The many options for Context Type in the database are described below. Because the Context Type field is used in other parts of KAP data infrastructure, including the GIS and Harris matrices, the options must be kept consistent. If new discoveries necessitate the addition of new types, consult with supervisors. Otherwise, always select one of the options below when opening a new spatial, approximate, or group context.
While some Context Types used by KAP are intuitive and used elsewhere, others describe specific features or materials common to Kaymakçı, and may or may not correspond exactly with the use of these terms in other archaeological literature or in common language. Consult the list below for more information on what is encompassed by each context type, and do not hesitate to consult with supervisors to determine what context type is most appropriate.
Fill: designates any deposit of material that is primarily sediment and is the most common context type used. Multiple fill sub-types describe deposits contained by specific features:
- Fill, Circular Feature
- Fill, Foundation Trench
- Fill, Modern Intrusion
- Fill, Pit
- Fill, Pithos
- Fill, Post-Hole
- Fill, Robber Trench
Burning: refers to deposits that are primarily characterized by burned or ashy material. Note that other contexts (such as surfaces) might also exhibit burning without being given this context type.
Collapse: refers to a deposit of material—such as stone or mudbrick or a mixed combination of materials—that has clearly fallen from some source (known or not). Evidence for its collapse includes articulated stones or mudbricks, pronounced directionality in the orientation of material (e.g., imbrications). Collapse sub-types describe the material in question:
- Collapse, Mixed
- Collapse, Mudbrick
- Collapse, Stone
Rubble: refers to a deposit of material—such as stone or earthen material—that has not clearly fallen from some source. In other words, this is the type to use if evidence of collapse is absent. Rubble sub-types describe the material in question:
- Rubble, Earthen
- Rubble, Mixed
- Rubble, Stone
Bedrock Cut: refers to an intentional shaping of bedrock that cannot be clearly identified as another type of context (e.g., a circular feature or a post-hole). Bedrock cuts might be circular, oval, linear, etc.
Packing: refers to any material used to fill or pack a space as part of construction processes. For example, stones set around a pithos to support it might be considered packing; material laid down in preparation for a surface might be considered packing. Use this type only if the context is indeed an isolated deposit of packing material. Larger deposits that may include packing material but cannot be separated from packing material should be identified as another type of fill deposit.
Pit: refers to a feature cut into existing fill (or bedrock) that cannot be clearly identified as another type of context (e.g., a circular feature or a post-hole). Note that this context type describes the feature itself, while its fill is described by “Fill, Pit”. Pit sub-types describe construction materials:
- Pit, Clay-Lined
- Pit, Stone-Lined (NB: this type is used to describe a particular type of feature, often characterized by pit in which vertical or near vertical slabs (and sometimes even a horizontal slab serving as a lid) define a subterranean box-like feature. Not all stone-lined pits are necessarily box-like, but note that this is the context type that should be used to identify such features. Small stone-lined pits at Kaymakçı are difficult to distinguish from post-holes.
Ceramic Vessel: refers to a spatial context that isolates and removes seemingly whole or mostly whole individual ceramic vessels or dense sherd deposits that appear to be from a small group of vessels. Ceramic vessels may be recorded in spatial or approximate contexts, depending on the circumstance.
Mudbrick: refers to a spatial context that isolates and removes seemingly whole or mostly whole individual mudbricks, in contrast to mudbrick collapse or earthen rubble. Mudbricks may be recorded in spatial or approximate contexts, depending on the circumstance.
Object, Bone/Shell: refers to objects of bone or shell that have been worked into an implement, ornament, or object of another function. For example, this type would include shells with intentional perforations. Unworked bone or shell are recorded as zooarchaeology samples. Such objects are usually recorded in approximate contexts.
Object, Earthen: refers to all objects made of earthen material that cannot be clearly identified as another type of object (e.g., mudbrick), including clearly identifiable items (e.g., low-fired zoomorphic earthen objects, portable trays) as well as earthen objects the use of which remains unclear. Such objects are usually recorded in approximate contexts.
Object, Metal: refers to all metal objects, such as wires, rings, pins, and awls. Slag (and other production material) should be given the type of production material. Such objects are usually recorded in approximate contexts.
Object, Stone: refers to all stone objects that cannot be clearly identified as another type of object (e.g., grinding stones and lithics), including clearly identifiable items (e.g., a mica-schist token) as well as stone objects the use of which remains unclear. Such objects are usually recorded in approximate contexts.
Pierced/Rounded Sherd: refers to ceramic sherds that have been intentionally rounded and/or perforated, but not to perforated sherds that have no evidence of rounding, which may rather be evidence of repair holes. Such sherds are usually recorded in approximate contexts.
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Production Material: is a catch-all type for production-related materials such as ceramic slag, metal slag, or pieces of stone or other materials perhaps used in pigments. Such material is usually recorded in approximate contexts.
Protome: refers to a specific type of ceramic appliqué that usually takes a zoomorphic form. Protomes are usually recorded in approximate contexts.
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Spindle Whorl: refers specifically to spindle whorls, which are generally rounded, conical, or biconical with tubular perforation through the center. Spindle whorls are usually recorded in approximate contexts.
Stone, Grinding: refers to grinding implements made in stone, ranging from large mortars/querns to hand-held grinders and pounders. Grinding stones are usually recorded in approximate contexts.
Stone, Lithic: refers to knapped or flaked stone tools that are identifiable in the field and able to be recorded in approximate contexts.
Building: refers to an interpretive group context assigned in post-excavation work and consisting of walls or other installations and spaces that define a discrete structure.
Circular Feature: refers to a common category of feature at Kaymakçı that is defined by a large (~1.5–2 m diameter), roughly circular/oval-shaped, subterranean or semi-subterranean structure that is cut into bedrock, encircled with well-built dry-stone walls and/or vertical stone slabs, or includes a combination of these characteristics. Circular feature depths vary, largely dependent on preservation. In KAP terminology, circular features are distinct from other types of pits, including stone-lined pits.
Road: refers to spaces or surfaces that appear to have been routes of communications and passage within or outside the site. This type should be used interpretively, not while defining a new context in the field.
Robber Trench: refers to the trench left by the extraction of materials (usually stones) from pre-existing deposits or features (usually walls). The robbing of such materials may be ancient or modern. The deposit of material that subsequently fills the void left by the extracted materials is recorded as “Fill, Robber Trench.”
Space: refers to an interpretive group context assigned in post-excavation work and consisting of walls or other installations that define a discrete area.
Threshold: refers to a low, constructed feature most often located in doorways between walls and separating one space from another.
Wall: refers to a freestanding, linear architectural construction (but not to things like the built component of circular features, which should be labeled as “circular features”).
Crucible: refers to small features commonly found at Kaymakçı that are generally circular and multi-layered and have been subjected to repeated low-temperature heating. The use of the term in KAP terminology is not associated with the high temperatures associated with the term in common usage.
Earthen Installation: refers to constructions of earthen material that cannot be clearly identified as another type of feature or context type. This includes things like built-in earthen trays and linear earthen features of unclear function, but not hearths/ovens or mudbrick walls. (See here for more information on earthen installations.)
Fire Installation: refers to all features used for managing fire that cannot be clearly identified as another context type (e.g., hearth, oven, or crucible).
Foundation Trench: refers to a cut made into existing strata for the construction of a feature, usually a wall. Note that this type describes the cut itself, while “Fill, Foundation Trench” refers to the deposit(s) found within a foundation trench.
Hearth: refers to an open fire installation that lacks a superstructure above the surface on which the fire was built. Hearths at Kaymakçı range from very simple to elaborate in their construction.
Oven: refers to a closed fire installation that bears evidence of once having a superstructure above the surface on which the fire was built. Oven superstructures are generally not well preserved, but evidence for them can include burned daub inside the feature, a rim that rises above the surface of the feature, or structural evidence for a “mouth” or open of the oven. Currently all closed fire installations are considered “ovens” because no evidence has been found to indicate kilns (for ceramic production) or furnaces (for metalworking).
Pithos: refers to a large ceramic storage vessel, which would have been a semi-permanent installation and usually semi-subterranean. Conceptually, pithoi are considered features rather than deposits or objects. Note that this context type describes the feature itself and a separate sub-type of Fill describes its fill.
Platform/Bench: refers to architectural elements that are elevated above the contemporary surface. Platforms/benches identified at the site thus far resemble wall foundations in their construction, yet with top surfaces that are more even.
Post-Hole: refers to a feature cut and/or built to support wooden posts. Note that this type describes the cut/built feature itself and a separate sub-type of Fill describes its fill. Post-holes might be difficult to distinguish from small stone-lined pits.
Surface: refers to any surface upon which activities were conducted for some period of time. This general type can be used for surfaces of unclear construction, but more specific sub-types are also available:
- Surface, Earthen
- Surface, Flagstone
- Surface, Mixed
- Surface, Pebble/sherd
- Surface, Plastered
Sample, Archaeobot: refers to samples collected specifically for archaeobotanical analysis. This context type can be used for things like individual carbonized seeds collected in approximate contexts. It is also used for specific sediment samples taken for flotation that are additional to the standard bulk flotation sample from each context; these are planned and collected in consultation with the Archaeobotany team or supervisors.
Sample, MicroMorph: refers to samples collected specifically for micromorphological analysis. These samples require specific methods for collection and consolidation and should be collected only in consultation with a specialist or supervisors.
Sample, SedChem: refers to samples collected specifically for sediment chemistry analysis. These require specific methods for collection and should be collected only in consultation with a specialist or supervisors.
Sample, Wood Charcoal: refers to samples of carbonized wood remains collected specifically for anthracological, dendrochronological, or radiocarbon analyses in approximate contexts.
Sample, Zooarch: refers to samples collected specifically for zooarchaeological analysis in approximate contexts (separate from the bone and shell material collected as bulk samples within larger contexts) because of their specific location, preservation, or other aspect of interest (e.g., whole antlers/horns, rare unworked shells).
Cleaning: refers only to contexts that likely or definitely incorporate material from multiple stratigraphic deposits (e.g., a scarp cleaning) or that have a high probability of contamination (e.g., a cleaning context at the beginning of the season to remove accumulated vegetation). Cleaning contexts have no stratigraphic relationships, and should be used only in a very limited capacity.
Conservation Treatment: refers to material that has been added to the excavation area in order to stabilize archaeological remains in consultation with or by the Conservation team or supervisors.
Core: refers to contexts in which a sediment sample was taken with a corer.
Modern Intrusion: refers to intrusions into the site that occurred for unclear or varied purposes in recent or present-day times. Note that this type describes the cut/built feature itself and a separate sub-type describes its fill.
Topsoil: refers to the top layer of sediment and other material found across all unexcavated areas of the site and should be used only when a new excavation area (or extension) is first opened.