ARCHAEOLOGICAL FEATURE INFORMATION
Feature 138
Feature 138 was located in the central portion of the property. The feature
was identified during stripping of the area around Features 7 and 132. This
structure was a subrectangular house- in-pit with a long axis orientation
of 102· east of north. The width of this feature was 2.41 m and length
was 6.22 m, with a total area of 14.99 square meters. Haury (1976) has classified
similar houses as S- 1.
The entryway was bulbous shaped and wider at the outside end than where
it connected to the floor. The entry was 1.2 m at its widest point, 0.85
m at the narrowest point. and 1.2 m long. The entrance was centered on the
northern side of the house. The entryway was not stepped; only two postholes
were found, one on either side of the entry at its juncture with the floor.The
floor was caliche plastered and ranged in thickness from 0.03-0.05 m. Two
areas of the floor were somewhat sunken, probably due to having been built
over an earlier pithouse (Feature 149). Otherwise, the floor was fairly
level and showed evidence of burning that was more intensive at the center
than at the edges. Above the floor was a loosely compacted, sandy silt with
an abundance of charcoal and a high organic content. This roof/wall fall
layer extended to approximately 0.13 m above the floor. Five burned beams
were found within this matrix, two of which were also in contact with the
floor. The fill contained sherds. Iithics, bone, and shell, as well as a
few pieces of historic trash.
Feature 154, the hearth, was centered on the entryway and was 0.50 m from
its juncture with the floor. The hearth was plastered. but lacked evidence
of replastering. This basin-shaped hearth was in good condition with only
a few small cracks. It measured 0.28 m across and 0.13- 0.16 m deep.
Nineteen postholes were recorded for this feature. Seven postholes were
major supports. based on their symmetrical location within the house. The
average diameter of these postholes was 0.19 m, and the average depth was
0.16 m. of the remaining 12 postholes, nine were interior secondary posts
with an average diameter of 0.16 m and an average depth of 0.17 m. The other
three postholes were exterior postholes found within the construction trench
and had an average diameter of 0.20 m and an average depth of 0.16 m. This
construction trench was not visible all the way around the floor, but averaged
0.15 m wide where it was observed. The depth of the floor groove was not
determined.
This structure appeared to have been abandoned when the structure burned.
Burned beams in the fill and on the floor, as well as regular areas of charcoal
throughout, indicated that the house had burned. In addition, the floor
assemblage included whole vessels and censers that probably would not have
been left intentionally.
Feature 138 was approximately 3.0 m southwest of a partial pithouse (Feature
146) that was 0.04 m above the floor of 138; this house was approximately
6.0 m southwest of Feature 132, a subrectangular pithouse that was situated
0.02 m below Feature 138. Conjoinable sherds from Features 132 and 138 suggested
contemporaneity of the two houses. Feature 149, a partial pithouse, was
directly east of, and 0.01-0.02 m below, Feature 138. Feature 138 truncated
Feature 149.