Chap. 8

The southeast area of the middle terrace (Central and B Sectors)

La zone sud-est de la terrasse moyenne (Secteurs central et B)

Jean‑Denis Vigne, Yodrik Franel, Nicolas Delsol, François Briois et Jean Guilaine

p. 185-190

Résumés

This chapter groups the rather scant information collected from the eastern end of Sector B and the southeast corner of the Central Sector, where the residential area was in contact with the Communal building. Five to six eroded buildings were identified, but only one yielded new information. Many of the pits pointed to the presence of additional buildings, as well as some external structures, such as fences, enclosures or a hydraulic system.

Bien que fouillés à quatre ans d’intervalle, l’extrémité est du Secteur B et l’angle sud-est du Secteur central constituent une entité cohérente, représentative de la zone sud-est de la moyenne terrasse de Klimonas. Elle offre une opportunité unique de faire le lien entre le Bâtiment communautaire et son environnement résidentiel proche. Malheureusement, elle a souffert d’une intense érosion. Les restes de quatre, et probablement même cinq bâtiments ont pu être reconnus notamment sous la forme de portions arquées de tranchées de fondation périphériques. Comme tous ceux des Secteurs B et F, ils étaient encochés dans la pente. Les diamètres de leur arc amont s’échelonnent entre 3 et 6,5 m. Leur très mauvais état de conservation réduit considérablement leur intérêt documentaire, excepté pour l’un d’entre eux, St 23. D’un diamètre de 5 à 5,5 m, ce bâtiment était pourvu d’une entrée ouvrant vers le nord-est et aménagée de façon comparable à celle du bâtiment B08. L’emplacement de son poteau central, probablement récupéré par arrachage après démolition, a pu être localisé. Comme dans les Secteurs B et F, plusieurs de ces bâtiments se sont succédé. En témoignent le recoupement de tranchées de fondation et le recouvrement partiel des emprises. Une vingtaine de structures en creux supplémentaires, dont deux tranchées de fondation, trois fosses foyères et deux groupes de petits trous de piquets, dont certains étaient couplés, suggèrent la présence d’autres bâtiments aujourd’hui détruits, mais peut-être aussi celle d’aménagements extérieurs tels que clôtures, enclos ou dispositif hydraulique. Deux fosses de 20-30 cm de large contenant chacune une dalle calcaire équarrie disposée à l’horizontale n’ont pas d’équivalent ailleurs sur le site et sont interprétées comme des bases de poteaux. Cette zone suggère à la fois que toute la surface du village a été bâtie à un moment ou à un autre, et qu’il a dû exister de nombreux aménagements extérieurs aux bâtiments, aujourd’hui érodés.


Texte intégral

Introduction

1This area is located on the southeast edge of the middle terrace (fig. 8-1). It groups the southeast area of the Central Sector and the easternmost extremity of Sector B. Even though we excavated them separately, in 2011 and 2015 (chap. 2), we describe them together and independently from the other sectors as they are located close to each other. This relatively homogeneous spatial entity provides a unique opportunity to establish links between the residential and Communal buildings. However, information on both of them is relatively scant, as they were highly eroded (fig. 8-2) and only partially excavated.

Fig. 8-1 – Location of the southeast area of the Klimonas middle terrace.

Localisation de la zone sud-est de la terrasse moyenne de Klimonas. Relevé et DAO R. Touquet, Inrap, J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

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

Fig. 8-2 – Oblique views of the two components of the southeast area: A, The Central Sector, taken from the south (the Communal building is visible in the top left); B, Sector B, taken from the north.

Vues obliques des deux composantes de la zone sud-est : A, la partie du Secteur central, prise depuis le sud (le Bâtiment communautaire est visible en haut à gauche) ; B, la partie du Secteur B, prise depuis le nord. Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

2The list and description of the 57 structures (St) are presented in appendix 8-1, with the photos, plans and profiles of the most significant ones in appendix 8-2.

3The plan of fig. 8-3 revealed the absence of any pit or stratigraphic unit in the B-K/49-53 square metres of the grid (and in the 2009 Trench 168-4), probably due to the intense erosion of the Pleistocene carbonated colluviums constituting the terrace there and their slight topographic elevation. The situation is similar on the havara forming the ground between the Communal building and the northern limit of the B18-B28 buildings of Sector B (see chap. 7). Sotira pits are much less frequent throughout the sector than in the Communal building area or even in the rest of Sector B, but abundant historical cultivation pits, ditches, backfills and terrace walls (chap. 4) partly masked the PPN structures, especially at the north and south extremities of the area under consideration. To the northeast, all the pits were covered by a thin homogeneous light-grey clayey colluvial layer (SU 1003), probably resulting from the erosion of upslope Sotira or PPN buildings.

Fig. 8-3 – Topographic survey of the southeast area of the middle terrace.

Levé topographique de la zone sud-est de la moyenne terrasse. Relevé R. Touquet, Inrap, J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS. DAO J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

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

4The 36 highly eroded PPNA features suggested the remains of five or six rounded buildings sometimes accompanied by pits, and several other built structures represented by more or less isolated features.

1. The five or six circular residential buildings

1.1. Building B20

5Building B20 (St 6677, ZX-B 54-56, fig. 8-2, B) was located right on the edge of the slope separating the middle terrace from the lower terrace, and was therefore severely damaged to the south by erosion. On its west boundary, it was also cut by the abrupt waterflow of a north-south gully similar to those described on the sheer east slope of the middle terrace (Vigne et al. 2011a). The presence of an antique retaining wall (St 6671) suggested that this gullying was active during antiquity. Mechanical stripping revealed the upper filling of B20, composed of a fine clayey colluvial silt similar to that of SU 1003, probably as a result of the erosion of upslope earthen buildings. The clear-cut delimitation between this upper filling and the havara indicates that the building was notched into the slope in the same way as the other buildings of Sectors F and B (chap. 6 and 7). Based on the curvature of this limit, the diameter of the north half could be estimated to be between 5.6 and 6 m. As B20 was not excavated, the depth of the floor could not be determined. This building is a continuation of the Sector B series of buildings located at the same topographical level (B03, B04, B07, B08, B10 and B18-28; chap. 7).

1.2. Building B22

6The presence of a small building (B22) in the northeast corner of the Sector B excavation (E-F/54-56) was revealed by the 1-m-long arched section of a 10-cm-deep foundation trench base (St 6737; fig. 8-3). This hypothesis was strengthened by the presence of two shallow pits that seemed to be associated with this trench – one with building earth (St 6738), the other with stones (St 6639, stony floor?) – and overall, by a 1-m² strip of plastered floor (SU 6076). The curvature of the foundation trench suggests a diameter comprised between 3 and 4 m. The location of this currently hypothetical building suggests total continuity between the residential buildings of Sector B and the Central Sector.

1.3. Building St 23

7A series of features located less than 4 m north of B22 and less than 6 m northeast of B20 (D-H/44-48, fig. 8-4) undoubtedly formed part of a building, named St 23. It was composed of a 4-m-long arched section and a 20-cm-wide foundation trench filled with heterogeneous grey silt. The northern limit was located less than 2 m from the Communal building. The arc of the foundation trench defined a diameter of between 5 and 5.5 m. The eastern trench extremity was still filled by some bioturbated building earth, which abruptly changed direction towards the south, then stopped. This interruption of the foundation trench with a special arrangement suggests an entrance arrangement similar to the one in building B08 (chap. 7). In this case, pit St 29, in the continuation of this termination, should be interpreted as the base of a large post hole similar to those observed in the same position in building B08.

Fig. 8-4 – Oblique view of the remains of Building St 23 taken from the northwest, and explanatory schema.

Vue oblique des restes du bâtiment St 23 prise depuis le nord-ouest, et schéma explicatif. Cliché et DAO J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

Photo and CAD J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

8In spite of the erosion, this building seems to be the most complete one in the area, if we accept the idea that at least part of the structures dug in the circle were part of it, as suggested by the foundation trench arc. This probably accounts for the presence of the group of three stake holes arranged around the large pit St 125 (fig. 6-4, appendix 8-2), indicative of the base of a subsequently pulled out central post hole, as observed in the Communal building (chap. 5) and building B800 (chap. 6). However, if we accept the above hypothesis of a northeast entrance, it is unlikely that fire pit St 22, characterised by its rubified periphery, is related to this building. Similarly, pits St 21 and St 30 seem to be located too far from the centre of the building to be part of it, as defined by the putative central post hole.

1.4. Building St 25

9Building St 25 was outlined by a 3-m-long and 20-22 cm-wide foundation trench arc (H-J/43-44, fig. 8-2, A). It was also very close to the Communal building (less than 3 m away). The marked curvature indicates a small diameter, comprised between 3 and 3.5 m. There were no potential associated features, probably because two large historical cultivation pits had obliterated most of the building’s internal surface.

1.5. Building St 39

10This building was only represented by a 3-m-long and 18-cm-wide foundation trench arc (N-O/44-47, fig. 8-5), located at the east limit of the excavation (fig. 8-3). In accordance with the gentle slope towards the east, it was oriented north-south. The curvature of the foundation trench arc outlined a large building, between 6 and 6.5 m. The shallow (14 cm) 28-cm-wide bowl-shaped pit (St 38) might have been associated with this building. It contained two fragments of ochre and one picrolite bead 5 cm above the base.

Fig. 8-5 – Oblique view of the St 39 foundation trench taken from the north. In the foreground to the right, the departure of trench St 40 is visible, cut by St 39.

Vue oblique de la tranchée de fondation St 39 prise depuis le nord. Au premier plan, on peut voir à droite le départ de la tranchée St 40 coupée par St 39. Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

1.6. Another building in F-I/47-50?

11The photos of fig. 8-2, A and fig. 8-4 suggest another even more eroded foundation trench section that was not detected during fieldwork. It was 3.5 m long and cut by the structures reported in building St 23. The diameter of the upslope curvature was estimated to be 4-4.5 m. Pits St 21 and St 30 (appendix 8-2) could have been part of this building.

2. Several other built features

2.1. Two straight foundation trenches

12Two well delimited 15-18-cm-wide trenches were filled with a grey-brown silt, different from the fill of the historical trenches, and only yielded prehistoric flints (fig. 8-2, A and 8-3). These were St 24 (4 m long, J-M/46-47) and St 40 (1.8 m long, M-N/44). The former was isolated from any other structure, except a medium-sized probable post hole (St 36, appendix 8-2). It was slightly arched towards the south, but the suggested diameter was between 10 and 12 m, i.e., twice the average size of the residential buildings. The latter was cut by the foundation trench of building St 39 (fig. 8-5) and was too short to detect any curvature.

13Were these the remains of non-circular buildings, very large buildings (a second Communal building?) or external fences or enclosures?

2.2. A relict floor of a burnt building?

14A more than 1 m² circle of thin homogeneous and compact clayey silt, lying directly on the Pleistocene colluvium in L/43-44, appeared to be the remains of a building floor (fig. 8-2, A, and 8-3). Most of the central surface was dark-grey, suggesting a fireplace. Was it actually a fire floor inside a building or a portion of a burnt building? The proximity of several superficial small stone-built fireplaces probably dating to the Sotira period also brought up the question of the attribution of this feature to the PPNA.

2.3. Three orphan fire pits?

15Three fire pits similar to those found in Sector F (St 801, chap. 6) and B (chap. 7) and in the nearby road profile (chap. 3) were dug directly into the Pleistocene colluvium. St 34 (L/47) was reduced by erosion to a circular rubified spot representing the pit base. The light-grey ashy filling of St 22 (H/46, fig. 8-6, A) was preserved to a depth of 10 cm and surrounded by a significant rubefaction halo. An intermittent western widening of the halo revealed a small lateral pit similar to the ones found in other fire pits in Sector B (appendix 8-2). Conversely, the third fire pit (St 35, M-N/47, fig. 8-6, B, appendix 8-2) was atypical: it was 15 cm deep but completely filled with reddish silt and contained, at mid-height, a 30-cm-large thin limestone slab laid horizontally. The latter seemed to have been squared into a polygonal shape in order to fit the pit size. Was it a specific type of fireplace, a fireplace reused for inserting a post or even a post hole rubified by burning the post?

Fig. 8-6 – Two of the three fire pits excavated in the southeast area: A, Oblique view of the excavation of the south half and the profile of fire pit St 22. B, Sub-nadiral view of the squared slab laid at mid-height of the filling of St 35.

Deux des trois foyers fouillés dans la zone sud-est : A, vue oblique de la fouille de la moitié sud et du profil du foyer St 22. B, vue sub-nadirale de la dalle épannelée posée à mi-hauteur du remplissage de St 35. Clichés J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

Photos J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

16As mentioned above, St 22 was too close to the entrance to be associated with this building. It was also too far from the foundation trench of building St 25 and too external in relation to any other foundation trench. St 34 and 35 might have been internally associated with the St 24 foundation trench, but this is uncertain. If some or all of these three fire pits were located inside buildings, as was the case for all the buildings in Sector B, they should have been associated with non-preserved or non-identified additional building(s). However, we cannot exclude that some or part of them were external fire pits, as was the one found in Sector F, and therefore should be related to one of the above-described buildings.

2.4. Orphan post and stake holes

17In addition to isolated pole holes (St 33 in L48; St 44 in M45), St 32 is also of interest (fig. 8-7). This 30-cm circular pit preserved to a depth of 20 cm (appendix 8-2) showed no evidence of fire but contained a limestone squared slab similar to that described above in St 35. This pit was approximately the same size as the latter and was located 2 m to the south. We found no equivalent on the site and propose to interpret it as a large post support. This would back up our hypothesis that St 35 was also used or reused as another large post brace, and points to the presence of a large building in this unfortunately highly eroded area.

Fig. 8-7 – Sub-nadiral view of the St 32 pit with its squared limestone slab.

Vue sub-nadirale de la fosse St 32 avec sa dalle calcaire équarrie. Cliché J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

Photo J.‑D. Vigne, CNRS.

18In this section, we should also mention two unusual clusters of small eroded stake holes in Sector B. The first (fig. 8-3, ZW-ZY/51-52) was made up of eight items, two of which were paired together, like the paired stakes or poles found in the Communal building peristyle or in the B800 floor of Sector F. The second cluster (D54) was composed of one isolated and one paired stake hole. The presence of paired holes in the two clusters suggests that they actually date to the PPNA Klimonas occupation. These clusters resemble those described in several buildings of Sectors B and F, where we assumed that they were connected to undetermined arrangements related to craft or social activities inside the building. More specifically, the line formed by the five holes of the western cluster (St 6729-6730, 6733-6735; fig. 8-3) might be linked to any bench limit(s) similar to those observed in building B800 (chap. 6). Taking into account the position of this stake line, close to the SU 6062-6063 gulley, it could alternatively be related to external hydraulic activities, such as the collection or control of run-off water.

3. Conclusion

19Although excavated four years apart, the eastern end of Sector B and the southeast corner of the Central Sector constitute a coherent entity, representative of the south-eastern area of the middle terrace of Klimonas. This provides a unique opportunity to link the Communal building to its nearby residential environment. Unfortunately, this zone suffered from intense erosion.

20The remains of four, possibly even five buildings could be documented, in particular in the form of the arched portions of peripheral foundation trenches. Like all those in Sectors B and F, they were notched into the slope. The diameters of their upslope arcs range from 3 to 6.5 m. Their very poor state of preservation considerably reduced their documentary interest, except for one, St 23. This building, with a diameter of 5-5.5 m, had an entrance to the northeast, similar to that of building B08. The central location of its post, probably removed during the demolition of the building, was confirmed by our excavations. As in Sectors B and F, several of these buildings were built in succession. This is evidenced by the intersection of the foundation trenches and by the partial overlapping of rights of way.

21Some twenty additional pits, including two foundation trenches, three pits and two groups of small post holes, some of which were paired, indicate the presence of other, now destroyed buildings, as well as external installations, such as fences, enclosures or hydraulic systems. Two singular pits, each -containing a horizontal squared limestone slab, have no equivalent elsewhere on the site and were interpreted as post bases.

22This area shows that the entire surface of the village was built upon at one time or another, and that there must have been extensive development outside the now eroded buildings.

Annexe

KLIMONAS-Ch08-A01, https://doi.org/10.34847/nkl.72fb63p6
List, location, description and chronological attribution of the Structures (St) from the south-east area of the Klimonas middle terrace • Liste, description et attribution chronologique des Structures (St) de la zone sud-est de la moyenne terrasse de Klimonas
Jean‑Denis VIGNE (CNRS), Yodrik FRANEL (Inrap), Nicolas DELSOL (Florida Natural History Museum), François BRIOIS (EHESS), Jean GUILAINE (Collège de France)

KLIMONAS-Ch08-A02, https://doi.org/10.34847/nkl.52e143fh
Photos, plans and profiles of the main PPNA structures in the southeast area of the middle terrace • Photos, plans et coupes des principales structures du PPNA de la zone sud-est de la terrasse moyenne
Jean‑Denis VIGNE (CNRS), Yodrik FRANEL (Inrap), Nicolas DELSOL (Florida Museum of Natural History), François BRIOIS (EHESS)


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