external and masked by the fill of SU 6131 (to the south: St 7271 and 7272). St 7172 cut into the hearth of B08 and corresponds to a post–B08 phase of the terrace occupation. It is possible that the traces of some posts supporting the downslope wall were destroyed by erosion and the construction of B09. However, it must be noted that there was no central post, which, for a 5 x 4 m building, calls into question of the existence of a hard roof.

    3.6.6. Other internal features

    76Similarly, few internal pits were observed. It is unlikely that pits St 7263 and 7264, located very close to the passage defined by the entrance, were dug out at the time of the B08 occupation. The shallow depth of these pits suggests strong erosion and, therefore, they are probably related to an earlier occupation. It is possible that only the three large pits (St 6851, 6922 and 6930) surrounding the hearth to the west were related to B08, two of which intersect structures in B07. The first, 15 cm deep and 50 x 40 cm wide, adjoined the hearth and yielded an ochre-coloured limestone plaque. The second was of comparable dimensions and yielded fairly substantial lithic material (four connected blades, a core and a broken pebble, fig. 7-32, A), suggesting a foundation or sealing deposit. St 6930 was more likely to have been related to domestic or artisanal activities (fig. 32, B). It was 52 x 55 cm wide, about 20 cm deep, with a slightly ochre-coloured base and a border apparently raised by a white, chalky mortar. The gravelly and compact fill yielded flints, faunal remains, fragments of colourant and macrolithic elements.

    Fig. 7-32 – A, Pit 6922 in B07 probably related to a foundation or closure pit of B08. B, Rectified orthophotograph of the St 6930 pit, linked to artisanal activities.

    A, Fosse 6922 au sein de B07 mais faisant probablement référence à une fosse de fondation ou de condamnation de B08. B, Orthophotographie redressée de la fosse St 6930, liée à des activités artisanales. Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    3.6.7. Conclusion

    77Building B08 was of average size, firmly set into the upper slope and lying on an earthen embankment on the lower side. It was elliptic in shape with a narrow well-preserved south-eastern entrance, probably with a stone staircase flanked by partitions. The building was possibly partitioned by a wood-framed wall into a front and back room. The hearth pit was located in the back room, in the axis of the entrance at the opposite end to it, and associated with several other pits. There was no central post hole and we have no information about the roof, if there was one. These internal structures, however, suggest that this was a dwelling building.

    3.7. Building B09

    3.7.1. Shape and dimensions

    78As the foundation trench was preserved practically all the way around the building (fig. 7-33 and 7-34, appendix 7-10), we could confidently assume that building B09 was almost perfectly circular, with a diameter of 4.10 m, a ground surface of 13.20 m² and a usable surface of 10.75 m². The floor was 14 cm below that of B24 and 20 cm below B07, taking into account the erosion of the present-day circulation level. The fact that the B09 foundation trench cut through all the neighbouring buildings shows that it was built on a pre-existing platform. The volume of marl regolith and havara (eastern half) removed for its installation was thus limited to c. 2 m3.

    Fig. 7-33 – Sub-nadiral views of building B09 before (A) and after (B) the excavation of the hollowed structures.

    Vues sub-nadirales du bâtiment B09 avant (A) et après (B) la fouille des structures en creux. Fouilles J. Duval, U. François Rabelais, S. Grosfilley, U. St Etienne et S. Rigaud, CNRS. Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Excavation J. Duval, U. François Rabelais; S. Grosfilley, U. St Etienne and S. Rigaud, CNRS. Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Fig. 7-34 – Planimetric survey of building B09.

    Relevé planimétrique du bâtiment B09. Fouilles et relevés J. Duval, U. François Rabelais, S. Grosfilley, U. St Etienne et S. Rigaud, CNRS ; CAD S. Grosfilley, U. St Etienne.

    Excavation and survey: J. Duval, U. François Rabelais, S. Grosfilley, U. St Etienne and S. Rigaud, CNRS; CAD S. Grosfilley, U. St Etienne.

    3.7.2. Foundation trench and entrance

    79The foundation trench (St 6846) was on average 8 cm deep and largely filled with the remains of building earth loosened by bioturbation, locally rich in deposits of remarkable objects. Its width was more regular than that of B05 and B24. It was interrupted to the south by slope erosion, although a slight rise in the slope may correspond to the northern flank of the foundation trench.

    80To the east, the curvature of the trench tapered off over a length of about one metre, between two post holes, 15–20 cm in diameter (St 7223 and 7224, fig. 7-34). Along this section of the trench, outside the limits of B09, a feature consisting of a wide, flat-based, sub-trapezoidal notch about 15 cm deep (St 6847, fig. 7-35) was observed. It was flanked to the south by two post holes about 15 cm in diameter (St 7240, 7241), and to the north by one or two similar sized post holes (St 6866, 7242). At least two of these post holes were stone wedged. This depression is reminiscent of the entrance to building B08 and, like the latter, could have been used as a threshold stone or step. Inside the building, a slight depression filled with deteriorated building earth covered a set of two paired post holes (6845 and 6983-7226), framed on the north and south by two smaller ones (6963 in the north and 6844 in the south). These features were probably part of an entrance structure with an external step and possibly an internal sluice or chicane.

    Fig. 7-35 – Entrance of B09: indentation probably intended as a step to exit the building.

    Dispositif d’entrée de B09 : encoche probablement destinée à recevoir une marche pour sortir du bâtiment. Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    3.7.3. Circulation level and floor; fire traces

    81A thick layer of plaster running over a wide strip north to south, covered the internal circulation floor (fig. 7-34). It was heavily cracked and blackened and rested on a slightly rubified marl-limestone fill, suggesting that the building was burnt down before it was abandoned.

    3.7.4. Post holes, architecture

    82There were no post holes in the northern half of the foundation trench apart from those associated with the entrance. However, two small post holes appeared in the western quarter of the arc (St 7211, 7214). These may have served as a reinforcement of the perimeter wall which did not lean against a notch like B07 or B08. The presence of such reinforcements in the south cannot be ruled out. The floor of B09 was furthermore dotted with almost 20 stake holes, without any apparent organisation, suggesting that not all of them were necessarily associated with the building.

    83In the centre, at the bottom of a large pit (St 6965: 60 x 51 cm), a wider post hole pointed to the existence of a central post (and a roof).

    3.7.5. Other internal features; hearth pit?

    84Two large oval hollows with hemispherical bases were cut into the ground on either side of the possible central post. Both of them were probable hearth pits, in spite of the absence of any rubefaction. This absence can be explained by the more carbonated substratum here, resulting in light greyish rather than marked reddish fire marks on the floor.

    • St 6968 (52 x 71 cm; fig. 7-36, A) was an oval pit, 33 cm deep and drained to the west. Its fill comprised two silty levels, brown and loose on the surface, lighter, more compact and heterogeneous lower down. It only contained pre-pottery material (flints, macro-tools, fauna, tusk shells), and therefore did not seem to have been dug later than the PPN. This pit may have been associated with the B05 entrance, discussed above. The shape and depth of the pit may be compatible with use as a hearth pit.
    • The second pit was a complex of several pits comprising two shallow (14 cm) and small-sized pits (St 6841: 41 x 23 cm; St 6843: 26 x 17 cm), intersected by a deeper (27 cm) and wider hemispherical excavation (St 6842: 63 x 43, fig. 7-36, B). However, the excavation profile was not as regular as in hearth pits B04, B07 or B08. The fill of the larger pit (6842) was commonplace with scant material in its deepest part, possibly indicating a post-PPN excavation (although no Sotira or historical material was found). The fill of St 6843 was of the same type, and that of St 6841 was more compact and rich in burnt building earth.

    85Either of these features may have been the hearth pit of B09, but doubts subsist.

    Fig. 7-36 – Sub-nadiral photos of the two large pits excavated into the B09 floor and liable to be the hearth of the building: St 6968 (A) and the complex 6841-6842-6843 (B).

    Photos sub-nadirale des deux grandes fosses creusées dans le sol de B09 et susceptibles d’être le foyer du bâtiment : St 6968 (A) et le complexe 6841-6842-6843 (B). Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    3.7.6. Conclusion

    86B09 was at least partially burnt, and implanted on the same terrace as B05 and B24, at a later stage, and was at least a third larger than them. It was carefully built, with a rather sophisticated entrance and a probable central post. It seems reasonable to interpret B09 as a dwelling building, in spite of no clear internal arrangements and no unquestionable hearth.

    3.8. Building B10

    3.8.1. B10 shape and dimensions

    87Building B10 was one of the best-preserved buildings, especially in its clearly delimited northern half. To the south, it was intersected by large hollows (St 6824, 6825, 7252), first attributed to the Sotira period, but probably in actual fact excavated during the PPNA occupation, considering the animal bone remains (chap. 24). The shape of the foundation trench and the position of post hole St 7200 probably mark the southern limit of the entrance door (cf. below). B10 presented an oval shape (fig. 7-7, 7-37, 7-38 and 7-39), with a NW-SE axis 4.6 m long, and a long axis estimated at 5.5–6 m. It was thus a large building (surface of 20–22 m² with a usable surface of c. 18 m²), comparable in size and shape to the neighbouring B08. The upper notch excavated into the slope was 58 cm deep at the most. We can thus estimate the volume of havara sediment excavated to install the B10 terrace at about 4 m3. Additional information on the B10 structures can be found in appendix 7-11.

    Fig. 7-37 – Sub-nadiral views of building B10 before (A, B) and after (C) the exhaustive excavation of the hollow structures. Excavation: P.‑A. Beauvais, U. Jean Jaurès and J. Bertaut, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne.

    Vues sub-nadirale du bâtiment B10 avant (A, B) et après (C) la fouille exhaustive des structures en creux. Fouilles P.‑A. Beauvais, U. Jean Jaurès, et J. Bertaut, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne ; clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Fig. 7-38 – Planimetric survey of buildings B10 and B12.

    Relevé planimétrique des bâtiments B10 et B12. Relevé J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS et P.‑A. Beauvais, U. Jean Jaurès. DAO J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Survey: J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS and P.‑A. Beauvais, U. Jean Jaurès. CAD J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Fig. 7-39 – B10 building: north earth wall and bench. A, View from the east of the beginning of the excavation showing the thick earth wall and part of the earth bench. B, Profile cut through the wall and bench (see drawing in fig. 8.8).

    Bâtiment B10 : mur et banquette septentrionaux, construits en bauge. A, vue depuis l’est du début de la fouille montrant l’épais mur de terre et une partie de la banquette. B, coupe du mur et de la banquette (voir dessin fig. 8.8). Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    3.8.2. Supporting structure of the north-western wall

    88To the northwest, at the level of the large terrace left by the abandonment of B08, the earthen wall (St 6600) preserved on the northern arc of B10 leant against a thick fill (St 6780) constructed outside the building. The fill was composed of silt and comprised abundant large limestone blocks, mixed with fragments of macro-tools, flint fragments and flakes, as well as a few bones (fig. 7-40). This formation was nearly 50 cm thick. Its base rested on the B08 primary fill (SU 6111, see fig. 7-5, A), which itself covered the remains of the B08 foundation trench (see fig. 7-6, C). This remarkable, but apparently poorly organised, stone accumulation was overlain by the demolition products of wall 6600, indicating that it was built before the wall was erected. It was therefore not a secondary reinforcement affixed to B10, to stop already ongoing collapse, but a genuine part of the primary B10 architecture. It was probably built in order to extend the vertical section of the large notch dug into the northern slope for the thick north B10 wall to lean against, precisely at the point where this support no longer existed because it had been levelled previously, by the construction of the B08 terrace.

    Fig. 7-40 – Supporting structure (St 6780) of the B10 northwest wall. A, View from the southwest, showing the environment of the stony wall.

    (a) left, the B08 terrace; right, from top to down: (b) north earth wall and bench of B10 in their foundation trench, (c) B10 havara floor, (d) widening of the B10 foundation trench into the large shallow St 6634 pit, (e) B08 entrance, (f) B08 entrance step. B, General view of St 6780 after removal of the demolition products. C, East-west section along axis CPE_01B, showing, on the right, the B10 wall, resting on St 6780 to the west.
    Structure porteuse (St 6780) du mur nord-ouest de B10. A, vue du sud-ouest, montrant l’environnement des remblais en pierre : (a) à gauche, l’entaille de la terrasse de B08 ; à droite, de haut en bas : (b) mur de terre nord et banquette de B10 dans leur tranchée de fondation, (c) sol de havara de B10, (d) élargissement de la tranchée de fondation de B10 dans la grande fosse peu profonde St 6634, (e) entrée de B08, (f) marche d’entrée de B08. B, vue générale de St 6780 après l’enlèvement des produits de démolition. C, coupe est-ouest selon l’axe CPE_01B, montrant, à droite, le mur B10, reposant sur St 6780 à l’ouest. Relevé sur orthophoto J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS. DAO Y. Franel, Inrap. Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Survey on orthophotographs J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS. CAD Y. Franel, Inrap. Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    89The delineation of this feature could not be easily determined due to the deterioration of its western and south-western margins. The thick stony layer in the B08 primary fill (SU 6078, fig. 7-6, C), described above, prolonged by the thinner SU 6021 in the B09 primary fill (fig. 7-5, C and 7-6, B), represents the products derived from the dismantling of the B10 stone supporting device. This formation extended in a layer over 3 m in both north-south and east-west directions, in the space between B10 and B09. In addition, it was secondarily intersected by numerous pits from the Sotira culture (fig. 7-5, A).

    3.8.3. Wall, internal benches and foundation trench

    90The 20–30 cm thick earth wall was inserted in the foundation trench and went past the floor towards the inside of the building, where it was overlain by thick demolition products (30–40 cm). This strong secondarily carbonated earth wall was still preserved along the whole northern semi-circle of the building. There, it leant against the 60–70 cm deep north section of the B10 havara notch and, to the west, against the above-described supporting stone structure St 6870 (fig. 7-38). Several remarkable symbolic deposits were found hidden in the earth wall, namely animal bones and bone tools (chap. 31). This formation was internally bordered by a thick “step” of building earth (fig. 7-8, 7-37, A and B, fig. 7-39, A) which, in cross section, appeared to be the result of the construction, rather than the demolition, of the upper part of the wall (fig. 7-40, B). This internal bench was prolonged to the southwest by loose soil (SU 6600.8, fig. 7-38), which could be interpreted as a bioturbated continuation of the bench.

    91The earthen wall foundation trench was shallow (10–15 cm) and about 15 cm wide. It was bordered on the internal side, beneath the peripheral bench, by an even shallower excavation. Inside and on the edge of this dug out surface were set about ten, or probably more, stakes, most of which were small and not very deeply set, except for St 7126 and St 7127 (fig. 7-37, C and 7-41). It seems that the bench was reinforced by a light wooden framework. However, some stronger posts may have been inserted in the wall itself, in addition to the perhaps insufficient (or at least less than for B08) natural support of the notch cut into the slope on which the building was built.

    Fig. 7-41 – Plan of the B10 building floor and pits.

    Relevé planimétrique du sol du bâtiment B10 et des structures creusées. Fouilles et relevés P.‑A. Beauvais, U. Jean-Jaurès, CAD J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Excavation and survey P.‑A. Beauvais, U. Jean-Jaurès. CAD J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    92To the south, in a somehow symmetrical pattern, the two branches of the semi-circular foundation trench widened into larger and shallower irregular pits dotted by a small number of stake holes, which contained remarkable objects (picrolite or Spondylus beads, chap. 19; skull of a young boar, chap. 31; macro-tools, flint arrowheads). These features could correspond to foundation rituals. However, the quadrangular shape (fig. 7-42) and situation of the western deposit, in the continuation of the building B08 entrance, suggests that St 6664 was related to the steps excavated to access this building. The remarkable deposits would thus have been connected to B08 and not B10. Nevertheless, the bench still seemed to run against the wall above these features (see above, SU 6600.8, fig. 7-38). A large portion of the wall was therefore lined by this perimeter bench, comparable to that suggested by the small ditches of building St 800 and starting, as for the latter, just right of the entrance (fig. 7-41).

    Fig. 7-42 – View towards the south of pit St 6634 after the excavation of its north half. To the right, the limit of building B08.

    Vue du nord vers le sud de la fosse St 6634 après la fouille de sa moitié nord. À droite, la limite du bâtiment B08. Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    3.8.4. Entrance

    93To the southeast, where the wall merged into a set of raw earth demolition products, the foundation trench partially intersected the fill of building B18 (fig. 7-37 and 7-38). In its extension, and in line with the B10 wall, lay the St 6647 monolith (110 cm x 24/34 cm; fig. 7-43, A ; see also appendix 7-11). This was the largest stone found during the Klimonas excavation, and was associated with a remarkable picrolite bird-shaped pendant (ISO-B040, chap. 19). We interpreted this as a threshold stone, suggesting that this had once been the building’s entrance. The removal of the block at the end of the 2016 season revealed that it rested on the extension of the B10 foundation trench and that it was flanked, on the north and south sides, by two good-sized post holes (St 7199 and 7200, fig. 7-38 and 7-43, B), which probably served as a frame for the entrance door.

    Fig. 7-43 – Sub-nadiral and oblique views of the B10 entrance before (A) and after (B) removal of the threshold step.

    Vues sub-nadiral et oblique de l’entrée de B10 avant (A) et après (B) enlèvement de la marche de seuil. Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    3.8.5. Hearth pit and associated deposits

    94The smoothed havara floor was intersected by a sub-circular, flat-bottomed, wide (62 x 66 cm) yet shallow (19 cm) pit (St 7135, fig. 7-37, 7-41 and 7-44) with orange edges. This colour cannot result from the heating of the substratum, like in the buildings lying on the marl, since the havara is almost iron-free. It might, however, be due to the decalcification of the havara. As none of the other pits in the B10 floor were red coloured, it is probable that this decalcification was accelerated by fire, and that this pit was actually a hearth. The fills were heavily bioturbated but yielded several remarkable finds without any traces of fire. They could thus have been deposited after abandonment: shells, flint blades, stone retouchers, and three spherical stones were found in a small pit (St 7161) dug at the bottom of the fire pit after abandonment. A small orange pit tangential to St 7135 (St 7133) seems to have played a comparable role to that of the lateral pits observed in the B07 and B29 hearths.

    95This hearth pit was located in the centre of the northern half of the building’s elliptical delimitation, c. 1.5 m from the benches.

    Fig. 7-44 – B10 hearth pit (St 7135) in section (A) and almost emptied of its contents (B), revealing the red ochre colouration and the three spherical stones in the St 7161 pit. Note the small tangential pit St 7133, on the right.

    Fosse foyère de B10 (St 7135) en coupe (A) et presque vidée de son contenu (B), laissant apparaître la coloration ocre rouge et les trois percuteurs dans la cuvette St 7161. Noter la petite fosse tangentielle St 7133, à droite. Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    3.8.6. Floor, posts, poles and other internal arrangements

    96Although there was some variability in floor elevation, resulting in part from the vertical rejection (up to 2 cm) of the northwest/southeast orientated tectonic microfaults (fig. 7-41), a large portion of the preserved B10 floor to the north was carefully levelled. It was covered with a carbonate layer that appears to be an artificial plaster, and secondarily strengthened by a pedological carbonate impregnation. The plaster was degraded to the southeast and southwest due to slope erosion, and to the southeast where the quality of the havara deteriorated as it approached the greenish-grey marl. It appears that this soil was coated several times, as suggested by the presence of two levels, observed to the west, during excavation of the large pit St 6634 (fig. 7-45).

    Fig. 7-45 – View of the B10 floor split along the foundation trench, north of St 6634.

    Vue du sol de B10 se dédoublant le long de la tranchée de fondation, au nord de St 6634. Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    97Apart from the c. 25 pole and post holes, more or less clearly associated with the peripheral wall and bench, the floor was pierced by 20 or so other post holes. These were mostly located in the northeast quadrant. However, this could be at least partly due to the fact that they are better preserved and detectable in the smoothed havara than in the degraded floor. Some of them may possibly be related to more recently eroded buildings, as suggested by the presence of the many pole holes located outside any identifiable foundation trenches, north of B10 and B18. In any event, no clear organisation was detected, aside from three groups of three associated pole holes in the northeast (St 7136, fig. 7-41), northwest (St 7121, St 7249, St 7250) and southeast (St 7137), located around the fire pit – all c. 40 cm from the centre of the hearth. Were they part of the same structure? Were they associated with the hearth?

    98Two of the other post holes were larger than average (St 6700 and 6701: 12–15 cm) and associated with a large stone laid on the floor, possibly part of a wedge stone. These posts may have acted as a roof support.

    3.8.7. Conclusion

    99Building B10 was a large building with elaborate architecture, characterised by a wide entrance, the presence of an external stone side reinforcement to support the thick earth wall and a peripheral narrow bench at the internal base of the wall, probably for reinforcing the architecture. The northern part of the edifice was firmly implanted on the havara, the formal floor was carefully plastered and the hearth and diverse internal structures suggested that it was a dwelling. The south part of the building had completely disappeared, though it probably rested on the fill of the middle terrace buildings. Building B10 intersects B08 and B18 but was overlain by B12, at least in the south. It holds a sub-terminal position in the occupation chronology of the excavated zone.

    3.9. Building B12

    100On a surface of the TB7-8 trench of less than 4 m², just at the slope break’s upper limit, the remnants of two superposed stratigraphic units were preserved: a stone floor (SU 6035) covered by a thin plaster layer (SU 6034; fig. 7-38 and 7-46). This succession was clearly visible to the southwest in the CPN-02N profile (see above 2.2.2, fig. 7-10). To the northeast, it was interrupted by a short arc of bioturbated building earth (St 6656), interpreted as degraded wall remnants. On the other side of trench TB2, some remains of this floor and of the wall located at the same altitude were also part of the same structure; here, the curvature of the wall remains clearly intersected the continuity of the B10 foundation trench (fig. 7-38).

    Fig. 7-46 – Deteriorated remains of building B12 in trench TB 7-8, south of the B10 remains. A, On the stone floor can be seen the smoothed thin formal floor (a), interrupted to the northeast by the loose fine sediment arc of bioturbated wall St 6656 (b). To the south, the floor was intersected by a possible large Sotira pit (c). B, After removal of the plaster, the limit between the wall (d) and the stone floor (e) appeared more clearly; to the right, the large St 696 pit (f).

    Restes dégradés du bâtiment B12 dans la tranchée TB 7-8, au sud des restes de B10. A, sur le radier de pierres, on peut voir le mince enduit lissé du sol (a), interrompu au nord-est par le sédiment meuble et fin du mur bioturbé St 6656 (b) ; au sud, le sol est percé par une vaste fosse attribuée à la culture Sotira (c). B, après enlèvement de l’enduit 6034, la limite entre le mur (d) et le radier 6035 (e) apparaît plus clairement ; sur la droite, la grande fosse St 696 (f). Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    101Regardless of the residual and deteriorated state of this portion of floor and wall, they indicated the presence of another building (B12), laid on the products of deterioration and fills of earlier buildings from the middle and lower levels of the slope.

    102The floor level elevation (appendix 7-6) measured on 27 points of the SU 6034 surface, appeared to have an average of 98.96 ± 0.029 m, 18 cm lower than the average level of the B10 floor (N= 81: 99,14 ± 0,098 m, fig. 7-47). This difference is statistically significant (Student t-test with unequal variance = 14.6, p < 0.00001).

    Fig. 7-47 – Notched box plot comparing the elevation of the floors of B10 and B12. For each box plot, from bottom to top: first quartile, second quartile, median, third and fourth quartiles.

    Graphique en boîte à encoches comparant l’élévation du sol de circulation de B10 et B12. Pour chacun des box plots, de bas en haut : premier quartile, second quartile, médiane, troisième et quatrième quartiles.

    103We can conclude that building B12 was laid on the rubble of the middle terrace buildings (B25, B26, B27, see below), taking advantage of the B10 platform by overcutting it by 18 cm. B12 must therefore be later than B10. The preserved arc of deteriorated earth wall suggests a diameter of at least 4 m. The location of the wall remains (fig. 7-38) indicates that the slope break was more than 3 m further south than it is today, suggesting that many other buildings could have completely disappeared.

    3.10. Buildings B13, B14 and B29

    3.10.1. General presentation

    104The platform shared by all three buildings (B13, B14 and B29) was located at the lower level of the zone (b), in the central area of Sector B, down towards to the B10–B12 platform. It was flanked by B17 and B18 to the southwest, and by B15 to the southeast. It was shaped like a semi-ellipse and defined by a main east-west axis of 6.4 m and a small north-south axis of 2.6 m (fig. 7-48 and 7-49). To the south, it was truncated by slope erosion (in the east), the large Sotira pit St 695 (in the centre) and the B23 foundation trench (towards the west). To the north, it was delimited by a pit seemingly cut into the floor of the B26 and B27 buildings, located between B10 and B13-14-29 (fig. 7-14). The floor comprised three foundation trenches describing three intersecting half circles and three hearth pits, signifying the presence of three buildings.

    Fig. 7-48 – Sub-nadiral views of the B13-14-29 terrace before (A) and after (B) the excavation of the pits. Excavation L. Amami, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne; P. Mylona, MNHN and J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Vues sub-nadirale de la terrasse de B13-14-29 avant (A) et après (B) la fouille des structures creuses. Fouilles L. Amami, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne), P. Mylona, MNHN, et J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS. Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Fig. 7-49 – Plan of the lower terrace structures in zone (b).

    Relevé planimétrique des structures de la terrasse inférieure de la zone (b). Dessins L. Amami, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne. et J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS. DAO J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Drawings L. Amami, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne and J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS. CAD J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    3.10.2. Reconstruction of foundation trench organisation and chronology

    105Notched into the havara in the east half and on the greenish-grey marl regolith in the west half, the terrace level was damaged by three large excavations probably dating to the Neolithic Sotira period (fig. 7-49 and 7-50), already visible in the CPN_02B section mentioned above (fig. 7-10):

    • A seemingly very large pit located in the eastern centre of the feature, at the base of which a handstone and several large limestone blocks were found (St 6750 and 6751);
    • A pit (St 653, appendix 7-1) with a large limestone slab (St 652) at its base;
    • Two coalescing pits (St 6862 and 6853) located right on the slope break between the middle and lower terraces.

    106Although all these excavations stopped shortly after reaching the pre-pottery building floor level, they damaged the surface of the latter, rendering interpretations difficult in crucial places. This was notably the case for the slope break between the lower and middle terraces. Here, damage was so extensive (fig. 7-49) that it was unclear whether the B26-27 floor truncation should be attributed to the excavation of the lower terrace or to the Sotira pits (see below, however). This was also the case for the convergence zone of the six foundation trench arcs; it was difficult, at first sight, to connect the eastern to the western ones (fig. 7-48).

    Fig. 7-50 – View of zone (b) during the first excavations (2015), highlighting, in the foreground, the large Sotira pit (St 695: cistern?, see chap. 4), the main excavations of the same period that affected the lower terrace (St 653 and 6852-6853, in the centre, and St 6750 and 6751, to the east) and the pits located further north, at the limit of the middle and upper terraces (St 6824 and 6825).

    Vue de la zone (b) lors des premiers décapages de 2015, mettant en évidence, au premier plan, la grande fosse Sotira (St 695 : citerne ? voir chap. 4), les principaux creusements de même époque qui ont affecté la terrasse basse (St 653 et 6852-6853, au centre, et St 6750 et 6751, à l’est), et les fosses implantées plus au nord, à la limite des terrasses moyenne et hautes (St 6824 et 6825). Cliché et DAO J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo and CAD J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    107However, this dilemma was resolved by analysing the geometric characteristics of the foundation trenches and the CPNE_B13.1 section. Statistical analysis of the base elevations of the six foundation trenches (see appendix 7-6) shows highly significant differences (ANOVA; Welch’s F = 9.601, df = 13.27, p = 0.0005). It was therefore possible to unravel the complexity on the basis of this criterion. Figure 7-51 shows that St 6637 (east) and St 6980 (west) are significantly higher than the others (p Tukey < 0.05), suggesting that they should be grouped together and assigned to B13. Similarly, it points to similarities between St 7152 (west) and 6758 (east), attributable to B29. The differences between St 690 and St 6638 are greater (although not significant: p Tukey = 0.82). However, in plan, these two arcs clearly appear to be in continuity with each other (B14).

    Fig. 7-51 – Box plots of the foundation trench base elevations for the three buildings on the lower terrace: B13 (green), B14 (yellow) and B29 (blue)

    Box-plots des altitudes de fonds de tranchées de fondation des trois bâtiments de la terrasse basse : B13 (vert), B14 (jaune) et B29 (bleu).

    Fig. 7-52 – Profile CPNE_B13.2 (see location in fig. 7-49) showing the interlocking B13, B14 and B29 buildings on the middle and lower terraces and the geometrical relationships between their respective primary fills.

    Profil CPNE_B13.2 (voir la localisation en fig. 7-49) montrant l’imbrication des bâtiments B13, B14 et B29 sur les terrasses moyenne et inférieure, et les relations géométriques entre leurs remblais primaires respectifs. Relevé et DAO Y. Franel, Inrap.

    Survey and CAD Y. Franel, Inrap.

    108The cross-section CPNE-B13.2 (fig. 7-52) enabled us to specify the chronology of these three buildings. The B13 primary fill was intersected by the B14 wall, and the latter was intersected by the B29 wall. The successive buildings were therefore first shifted to the west (B14), then reduced in size and advanced to the south (B29)

    3.10.3. Shape and size of the buildings

    109The B13 and B14 foundation trenches outline two perfect semi-circles of 5.6 and 5.4 m, respectively (fig. 7-49). In the hypothesis of circular buildings, this indicates ground surfaces of 24.6 and 22.9 m² and usable surfaces of 22.9 and 21.2 m². If we assume that B27 had already been excavated at the time of construction of B13, then the latter would have required the removal of about 3.5 m3 (or 6 m3 in the reverse hypothesis). The implantation of B14, with a floor on average 7 cm deeper than B13, on the western edge of the talus (perhaps to procure lower backfill) necessitated the digging of about 2 m3.

    110The preserved portion of B29 presented an irregular elliptic shape. The small axis was estimated at 3.6 m. If we assume that St 6976 is the central post hole of this construction, we can estimate the long axis at 4 m, the ground surface at 12.5 m² and the usable surface at 10 m². On average, the B29 floor was dug out 11 cm deeper than that of B14, and its construction would have required the removal of about 1.4 m3 of regolith.

    111It is important to note that although the three buildings were implanted on the same terrace, each of them underwent additional excavation, involving major extraction, levelling work and surface treatment.

    3.10.4. Post and stake holes, benches; architecture

    112There were about 40 small post (diameter c. 10 cm, fig. 7-48 and 7-49) and stakes holes in the area of the low terrace (see appendix 7-12). Nearly half of them (18) were located in the foundation trenches (7, 6 and 5, respectively, for B13, B14 and B29). This suggested that the earth walls had been reinforced with wood at irregular intervals, probably on account of the shallow upslope notch.

    113This situation would not have occurred if the B26-27 platform had been later than the B13 one. More small posts were observed outside the foundation trenches, sometimes paired (23), and were divided into two groups: the west (15) and the east (20). It was not possible to relate these to their respective buildings or to detect any spatial organisation. They nevertheless attest to relatively constant developments in terms of location, over the course of the three constructions.

    114Situated not far from the centre of the terrace, post hole St 6976 was characterised by a depth of 50 cm, a diameter of 32 cm and a carefully constructed stone wedging, including an ochre limestone slab (fig. 7-53). The post hole fill did not contain any remarkable pieces, but its characteristics suggest a major architectural element, or even a central post. It was located outside the supposed right of way of B17 and B26 and therefore is probably related to one of the three buildings on the lower terrace.

    Fig. 7-53 – Post hole near the centre of the low terrace in area (b) before (A) and after (B) the removal of its stone wedging.

    Trou de poteau près du centre de la terrasse basse de la zone (b) avant (A) et après (B) l’enlèvement de son calage de pierre. Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    115A small arc of eroded but still narrow foundation trench appeared between the eastern portions of the B14 and B29 foundation trenches (St 7153), associated with three to five stake holes. In relation to St 800, this could evidence a bench/backing delimitation, which may have been affixed to the base of the eastern wall of B13 or, more probably, B14.

    3.10.5. Floors, hearths and other internal arrangements

    116The carefully plastered formal floors of the three buildings were well preserved, not only on the havara to the east, where they displayed a smooth, seemingly plastered surface, but also to the west, on the marl regolith, where they had probably been reinforced (figs 7-48 and 7-49). However, in recent excavations, the floors disappeared in the centre and the north. As mentioned above, the B13 floor (SU 6048), situated at an average altitude of 98.23 m, was only preserved to the east, since to the west, the B14 and B29 floors were situated at lower levels (98.30 and 98.12 m on average, respectively). The B24 floor (SU 6077) was preserved over less than a square metre to the east, between the B14 and B29 foundation trenches, and to the west, between those of B14 and B29, where it was interrupted by the remains of the B13 floor, which the 7 cm overburden excavation did not cut through to the bottom. The B29 floor (SU 6128) displayed the same characteristics as the other two.

    Fig. 7-54 – Views of the hearths in the B13, B14 and B29 buildings.

    A, St 6614 attributed to B13, in the course of excavation of half of the feature; light-grey compacted ash is visible in the southern half; the B29 cupmark was placed in a hollow on the edge of the B14 hearth and wedged with small stones. B, St 6882 attributed to B29; the eastern half has been dug out. In the section, red clay fragments are visible. On the left, the small pit (St 6694) initially filled with red clay was also emptied. On the left, the fill of St 6882 intersects with that of St 6760, a hearth attributed to B13. C, Sub-nadiral view of the large hearth pit (St 6882) attributed to B29, intersecting the smaller hearth pit St 6750 (left) attributed to B13; the latter is intersected, to the south, by the post hole with a wedge St 6976, still unexcavated in this picture. Top left, the B14 hearth (St 6614) already emptied of its fill.
    Vues des fosses foyères des bâtiments B13, B14 et B29. A, fosse foyère (St 6614) attribuée à B13, en cours de coupe ; on voit, dans la moitié sud, les cendres compactées gris clair ; la cupmark du bâtiment B29 a été implantée et callée avec de petites pierres dans un creusement pratiqué sur la bordure du foyer de B14. B, fosse foyère (St 6882) attribuée à B29 ; la moitié est a été vidée ; dans la coupe, on observe les fragments d’argile rouge ; à gauche, la petite fosse (St 6694) initialement comblée d’argile rouge a été vidée ; à gauche, le comblement de St 6882 recoupe celui de St 6760, fosse foyère attribuée à B13. C, vue sub-nadirale de la grande fosse foyère (St 6882) attribuée à B29, recoupant le foyer plus petit St 6750 (à gauche) attribué à B13 ; ce dernier est recoupé, au sud, par le trou de poteau avec calage St 6976, encore non fouillé sur ce cliché ; en haut à gauche, la cuvette foyère de B14 (St 6614) déjà vidée de son comblement. Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    117These floors were intersected by three hearth pits, as shown by their reddish lined bases (fig. 7-54). All three were located in the northwest quarter of the low terrace, suggesting a short time frame between them (see also appendix 7-12).

    • St 6760 was the smallest (60 m diameter for 30 cm depth). In plan, the outer reddish ring appeared irregular, suggesting that the upper part of the fill had disappeared. At the top, the grey ashy silt filling was not very compacted and contained white or red granules. Lower down, it gave way to a reddish-brown silt richer in carbonate granules and charcoals, with heated flints, pebbles and small blocks of red clay; this hearth was intersected by hearth St 6882 to the northeast, and by post hole St 6976. To the west, it adjoined hearth St 6614, without any overlap between the two.
    • St 6614 was ovoid in plan, measuring 100 x 80 cm, with a depth of 30 m. The reddish border formed a regular ring, interrupted to the south by the pit in which cupmark St 694 was wedged with small stones; the filling was composed of a homogeneous, grey-black, ashy silt covered with gravel inclusions, overlying a layer of compact, locally indurated, heterogeneous ash with red clay granules, followed by an orange-red silt with carbonate granules, microcharcoals and some flints.
    • St 6882 measured 88 x 85 cm by 30 cm deep with a flat base. The fill began with a thin sheet of dark-grey, slightly indurated, granular silt. This covered a whitish indurated crust containing a few burnt bones and flints, then a reddish sandy silt containing highly weathered bones and flints, only a few of which were burnt, then a reddish clayey silt, rich in millimetre-sized carbonate granules and charcoal, with rare flint flakes. The small pit St 6994, completely filled with red clay, appears, on excavation, to be a diverticulum of the hearth pit.

    118The intersection of hearths St 6760 and St 6882 showed that the former predates the latter (fig. 7-55). The placement of the cupmark in St 6614 indicated that the former was later than the latter. There was no stratigraphic link between these two pairs of structures, but the likely hypothesis is that each of them corresponded to one of the three buildings successively implanted on this terrace – the cupmark seemed to correspond to the final state (B29), therefore, St 6614 is related to the intermediate state (B14). In this case, St 6882 can only belong to B29 and St 6760 to B13. These deductions point to grouping by building (fig. 7-56).

    Fig. 7-55 – Cross section CPNE-B13-2 (see location in fig. 7-49) showing the relationship between the hearth pits of buildings B13, B14 and B29.

    Coupe CPNE-B13-2 (voir la localisation en fig. 7-49) montrant les relations entre les cuvettes foyères des bâtiments B13, B14 et B29. Fouille, relevé et DAO J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Excavation, survey and CAD J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Fig. 7-56 – Proposed grouping by building of the main structural elements of the lower terrace in zone (a).

    Proposition de regroupement par bâtiment des principaux éléments structurant de la terrasse basse de la zone (a). DAO J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    CAD J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    119Apart from the already mentioned post holes, hearths and voluminous (47 kg; cf. B29) diabase cupmark, there were only two other PPNA pits in the floors of these buildings. The first one (St 6880), an oval pit of 60 x 50 cm, was dug in the centre of the terrace into the B29 floor (SU 6168). On the surface, it was characterised by the presence of six large-sized blocks organised in a semicircle, evoking post wedging. However, the excavation revealed a depth of 18 cm. This is too shallow for wedging holes, unless it was the base of a post hole belonging to a building situated higher than B13-14-29. In that case, it could not be B26-27, as the assumed limit of the latter did not extend southwards to St 6880. The bowl-shaped base, the clayey and compact filling, containing manganese, did not resemble a Sotira excavation, and no remarkable objects were found in it. This structure thus remains enigmatic.

    120The second pit (St 6868) adjoined the B29 hearth to the north and was shaped like a shallow bowl measuring 60 x 50 cm with a 30 cm overburden near its eastern periphery. The brown-black surface silt contained charcoal, flints, heated pebbles and bones, as well as a few fragments of red clay. It overlaid a grey-brown, locally indurated, fairly compact and heterogeneous silt, containing the same material. The bottom was filled with a thick layer of heterogeneous light-green clay, mixed with brown silt, loaded with carbonates towards the bottom; intersected by the B29 foundation trench and the B29 hearth. This structure could be related to one of the two other nearby combustion structures, most likely St 6730, related to B13.

    3.10.6. Conclusion

    121Buildings B13, B14 and B29 were successively built on the lower terrace. Each of these construction phases involved a slight deepening and structuring of the ground, and leaned against the rubble of the previous edifice’s wall to the north, in the same way as on the middle terrace, so that the buildings were slightly offset towards the south. The last construction was much smaller and more irregularly shaped than the first two, which were probably circular. The walls of the three buildings were reinforced with a small number of wooden posts, and the internal structures, consisting of posts and vast hearth pits, point to the relatively permanent organisation of the structures and activities carried out during the occupation phases of the terrace. These three constructions were probably mainly used as dwellings.

    3.11. The remains of B15

    122Building B15 was located on the eastern edge of the terrace of buildings B13-14-29. It was represented by a 2.5-m-long foundation trench portion and an associated small dismantled floor strip, situated 8 cm higher than the B13 floor (fig. 7-57; appendix 7-12). Seven to eight small-sized post holes (including one paired hole), suggested that the upper wall had been substantially reinforced with wood. This arc defined an estimated diameter of c. 4.5 m, which might have corresponded to a ground surface of 16 m² and a usable surface of 14 m², assuming that the building was circular. It implies that the foot of the slope was at least 4.5 m further to the south during the PPNA occupation.

    Fig. 7-57 – Sub-nadiral view of the remains of building B15. Excavation: L. Amami, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne and J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Vue sub-nadirale des restes du bâtiment B15. Fouilles L. Amami, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne. et J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS. Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    3.13. Building B17

    3.13.1. Location, shape, size, foundation trench

    123To the southeast, the B13-14-29 platform and foundation trenches were intersected by two other foundation trenches corresponding to buildings B17 and B23. The average altitudes of these trenches were lower than all the others, apart from buildings B01 and B02, located on the lower terrace. The B17 foundation trench intersected the B23 one.

    124Building B17 was highly eroded and reduced to a less than 4-m-long foundation trench arc, dug into the marl regolith. The curvature suggested a small building of c. 3.4 m in diameter (fig. 7-58 and 7-59), or a surface of 9 m² for a usable surface of 7 m², assuming that the building was circular. To the north, it sunk to 45 cm below the level of the stripped soil, but to the south, it was only 22 cm deep at most. Its cross-section was asymmetrical, and the northern flank was twice as steep as the southern flank. The best-preserved portion was the base of the trench, filled with a bioturbated but still identifiable building earth (St 6709). At best, it was only preserved to a thickness of 20 cm. Even after removing this formation, no stake holes were found. On the other hand, a dozen remarkable objects, deposited in the base of the peripheral wall or against its inner face, were found (fig. 7-59); three handstones, a picrolite stick, nine large rolled Spondylus fossils and a limestone imitation of the latter (chap. 19).

    Fig. 7-58 – Sub-nadiral views of the remains of building B17 and the B23 foundation trench, intersected to the east by the B14 hearth pit, St 6614. A, After partial excavation of the foundation trench and before excavation of the main hollow structures. B, After complete excavation of all hollow structures.

    Vue sub-nadirale des vestiges du bâtiment B17 et de la tranchée de fondation B23, recoupée à l’est par la fosse à foyer B14, St 6614. A, après vidange partielle de la tranchée de fondation et avant la fouille des principales structures en creux. B, après la fouille exhaustive de toutes les structures en creux. Fouille E. Roussée, U. Jean-Jaurès. Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Excavation: E. Roussée, U. Jean-Jaurès. Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Fig. 7-59 – Plan of the structures and remarkable objects from building B17.

    Relevé des structures et objets remarquables du bâtiment B-17. Relevé et DAO J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Survey and CAD J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Fig. 7-60 – “Mosaic pit” St 692.

    « Fosse mosaïque » St 692. Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    3.13.2. Remains of the floor and internal arrangements (appendix 7-13)

    125The floor of the building was badly eroded, but nonetheless preserved over a crescent of one square metre at the foot of the north wall section, in the form of an earth floor covering the levelled surface of the bedrock. There was no plaster as such. Under this floor and further south, where the latter was not preserved, various hollows had appeared (fig. 7-59).

    • The base of “mosaic” pit (27 cm in diameter) was lined with sandstone cut into polyhedrons, carefully arranged so that the flattest side of each stone was visible (St 692; fig. 7-60). This arrangement was intersected on the eastern flank by a 10-cm-deep stake hole, filled with raw earth.
    • Three clustered post holes to the northeast (St 6609, 6610, 6611) were possibly related to B17 or to the adjacent buildings, namely B13-14-29. A further post hole (St 6629) was located nearer the centre of B17.
    • A shallow (8 cm) pit measuring 38 x 50 cm (St 6633B), hidden in the ground to the northeast, contained a green rock stone hammer and some 40 flint blades and tools (see detailed description in chap. 14).
    • Three small pits (St 6624, 6625, 6626), also hidden under the earth floor, were sunk into the wall base; two contained remarkable objects.
    • A 10-cm-deep pit or post hole, filled with a few stones, several centimetres large (St 6606).

    3.13.3. Conclusion

    126This dismantled building is characterised by a construction plan in line with that of the above-described Sector B buildings (at least for its northern end). Despite its small size, perhaps related to particular activities, it was carefully built and contained remarkable deposits (namely abundant Spondylus) and distinct structures (mosaic pit).

    3.14. Buildings B18 and B28

    3.14.1. Shape and dimensions of the buildings

    127Buildings B18 and B28 were erected on the same havara platform, east of B10 and at the same slope level. Building B18 presented an elliptical shape, a main (east-west) axis of 6.60 m and a smaller north-south axis of 5.25 m, for a total surface of 26.5 m² and a usable area of c. 21 m² (fig. 7-61 and 7-62). The upper digging was 57 cm deep, resulting in an estimated volume of nearly 4 m3 of removed havara materials, available for developing the lower embankments (SU 6126).

    Fig. 7-61 – Sub-nadiral views of buildings B18 and B28 before (A) and after (B) excavation of the hollow structures.

    Vues sub-nadirales des bâtiments B18 et B28 avant (A) et après (B) la fouille des structures en creux. Fouilles J. Bertaut, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne, A. Di Pascale, U. Paul-Valéry, Y. Franel, Inrap. Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Excavation J. Bertaut, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne; A. Di Pascale, U. Paul-Valéry; Y. Franel, Inrap. Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Fig. 7-62 – Plan of buildings B18 and B28 at a scale of 1/20.

    Relevé planimétrique des bâtiments B18 et B28 à l’échelle 1/20ème. Relevé J. Bertaut, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne, A. Di Pascale, U. Paul-Valéry, Y. Franel, Inrap. DAO J. Bertaut, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne, J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Survey: J. Bertaut, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne; A. Di Pascale, U. Paul-Valéry; Y. Franel, Inrap. CAD J. Bertaut, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne; J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    128Built within the B18 limits, B28 was much smaller and defined an ellipse with the main 4.10 m long axis following a north-east/south-west direction; the smaller axis measured 3.10 m. The ground surface could thus be estimated at 10 m² with an internal area of 7.3 m². The B28 floor elevation was not significantly different from that of B18 (99.26 m; Student t-test unequal variance = 0.04, p Mt Carlo = 0.97). As a result of the siting of B28, no excavation was required apart from foundation trenches.

    3.14.2. Foundation trench, walls, internal bench and entrances

    129This difference in technical investment between the two buildings was reflected in the widths of the foundation trenches, with B18 varying between 15 and 30 cm, as opposed to 10 to 15 cm for B28. However, the depths were the same, c. 15 cm (appendix 7-6).

    130The B18 foundation trench was interrupted to the southeast over a length of just over 2 m, although it was not possible to determine whether this resulted from slope erosion or a genuine interruption, comparable to that observed in the same cardinal direction for the B800 building (chap. 6). For almost half of its curvature, to the north and west, the B18 foundation trench was lined on its inner edge with a shallower excavation (fig. 7-62), about 10 cm wide, similar to the above-described situation in B10. Although the remains of the B18 earth walls were much less well preserved than those of B10, it appeared from the cross-section (see fig. 7-11) that this shallow internal part of the foundation trench was, like the deeper foundation trench sensu stricto, filled with building earth, which was severely indurated by pedological secondary carbonations (SU 6095). By analogy with B10, we could assume the presence, at the foot of the wall, of an earthen reinforcement placed in this shallow digging and perhaps used as a peripheral bench.

    131To the east, over a length of 2.5 m, the B18 foundation trench became more linear than curved. At the same time, the shallow internal trench shoulder widened to between 50 and 75 cm (fig. 7-62 and 7-63). In cross-section, it takes the form of a second, inner foundation trench, as deep as the outer one and clearly separated from it by a substrate ridge (appendix 7-14). In this location, various highly carbonated building earth fills constituted a kind of sloping plane joining the B18 floor to the PPNA circulation level. An elevation of more than the 40 cm separated the building floor from the current erosion limit. Two post holes (St 6917-7141 and 7176) framed this entrance structure, possibly representing doorframes comparable to those of B10. There is little doubt that this ensemble corresponds to an entrance, oriented to the east, like that of the other previously described buildings.

    Fig. 7-63 – View of the B18 entrance after removal of the structure fill, showing the irregularity of the contour and the widening of the foundation trench.

    Vue de l’entrée de B-18 après enlèvement des remplissages des structures, montrant l’irrégularité du contour et l’élargissement de la tranchée de fondation. Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    132The B28 foundation trench showed two short widenings, one to the west, associated with several post holes, the other to the east, due to the appearance of an internal shallow gutter which could, as for B18, correspond to a basal bench or reinforcement of the peripheral earth wall. There were also two interruptions. The first, less than 1 m wide, could be the result of slope erosion alone, especially as several post holes in its axis made the hypothesis of a door unlikely. The second, to the southeast, was wider (90 cm) and bordered on the north and south by two post holes (St 6902 and 7199, fig. 7-64). It was most likely an entrance.

    133Two small sections of highly eroded and shallow foundation trenches (St 6891 and 6893?) appeared between the B18 and B28 foundation trenches to the southeast (fig. 7-62 and 7-64). Several sunken post holes within this feature, however, suggest that this was the base of a rather significant earth wall. Does it correspond to the sole remains of an earlier building, the remains of a B18 internal partition wall or even of some kind of screen or overhang protecting the B28 entrance? In the latter case, we could even envisage that this partition was in continuity with the B28 southern wall, and that the entrance to B28 was not between postholes 6902 and 7199, as suggested above, but towards the northeast, at the level of pit St 6904, leaving a 2-m-long corridor between the actual entrance and the access to the internal space. Such a corridor would be similar to the assumed corridor in building B08 and to that of the second phase of the Communal building. For these reasons, this was considered to be the most plausible -interpretation.

    Fig. 7-64 – Entrance to B28: bottom left, the end of the southern foundation trench (a); top, that of the eastern foundation trench (b); right, St 6891 and 6893 (c).

    Dispositif d’entrée de B28 : en bas à gauche, la terminaison de la tranchée de fondation sud (a) ; en haut, celle de la tranchée de fondation est (b) ; à droite, les St 6891 et 6893 (c). Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    3.14.3. Floors and floor coatings

    134The floor shared by B18 and B28 was carefully levelled, with elevations around the 99.26 ± 0.10 m mark. It was probably all covered with a secondarily recarbonated plaster. The natural cavities of the havara were also levelled by the addition of silt (with some remarkable objects) and covered with thick plaster (fig. 7-65, A), deposited in at least three successive layers, notably in the northeast, against the cupmark. Secondary carbonation preserved ochre staining, which may indicate that the floor was coloured (fig. 7-65, B).

    Fig. 7-65 – Treatment of the floors of buildings B18 and B28. A, Spot of thick plaster levelling an irregularity in the substrate, west of the cupmark (seen on the right of the photograph). B, Traces of colouring on the coated floor of B18.

    Traitement des sols des bâtiments B18 et B28. A, plage d’enduit épais nivelant une irrégularité du substrat, à l’ouest de la cupmark (qu’on aperçoit à droite du cliché). B, traces de colorants sur le sol enduit de B18. Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    135Across an area of 4 m², clearly delimited to the north by the B28 foundation trench, the floor showed a grey colouration. This area was overlain by a dark layer (SU 6089/6123, fig. 7-61). These features suggest that building B28 was at least partially burnt down.

    3.14.4. Post and stake holes; architecture

    136The northern half of the B18 foundation trench did not yield any post holes, proof that the earth wall, which was probably very solid in this section, was not reinforced with wood. The same applies to the west, where the only two post holes were those at the entrance to B10, created after B18 had been abandoned. As the B10 terrace had not been excavated when B18 was built, the wall of the latter must have been strongly supported against the upslope terrace excavation over an extensive length. However, there were more post holes in the southern half of the foundation trench, particularly south of the entrance. Here again, they suggested that the downslope wall was reinforced with wood.

    137It was therefore not surprising that the B28 foundation trench, with a perimeter wall not supported by any excavation, was marked along its entire length, both to the north and the south, by about ten post holes, possibly more if we include the two smaller trenches St 6891 and 6893 (fig. 7-62).

    138About 25 small stake holes were identified outside the trenches. These could be separated into two main groups: a batch of six stakes grouped together to the southwest of B28 (St 6800, 6801, 6802, 6886, 7102, 7103) and a series of 11 stakes, including two pairs, to the northeast of B18 (6906 to 6912, 7168 and 7169). The latter were organised in a roughly linear fashion, suggesting, by analogy with the St 800 building and B10, the presence of a bench boundary at this location, situated just to the right of the entrance.

    139Finally, we should mention the possible presence of one or two central posts (fig. 7-62). St 6901 was in a central position for B18 (and for B28 in its widest sense, considering that trenches 6891 and 6893 were part of it) and takes the form of two paired post holes, each 20–25 cm in diameter, sunk 34 and 25 cm deep, respectively. The diameters and depths are insufficient even for a light roof like that of B18, unless the two posts were indeed paired. On the other hand, given the surface area of B28 and the fact that its walls were reinforced, it was probably possible to dispense with a central post, which would have impeded circulation in such a small space. It is therefore likely that St 6901 was the central post of B18.

    3.14.5. Internal features: hearths, cupmark and other pits

    140Apart from the foundation trenches, the post and stake holes and the two Sotira silos (St 6789, 7197, fig. 7-62), the B18-28 floor was dotted by a dozen pits of unequal size. Some of them were very shallow and may have resulted from bioturbations (St 6870, 6889, 6900), in particular by widening faults (St 6894, 6899). In addition to this, five remarkable pits were located within the building’s limit (for more details, see appendix 7-14).

    1. The “mosaic” pit St 6969 (fig. 7-66) was located in the B28 foundation trench, near its northern end. Oval in shape (46 x 40 cm), 25 cm deep, this small round-bottomed pit was lined with centimetric polyhedral Parekklisha sandstone (a rare rock on the site), set in a thick veneer of building earth and carefully fitted together. This was the fifth example of a mosaic pit found on the site (two in St 10, one in B02 and B17 each), but the position of this one, at the bottom of a foundation trench, probably quickly hidden by the construction of the wall, was unusual.
    2. A 35 kg cupmark (ISO-B299), made of diabase, ogival in shape, fluted on its eastern and western sides (chap. 16), was carefully fitted and wedged into a pit dug in the havara (St 6812, fig. 7-62 and 7-67), so that its active surface was at the level of the floor. X-ray microscopy (XRM) analysis of the material binding the cupmark to the havara showed that it was natural soil carbonate (Mylona, unpub.).
    3. Large pit St 6788 (fig. 7-68) corresponded to two successive excavations. The first one, 70 cm deep (30 x 30 cm), with vertical wear on the walls, filled with a heterogeneous and concretionary sediment, evoked the large Natufian mortars of the Southern Levant, dug directly into the rock and possibly used for making fermented beverages (Liu et al. 2018). The second, centred on the first, formed a 50-cm-wide basin; it was filled with a fairly loose brown silt, rich in remarkable deposits (in particular a group of three spherical stone hammers). In spite of the absence of any red colouration, probably due to the absence of iron in the havara, these characteristics suggest a hearth pit, in the same way as for B10 and B19 (see below). The deep part of St 6788 can be related to B18; the pit thus belongs to B28.
    4. Near the southern end of B28, two pits (St 7105 and 6896, fig. 7-62 and 7-69) associated with a stone-lined post hole (St 7104), were grouped in the same depression. The older one (St 7105) measured 70 x 52 cm with a depth of probably more than 50 cm – its depth could not be assessed, as the carbonate concretion was so hard that the excavation had to be abandoned. Its filling was largely occupied by a large block of diabase, apparently artificially laid. Very close to the B28 south wall, this pit could rather be related to B18. Pit 6896 intersected this excavation at its western end. It formed a bowl measuring 42 x 58 cm and is 18 cm deep. It contained a fairly loose and homogeneous brown silt filling, with little material.
    5. Pit St 6913 was bowl shaped (40 x 45 cm) and sunk 30 cm deep into the havara (fig. 7-62 and 7-70). It contained a very carbonated brown to yellow filling with a large number of macro-tool elements, broken pebbles and flint. In spite of the absence of red colouration (see above), its size and shape, as well as its proximity to the possible B18 central post, suggest a hearth pit. This pit should be the B18 hearth pit.

    Fig. 7-66 – “Mosaic” pit in the B28 foundation trench of B28.

    Fosse mosaïque dans la tranchée de fondation de B28. Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Fig. 7-67 – Pit St 6812, lined with floor plaster to the west, before and after removal of the cupmark (ISO-B299). On the right, a small pole hole (St 6811)

    Fosse St 6812, bordée d’enduit de sol à l’ouest, avant et après l’enlèvement de la cupmark (ISO-B299). À droite le petit trou de poteau St 6811. Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Fig. 7-68 – A, general view of B28 with the large pit (St 6788) in the foreground and the cupmark (ISO-B299) in the middle of an area of smoothed grey soil (left). B, St 6788 during the excavation of the upper pit. C, After excavation of the fill.

    A, vue générale du secteur de B28 comportant la grande fosse St 6788, au premier plan, ainsi que la cupmark ISO-B299, au milieu d’une zone où le sol lissé est de couleur grise (à gauche). B, St 6788 au cours de la fouille de la cuvette supérieure. C, après la fouille du comblement. Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Fig. 7-69 – Sub-nadiral view of the triple pit St 7105, 7104 and 6896 and its diabase block.

    Vue sub-nadirale de la triple fosse St 7105, 7104, 6896 et de son bloc de diabase. Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Fig. 7-70 – Sub-nadiral view of pit St 6913, which could represent the remains of the B18 hearth pit.

    Vue sub-nadirale de la fosse St 6913, qui pourrait représenter les restes de la fosse foyère de B18. Cliché J. Bertaut, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne.

    Photo J. Bertaut, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne.

    3.14.6. Conclusion

    141Oval building B18 was one of the largest and best preserved in Sector B. Its architecture showed a high degree of investment: substantial digging of terraces, thick walls with bases reinforced by an internal earth ring (bench), wooden frame for the south half, which did not lean against any indentation; double central post; carefully levelled and plastered floor; entrance to the east with an earthen access ramp. The position of its alleged hearth remained uncertain. However, this building probably contained important structures for processing harvests or beverages, as indicated by the presence of a deep mortar carved into the rock, in keeping with Natufian tradition.

    142B28 was only half the size of B18 and was also oval shaped. As with B29, on the B13-B14 platform, B28 was implanted on the B18 floor and considerably less effort had been put into its construction: no new hollowing out and a narrow foundation trench. However, the walls were reinforced with wooden posts and the eastern or north-eastern entrance was probably supplemented by a corridor. The presence of a cupmark also points to crop processing. This building probably contained a hearth and could have been abandoned after a fire. Both of these buildings were probably used for residential and artisanal activities.

    3.15. The remains of buildings B19 and B21

    143Building B19 was marked out by a 31-cm-deep hollow (St 6675, fig. 7-3, 7-14, 7-71) cut into the havara, downslope of the B18 southern limit. The radius of the arc defined by this building was 4.40 m, giving a surface of c. 15 m² (or a usable area of 13 m²), assuming that the building was circular. The foundation trench was about 15 cm wide and was bordered to the south by a perfectly levelled and probably plastered floor (SU 6675.2). It was cut into by a sub-circular round-based combustion pit with a diameter of 60–65 cm (St 6745). The surface was covered with a primary infill rich in earth and heavily indurated by secondary carbonatation (SU 6675.1).

    Fig. 7-71 – View of the remains of buildings B19 and B21 taken from the west. The left end of the metre stick points to the north.

    Vue des restes des bâtiments B19 et B21 prise depuis l’ouest. L’extrémité gauche de la mire pointe vers le nord. Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    144Building B21 was represented by the broad (20–25 cm) foundation trench St 6744 and a post hole (St 6676), both of which were intersected by B19, which had been inserted higher up the slope. The arc defined by B21 corresponded to a diameter estimated at more than 7 m2, assuming that it was a circular building.

    3.16. Building B23

    145Located between B17 and B13-B14, building B23 (fig. 7-49, 7-58, B, and 7-59) was only preserved in the form of a 2.8-m-long curvilinear foundation trench, suggesting a 4.20 m diameter (appendix 7-13). No post holes were observed in the trench, and those visible in the arc could also be related to B13 and B29, even B17. In addition, the excavation showed that the B23 building preceded the deposit of the cupmark in building B29, as well as the digging of the hearth pit St 6614, linked to B14. No stratigraphic link was established with B13, but given the conformation of this zone, it is difficult to imagine that B23 was built between the abandonment of B13 and the construction of B14. The most probable hypothesis is that the lower terrace was excavated after the abandonment of B23.

    3.17. Buildings B26 and B27

    3.17.1. Location, shape and dimensions

    146Buildings B26 and B27 were built on the same terrace, between the upper B10 and the lower B13-14-29, just below the later building B12 (fig. 7-14). They were so deep in the fill that they were only discovered at the very end of the excavation (fig. 7-10). The shared terrace of these buildings was delimited to the north by the upslope vertical excavation of B27, and cut off in the south by the digging out of the B13-B14 lower terrace (fig. 7-72 and 7-73). However, about one third of the B27 foundation trench and floor were preserved. They suggested a circular shape with a diameter of 4.3 m, i.e., a ground surface of c. 14.5 m² and a usable surface of 12 m². The east-west diameter of B26 was slightly smaller (4 m), representing surfaces of 12.6 and 11 m², respectively. The two building floors were at the same average elevation of 98.37 m, 77 cm below the level of the B10 floor. We could thus estimate that the volume removed to build B27 was at least 6 m3. On account of this effort, no further digging was required for making B26.

    Fig. 7-72 – Sub-nadiral views of buildings B-26 and B27 before (A) and after (B) excavation of the hollowed structures. Excavation L. Amami, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne and P. Mylona, MNHN.

    Vues sub-nadirales des bâtiments B-26 et B27 avant (A) et après (B) la fouille des structures en creux. Fouilles L. Amami, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne, et Pantelitsa Mylona, MNHN. Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Fig. 7-73 – Plan of the structures within buildings B26 and B27, on the intermediary terrace of zone (b).

    Relevé planimétrique des structures des bâtiments B26 et B27, sur la terrasse intermédiaire de la zone (b). Relevé L. Amami, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne, et J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS. DAO J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Survey: L. Amami, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne and J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS. CAD J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    3.17.2. Foundation trenches and earth walls

    147Neither of the two foundation trenches showed any interruption, even at the level of the two deepest ones (St 6824 and 6825, fig. 7-73), which stopped at the level of the terrace floor. The B27 foundation trench (St 6826) was 10–18 cm wide and averaged 15 cm deep. For B26 (St 7243), it was narrower (12–15 cm), and its depth decreased from north to south, disappearing at the ends of the preserved arc. It followed the line of the B27 trench to the west, but gradually deviated from it, shifting southwards by 50 cm in the middle of the arc, and again by 50 cm westwards at the preserved south-eastern end.

    148The chronological relationships between the two trenches could be established on the basis of the CPNW-B13 and CPNE-B13 cross-sections (fig. 7-74). They showed that the B26 earth wall (St 6779), which was only slightly bioturbated and preserved over a height of more than 50 cm (fig. 7-75), leant against the remains of the dismantled B27 wall (St 6782) and was severely cut into to the north by the large post-depositional excavations (see also appendix 7-15).

    Fig. 7-74 – Sections CPNE‑B13A (A) and CPNW_B13B (B), showing, at the eastern and western ends of the middle terrace, the stacking of the wall bases and infill of buildings B27, B26 and B25. For the location of these sections, see fig. 7-73.

    Coupes CPNE_B13A (A) et CPNW_B13B (B), montrant, aux extrémités est et ouest de la terrasse moyenne, l’empilement des arases de mur et des comblements des bâtiments B27, B26 et B25. Pour la localisation de ces coupes, cf. fig. 7-73. Relevé et DAO L. Amami, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne.

    Survey and CAD L. Amami, U. Panthéon-Sorbonne.

    Fig. 7-75 – Views of the B26 earth wall remains during the final 2015 excavation stages, from the south (A) and northeast (B). The eastern arc (St 6779 = SU 6066) was interrupted by the 2014 trench (TB2) but continued to the west with St 6665, 6716 and SU 6067. At the eastern end of the picture (A), the bioturbated wall segment attributed to building B25 can be seen (St 6623).

    Vues de l’arase du mur de terre crue du bâtiment B26 lors des derniers décapages de la campagne 2015, à partir du sud (A) et du nord-est (B). L’arc oriental (St 6779= US 6066) est interrompu par le sondage de 2014 (TB2) mais se prolonge à l’ouest par les formations nommée St 6665, 6716 et US 6067. À l’extrémité est du cliché (A), on observe le segment de mur bioturbé correspondant à un bâtiment B25 (St 6623). Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    149As usual, the wall bases were marked by deposits of remarkable objects. Of particular note is the discovery, in the B26 wall, of animal deposits, notably an intentionally arranged wild boar head and foot bones (ISO_B140, St 6793; see chap. 31). A complete stone bowl deposited in the B27 foundation trench was also remarkable (see chap. 17).

    3.17.3. Levelled and plastered floors; hearth structures

    150The B26-27 terrace was mainly composed of havara, with the regolith gradually changing to marl within one metre of the west end. The floor was relatively level; the difference between the extreme elevations (12 cm) resulting mainly from marl erosion. Some of the B27 soil (SU 6130) preserved between the two foundation trenches shows that it was plastered, as was that of B26, which was only dismantled on the west and south sides (figs. 7-72 and 7-73).

    151Two semi-hemispherical hearth pits, the bases of which was reddish, both cut into the marl ground to a depth of about 25 cm. The smaller one (St 6830: 40 x 48 cm), located not far from the B27 geometric centre and intersected by a later pit (St 7256, fig. 7-73), could be attributed to the earlier of the two buildings, i.e., B27. The second one (St 6891), located 70 cm from the north-eastern wall, was truncated to the south by both the B13-B14 terrace and by the Sotira St 6883 excavation. It reached a diameter of 60 cm. To the north, it presented a small diverticulum filled with red clay (see appendix 7-15).

    3.17.4. Posts and stakes; architecture

    152None of the excavations revealed the presence of posts with a diameter greater than c. 10 cm (fig. 7-73, appendix 7-15). Most of the 18 holes, sometimes paired, corresponded to stakes. No arrangement emerges, except for a certain concentration to the north and west, perhaps resulting from a better preservation of the hollowed structures in these areas, or from arrangements linked to an entrance structure (to the east).

    153With the exception of the two small excavations in the B27 trench (to the north) and two further holes in the B26 trench (to the east), there was no evidence of wooden frames to support the earth walls, at least in the northern half of the buildings. It should be remembered that B27 was built against a cut excavated c. 80 cm into the slope (probably more if we consider the erosion that occurred since then) and that the wall could not have risen more than about 50 cm above the pre-pottery circulation level. In the case of B26, it should be noted that the new construction (refurbishment?) was built on the rubble of the previous wall, implying the excavation of a new foundation trench and the reorganisation of the internal space (relocation of the hearth).

    3.17.5. Other internal developments

    154In addition to the already mentioned pits, we noted the presence of another two pits, located to the east of each hearth (St 7227 and 7256, fig. 7-73). They did not yield any remarkable material apart from four tusk shell beads in the second one. The function of these pits is still enigmatic.

    3.17.6. Conclusion

    155Buildings B27 and B26 were successively implanted in this order on the same terrace, both leaning to the north against a more than 80 cm deep cut into the slope. They were relatively small (11 to 12 m²) and were also among the earliest buildings on this slope. The presence of hearths suggests that they were used as dwellings. As for B24, B28 and B29, the second edifice was reduced in size in comparison to the first one.

    3.18. An additional building between B26 and B12 (B25)

    156The presence of a very bioturbated earthen wall (St 6623) between the top of the B26 wall and the depression northeast of B27 (fig. 7-75, A) indicated that a now almost disappeared building (B25) could have been erected on the levelled rubble of B26-27. This wall was not associated with any visible floor, trench or other hollowed structure, but it was clearly visible in the CPNE‑B13A profile (fig. 7-74, A), where it appears significantly different from the B26 and B27 walls. Its top elevation was on average 28 cm and 46 cm beneath the B12 and B10 floors, respectively. Building B12 could have been laid on the debris of this B25 building.

    4. Summary of observations; chronological and use of space scenarios

    4.1. Summary of observations

    157The excavation conducted on the slope break separating the middle from the lower terrace in Sector B, less than 10 m south of the Communal building, evidenced the remains of 27 buildings (fig. 7-76). To the east, two of them were clustered with the highly eroded remains of the south-east area of the Central Sector and were not excavated (B20 and B21, described in chap. 8). To the west and south, the strong erosion of the slope meant that nine buildings were only represented by the bottom of their foundation trenches and some hollowed structures (B01, B02, B03, B04, B06, B15, B17, B19, B21, B23). The other 15 buildings, in zones (a-d), were still covered by more or less thick sediment accumulations which preserved (at least) their upslope circular half, 50–80 cm minimum notched into the slope.

    Fig. 7-76 – Map of the main structural components of the 25 buildings in Sector B. The two easternmost buildings, B20 and B21, are not represented.

    Relevé planimétrique des principales composantes structurales des 25 bâtiments du Secteur B. Les deux bâtiments les plus orientaux, B20 et B21, ne sont pas représentés. Relevé et DAO J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Survey and CAD J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    158This sedimentary coverage appeared to be composed of a basal succession of a thin abandonment, a domestic dump or demolition layers, with no building occupation remains apart from some hollowed structures, including hearth pits and two cupmarks. The major part of the sedimentary coverage was composed of colluvial fills rich in PPN material, indicating that the final refilling of the artificial building terraces notched into the slope was achieved before the fifth millennium Sotira occupation. These thick colluviums were intensively hollowed by Sotira and, secondarily, antiquity pits.

    159Ten of the 16 better preserved buildings were erected on the terrace of a preceding building: B26 on B05, B07 and B09 on B08, B14 and B29 on B13, B26 and B25 on B27, B12 on B10, B28 on B18, B21 on B19. As a consequence, these 16 buildings were clustered on only seven terraces, and each of them was more or less rearranged twice or three times. All the upslope building outlines were circular. Sometimes, in order to maintain the horizontal floor, the downslope part of the building was laid on an earth embankment (B04, B08, B18). However, the downslope was generally eroded out, but the seven buildings for which it was preserved indicated an either circular (B05, B07, B09) or oval (B08, B10, B18, B28) shape. The longer axis varied between 2.25 (B24) and 6.4 m (B18) and the estimated useable surface between 3.1 and 21 m².

    160All the buildings were surrounded by an earth wall founded on shallow trenches, often reinforced by wooden stakes or posts, especially in the downslope half, or when the upslope wall did not lean against a deep enough cut in the slope. Many remarkable deposits were found hidden in the wall bases. At least three of the largest buildings showed internal building earth benches running along the wall base (B04, B10, B18).

    161The building entrance was visible for eight of them, always to the east, like for the Communal building, and often composed of a rather sophisticated structure with threshold stones (B08, B09, B10, B18), doorframes (B07, B08, B10, B18, B28), maybe steps (B08) and a corridor (B08, B28). Stones were not used for building except for the thresholds, the steps, a stone floor (B12) and a unique massive supporting structure for part of the B10 wall. The presence of partition walls framed on wooden stakes was only suspected for two or three buildings (B07, B08, B10), but most of the time the floors were riddled by so many possible pole and post holes that it was difficult to identify any clear arrangement. Though often questionable, central post holes (or groups of two or three stakes) were identified for three buildings (B09, B10, B18). Altogether, these observations suggested the presence of light roofs, possibly integrating small limestones plates (B07).

    162Either on the marl regolith or the havara, floors were always carefully levelled and coated with a thin plaster layer. When they were built on the levelled rubble of preceding buildings, it seems that they rested on a stone floor covered with plaster (B12; see also B10 and B25). All the well-preserved buildings (N = 14) except B05 and B26 showed more or less deep and large, semi-hemispherical pits interpreted as internal hearths, either because of the rubefaction of the surrounding marl regolith or because of their fills. They were generally located in the northwest building quadrant. Many other pits were found, however, without the same regularity over the different buildings: “mosaic” pits (B02, B17, B28), cupmark pits (B28, B29), deep mortars sunk into the floor (B18) and many other enigmatic pits, sometimes with remarkable deposits that suggested foundation or condemnation rituals.

    163Except for the very small B24 and associated B05, both apparently lacking any hearth (technical activities?), all the well--preserved buildings presented characteristics indicating that they were used as dwellings and for artisanal activities.

    4.2. Chronological succession of the buildings: Harris matrix

    164The intersections of the foundation trenches observed from above (appendix 7-16), but also in profile, as well as any possible covering by primary infill or demolition deposits (e.g., B07 and B08), enabled us to reconstruct the relative chronology of the buildings. The Harris matrix (Harris 1979), based solely on observations relating to the foundation trenches (fig. 7-77, A), suggested the succession of six main phases. These phases were artificial, however, because it is highly improbable that all the buildings of a same phase were abandoned or built at the same time.

    Fig. 7-77 – Harris matrix of the buildings in Sector B. A, Established solely on the basis of intersections between foundation trenches (®Stratifiant 1.5). B, Established on the basis of links between the foundation trenches and modified in accordance with the two “Geometric Incompatibilities of Contemporaneity”.

    Matrice de Harris des bâtiments du Secteur B. A, établie uniquement sur la base des intersections entre tranchées de fondation (®Stratifiant 1.5). B, établie sur la base des liens entre les tranchées de fondation, et modifiée en fonction des deux « Incompatibilités Géométriques de Contemporanéité ». DAO J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    CAD J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    165This phasing only conflicts with two “Geometric Incompa-tibilities of Contemporaneity’ (GIC): i) In phase 3, buildings B13 and B23 cannot have been contemporaneous as their ground surface overlaps; ii) In phase 4, for the same reasons, B14 and B25 cannot have coexisted.

    166In order to resolve these impossibilities, we advanced two hypotheses: i) B23 preceded B13, and even B27; this supposition is likely, as B14, which is posterior to B23 and used the same floor as B13, was probably built immediately after the latter, without an improbable interlude during which B23 would have been built and occupied; ii) B25 would have preceded B13, again for continuity reasons: B25 lay on the B26 wall and was probably built immediately after the latter, without the long interlude of B13, B14 and B29.

    167These hypotheses make very slight modifications to the Harris matrix (fig. 7-77, B) which, now suggests the succession of (at least) seven phases, where the earliest ones were only represented by one construction (B23), located in zone (b). Such a situation is not unlikely, as this is the zone with the best preserved remains. Moreover, in zone (a), we observed the dismantled remains of two hearths prior to B07 and B08. They suggest the existence of a building potentially contemporaneous with B06 (beneath B08), and with another building older than B06 (beneath B07, for GIC reasons). It is important to note that B03, situated in this sector, could not be integrated into the Harris matrix. Most of the earliest constructions in zone (a) have probably disappeared. In the other zones, as suggested by B12, some of the most recent buildings may have also been eroded out.

    4.3. Space use scenarios

    168This chronology leaves room for several occupation scenarios on the slope. Figure 7-78 proposes one of these. Whichever scenario is considered, we observed that there were no more than six or seven buildings at the same time on the c. 260 m² excavated surface, i.e., at least 40 m² per building. In addition, we observed that the buildings for which we evoked craft activities rather than a domestic function are mostly related to recent phases. However, aside from the necessarily small number of buildings on the slope at the same time, these tendencies remain questionable. This suggests six to eight phases and the presence of no more than six or seven buildings at the same time.

    Fig. 7-78 – One of the building succession scenarios in Sector B, based on the Harris matrix in fig. 7-77, B. The earlier phases of the matrix have been combined in stage 1, which probably combines several sub-stages. The easternmost complexes (B18/28 and B19/21) “float” in the matrix and could be shifted one or two stages back to the earlier phases. In yellow, buildings with a craft vocation (the craft vocation of B17 is questionable).

    L’un des scénarios de succession des bâtiments sur le Secteur B, fondé sur la matrice de Harris de la fig. 7-77, B. Les phases anciennes de la matrice ont été réunies dans l’étape n°1, qui réunit probablement plusieurs stades. Les ensembles les plus orientaux (B18/28 et B19/21) « flottent » dans la matrice et pourraient être décalés d’une ou deux crans vers les phases antérieures. En jaune, les bâtiments à vocation artisanale (la vocation artisanale de B17 est discutable). DAO J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    CAD J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

    Annexe

    KLIMONAS-Ch07-A01, https://doi.org/10.34847/nkl.4b3ad28v
    Description of the Trenches TB1, TB2, TB3 and TB 4 (Sector B, 2014) • Description des tranchées TB1, TB2, TB3 et TB 4 (Secteur B, 2014)
    Jean‑Denis VIGNE (CNRS), Remi HADAD (Université Nanterre), Solange RIGAUD (CNRS), Régis TOUQUET (Inrap)

    KLIMONAS-Ch07-A02, https://doi.org/10.34847/nkl.2abaob00
    List and short description of the structures (St), stratigraphic units (SU) and isolated items (ISO) of the Sector B • Liste et brève description des structures (St), des unités stratigraphiques (SU) et des éléments isolés (ISO) du Secteur B
    Jean‑Denis VIGNE (CNRS), Remi HADAD (Université Paris-Nanterre)

    KLIMONAS-Ch07-A03, https://doi.org/10.34847/nkl.2c3buk81
    Drawings and photos of the sections cut in the building infills of Sector B, complementary to those produced in the body of Chapter 7 • Relevés et photos des coupes pratiquées dans le comblement des bâtiments du Secteur B, complémentaires de ceux produits dans le corps du chapitre 7
    Jean‑Denis VIGNE (CNRS), Yodril FRANEL (Inrap), Ophélie ARMAND (U. Montpellier), Jessie DUVAL (Univ. Tours), Remi HADAD (U. Nanterre), Rana KHAWAM (MNHN), Solange RIGAUD (CNRS), Jérôme ROBITAILLE (EHESS)

    KLIMONAS-Ch07-A04, https://doi.org/10.34847/nkl.52e47ji4
    Photos of the successive excavation steps of the building infills in the different trenches of Sector B (TB) • Photos des étapes successives de la fouille du comblement des bâtiments dans les différentes fenêtres du Secteur B (TB)
    Jean‑Denis VIGNE (CNRS), Yodrik FRANEL (Inrap), François BRIOIS (EHESS)

    KLIMONAS-Ch07-A05, https://doi.org/10.34847/nkl.aa35d7z6
    Sector B, buildings B01 and B02 • Secteur B, bâtiments B01 et B02
    Jean‑Denis VIGNE (CNRS), Jérôme ROBITAILLE (EHESS), Yodrik FRANEL (Inrap)

    KLIMONAS-Ch07-A06, https://doi.org/10.34847/nkl.bf843bu2
    Three dimension local coordinates of the structures, stratigraphic units, isolated objects and profiles recorded during the 2016 season in Sector B of Klimonas • Coordonnées locales à trois dimensions des structures, des unités stratigraphiques, des objets isolés et des coupes enregistrés au cours de la saison 2016 dans le Secteur B de Klimonas
    Jean‑Denis VIGNE (CNRS)

    KLIMONAS-Ch07-A07, https://doi.org/10.34847/nkl.cf57156i
    Description of building B03 and supplementary documentation for B03 and B04 • Description du bâtiment B03 et documentation supplémentaire pour B03 et B04
    Jean‑Denis VIGNE (CNRS), Juliette BERTAUT (Université Panthéon-Sorbonne), Rana HAWAM (MNHN)

    KLIMONAS-Ch07-A08, https://doi.org/10.34847/nkl.028ah062
    Drawings, sections and photos of the structures related to buildings B05 and B24 of Klimonas Sector B, complementary to Chapter 7 • Relevés, coupes et photos des structures relatives aux bâtiments B05 et B24 du Secteur B de Klimonas, en complément du chapitre 7
    Jean‑Denis VIGNE (CNRS), Solange RIGAUD (CNRS), Jessie DUVAL (U. Tours), Sylvain GROSFILLEY (U. St. Etienne)

    KLIMONAS-Ch07-A09, https://doi.org/10.34847/nkl.1c2dxzg5
    Drawings, sections and photos of the structures related to buildings B07 and B08 of Klimonas Sector B, complementary to Chapter 7 • Relevés, coupes et photos des structures relatives aux bâtiments B07 et B08 du Secteur B de Klimonas, en complément du chapitre 7
    François BRIOIS (EHESS), Ophélie ARMAND (U. Montpellier), Jean‑Denis VIGNE (CNRS)

    KLIMONAS-Ch07-A10, https://doi.org/10.34847/nkl.6d5fgb98
    Drawings, sections and photos of the structures related to building B09 of Klimonas Sector B, complementary to Chapter 7 • Relevés, coupes et photos des structures relatives au bâtiment B09 du Secteur B de Klimonas, en complément du chapitre 7
    Jean‑Denis VIGNE (CNRS), Sylvain GROSFILLEY (U. St-Etienne)

    KLIMONAS-Ch07-A11, https://doi.org/10.34847/nkl.168bz4ou
    Drawings, sections and photos of the structures related to building B10 of Klimonas Sector B, complementary to Chapter 7 • Relevés, coupes et photos des structures relatives au bâtiment B10 du Secteur B de Klimonas, en complément du chapitre 7
    Jean‑Denis VIGNE (CNRS), Pierre-Antoine BEAUVAIS (EHESS), Juliette BERTAUT (U. Montpellier), Pantelitsa MYLONA (MNHN), Solange RIGAUD (CNRS), Yodrik FRANEL (Inrap)

    KLIMONAS-Ch07-A12, https://doi.org/10.34847/nkl.dce5dbj4
    Drawings, sections and photos of the structures related to buildings B13, B14, B15, B29 of Klimonas Sector B, complementary to Chapter 7 • Relevés, coupes et photos des structures relatives aux bâtiments B13, B14, B15, B29 du Secteur B de Klimonas, en complément du chapitre 7
    Jean‑Denis VIGNE (CNRS), Lucie AMAMI (U. Panthéon-Sorbonne), Pantelitsa MYLONA (MNHN)

    KLIMONAS-Ch07-A13, https://doi.org/10.34847/nkl.3f52ko0n
    Drawings, sections and photos of the structures related to buildings B17 and B23 of Klimonas Sector B, complementary to Chapter 7 • Relevés, coupes et photos des structures relatives aux bâtiments B17 et B23 du Secteur B de Klimonas, en complément du chapitre 7
    Jean‑Denis VIGNE (CNRS), François BRIOIS (EHESS), Etienne ROUSSEE (U. Toulouse)

    KLIMONAS-Ch07-A14, https://doi.org/10.34847/nkl.d0ban5se
    Drawings, sections and photos of the structures related to buildings B18 and B28 of Klimonas Sector B, complementary to Chapter 7 • Relevés, coupes et photos des structures relatives aux bâtiments B18 et B28 du Secteur B de Klimonas, en complément du chapitre 7
    Yodrik FRANEL (Inrap), Juliette BERTAUD (U. Panthéon-Sorbonne), Ambre Di Pascale (U. Montpellier), Jean‑Denis VIGNE (CNRS)

    KLIMONAS-Ch07-A15, https://doi.org/10.34847/nkl.b1884jli
    Drawings, sections and photos of the structures related to buildings B25, B26 and B27 of Klimonas Sector B, complementary to Chapter 7 • Relevés, coupes et photos des structures relatives aux bâtiments B25, B26 et B27 du Secteur B de Klimonas, en complément du chapitre 7
    Jean‑Denis VIGNE (CNRS), Lucie AMAMI (U. Panthéon-Sorbonne), Yodrik FRANEL (Inrap), François BRIIS (EHESS)

    KLIMONAS-Ch07-A16, https://doi.org/10.34847/nkl.7b83xv0b
    Summary of the field observation concerning the chrono-stratigraphic relationships between the different buildings of Sector B • Synthèse des observations de terrain concernant les relations chrono-stratigraphiques entre les différents bâtiments du Secteur B
    Jean‑Denis VIGNE (CNRS), François BRIOIS (EHESS), Yodrik FRANEL (Inrap)

    Auteurs

    • Jean‑Denis Vigne
    • François Briois
    • Yodrik Franel
    • Lucie Amami (collab.)

      U. Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris

    • Ophélie Armand (collab.)

      U. Paul-Valéry, Montpellier

    • Pierre-Antoine Beauvais (collab.)

      U. Jean-Jaurès, Toulouse

    • Juliette Bertaut (collab.)

      U. Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris

    • Ambre Di Pascale (collab.)

      U. Paul-Valéry, Montpellier

    • Jessie Duval (collab.)

      U. François Rabelais, Tours

    • Roz Gillis (collab.)

      MNHN, Paris

    • Sylvain Grosfilley (collab.)

      U. Jean-Monet, Saint-Étienne

    • Remi Hadad (collab.)

      U. Paris-Nanterre

    • Rana Hawam (collab.)

      MNHN, Paris

    • Bastien Jakob (collab.)

      U. Neuchâtel

    • Solange Rigaud (collab.)

      CNRS, Bordeaux

    • Jérôme Robitaille (collab.)

      EPHE, Toulouse

    • Etienne Roussée (collab.)

      U. Jean-Jaurès, Toulouse

    • Régis Touquet (collab.)

      Inrap Île-de-France

    Précédent Suivant
    Table des matières

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    Vigne, J., Briois, F., & Franel, Y. (2024). Sector B, residential area on the slope break between the middle and lower terraces. In J.-D. Vigne, F. Briois, & J. Guilaine (éds.), Klimonas. Paris: CNRS Éditions. https://doi.org/10.4000/129kf
    Vigne, Jean‑Denis, François Briois, et Yodrik Franel. « Sector B, Residential Area on the Slope Break Between the Middle and Lower Terraces ». In Klimonas, édité par Jean-Denis Vigne, François Briois, et Jean Guilaine. Paris: CNRS Éditions, 2024. doi:10.4000/129kf.
    Vigne, Jean‑Denis, et al. « Sector B, Residential Area on the Slope Break Between the Middle and Lower Terraces ». Klimonas, édité par Jean-Denis Vigne et al., avec Lucie Amami et al., CNRS Éditions, 2024, https://doi.org/10.4000/129kf.

    Référence numérique du livre

    Format

    Vigne, J.-D., Briois, F., & Guilaine, J. (éds.). (2024). Klimonas. Paris: CNRS Éditions. https://doi.org/10.4000/129kn
    Vigne, Jean-Denis, François Briois, et Jean Guilaine, éd. Klimonas. Paris: CNRS Éditions, 2024. doi:10.4000/129kn.
    Vigne, Jean-Denis, et al., éditeurs. Klimonas. CNRS Éditions, 2024, https://doi.org/10.4000/129kn.
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