A Wall Collapse

One of the coolest things from our excavations at Pyla-Vigla was not an artifact, but evidence for an archaeological processes. In north scarp wall of Aaron Barth’s trench there was a nicely preserved illustration of wall collapse.

If you look just below the stone sticking out of the north scarp, you’ll see a white line. This is a floor. The stones above it was a wall that fell down on the floor distorting the floor on impact. The strange flat stone just right of center is perhaps a gypsum paving slab. If you’re very adventurous and imaginative you might be able to see a slight red patch of soil on the far right of scarp wall and inline with the stones. This is mud-brick.

This will clarify some:

The earth below the floor is fill put in place to create level surface. You might be able to see how the floor runs above a stone wall just left of center and at the bottom of the photograph. This wall was covered by the floor which in turn was covered by the collapsed wall. So that wall is Phase 1, the floor and wall collapse is Phase 2, and the soil above the wall collapse (right up to the plough zone) is the fairly boring life of the site after the end of phase 2.