Unit 2 is pavement that clearly served as a platform floor. As seen in the axial trench (Fig. 3), it was laid over a fill that was put in place in two stages. Dark earth, with several stone blocks in it, was dumped on U. 6. This was covered by a compact, light-colored earth fill on which the floor itself was laid. The N limit of U. 2 is not known, for it was later torn out for construction of the N wall of Str. 7F-29-1st-B (Fig. 3:14).
Unit 3, identified in a trench along the E portion of the front wall of Str. 7F-29-1st-A, apparently is a portion of the same structure represented by U. 2 (Fig. 1). This wall now runs beneath the final wall of 29-1st-A to a point 7.24 m E of the axial trench. Here, a probe established the presence of a corner, inside of which a floor surface at the level of the top of U. 3 was located. Since it has the same elevation as U. 2, it must be a portion of the same floor. For lack of more detailed information, a single construction stage (CS. 2) has been defined for construction of U. 2 and 3.
The entire form and size of the architecture represented by U. 2 and 3 cannot be reconstructed with certainty without further excavation. Moreover, much of it appears to have been destroyed in the course of later construction. Excavation along U. 3 revealed a break 2.24 m W of its E end, beyond which there is no further masonry. Evidently, the wall was ripped out W of this point. This is consistent with evidence from the axial trench. An entirely different kind of fill from that of 29-3rd runs S into the area of Plat. 7F-1, and begins at a point 0.10 m S of the front wall for Str. 7F-29-1st-B (Fig. 3:14), overlying U. 6. This fill is precisely like that seen elsewhere for Plat. 7F-1-2nd, so it appears that Str. 7F-29-3rd was partially destroyed when Plat. 7F-1-2nd was constructed.
TABLE 2.1
Structure 7F-29: Time Spans
Since much of the front of Str. 7F-29-3rd was eventually destroyed, it is impossible to be sure what the structure looked like. It is reconstructed in Fig. 1 by analogy with 29-1st as having had a straight front wall, with U. 3 running to a SW corner the same distance E of the W wall of 29-1st-A, so that the SE corner is W of the E wall of 1st-A. Further excavation would be necessary to prove this; since 1st-A and B were range-type structures, however, and since there is a similar possibility for 2nd, Str. 7F-29-3rd may have been as well. There is no proof of this, though, and the extent of U. 2 so far N might seem to argue against this. Instead, what is suggested is that 29-3rd was a wide building platform. It could have supported a pole-and-thatch range-type building. In favor of this is the absence of a posthole in the SE corner of U. 2, such as would be expected in the case of an ordinary rectangular, one-level building platform (TR. 20B), and indications discussed later that the fortunes of the residents of Gp. 7F-1 were just beginning to recover from a particularly low ebb.
STRUCTURE 7F-29-2ND
This architectural development is represented by U. 1, a floor remnant W of the axial trench (Fig. 1). Its elevation is 0.45 m above that of U. 2, and 0.22 m below that of Fl. 2 of Str. 7F-29-1st in Rm. 1 (Fig. 3). That Fl. 2 of 1st postdates U. 2 is clearly indicated by the presence of U. 2 beneath it. Unit 2 was built when Ik pottery was in vogue, and when contemporary platform floors were laid up to, but not beneath, associated buildings or other constructions above their surface (TR. 35).
Since Str. 7F-29-2nd was at some point almost totally demolished, little can be said about it. Only 0.60 m of U. 1 survived this demolition, but its N edge shows a clear turnup, so a wall must once have stood here. Its stratigraphic relationship to Str. 7F-29-3rd, plus the fact that 3rd seems to have been done away with when Plat. 7F-1-2nd was built, suggests that 29-2nd was served in front by the floor of Plat. 7F-1-2nd. As noted elsewhere, U. 2 of 7F-29 seems to have been incorporated into that floor. The height of U. 1 above this is sufficient to suggest that it is the floor of a building platform (equivalent to Fl. 1 and 2 of Str. 7F-29-1st in Rm. 1), and that there was probably a lower platform level in front of it to the S. Just where the front wall of this would have been is a matter for speculation. The turnup of U. 1, then, could have been to a rear-building wall, or to a “bench” such as was constructed in 29-1st-B. The latter appears most probable, since it looks as though destruction of the rear wall of 29-3rd took place when 1st-B was built. Given this, it seems likely that the rear of 2nd was built up from the rear of Str. 29-3rd.
STRUCTURE 7F-29-1ST-B
Construction of this structure (Fig. 2) may be divided into at least six construction stages on the basis of evidence from the axial trench, although it is possible that more were involved. Construction Stage 6 saw the almost complete demolition of the earlier Str. 7F-29-2nd. Along with this, the N portion of U. 2 was apparently torn down to its base surface where the wall of the new structure was to be built.
Following preparation of the site, the supplementary platform for 29-1st was built, probably as a single construction stage (CS. 5). Gray earth fill was dumped on the surviving surface of U. 2, and the front retaining wall was set down into that floor. Evidence for this intrusion consists of the stratigraphic relationship between U. 2 and the floor of Plat. 7F-1-2nd already discussed, as well as the presence of Imix sherds in the partially sealed sample from beneath U. 2 (Table 5.1 [see below]; LG. 1b). The only way to account for these sherds is by the intrusion of the wall for Str. 7F-29-1st-B (Fig. 3:3), for sealed samples from beneath U. 2 did not produce such sherds. To the N, where U. 2 had been destroyed, a battered wall was built. Composed of two rows of rectangular masonry against a rubble core, it sat on the old base surface (U. 6) for the structure represented by U. 2. An old retaining wall (U. 7), associated with U. 6, continued to serve with the new structure, which was set back 0.48 m from U. 7. Unit 4, a pause-line with some rubble to the S, marks the top of the fill for CS. 5.
The actual building platform was built as CS. 4. For this, single-course walls were assembled on the fill of the supplementary platform; 3.30 m N of its front wall, 1.64 m from its end walls, and 0.04 m S of the face of its back wall. As seen in Rm. 1, a fill of rubble was placed under what was to become the floor of the room, while earth was dumped N of this over U. 4. The pavement of the supplementary platform may have been laid up to the walls of the building platform at this time. It is more likely, however, that this floor was laid at a later time, when the interior was finished.
The next stage of construction (CS. 3) saw completion of the building walls, although probably not the roof. These walls were set back 2 to 4 cm from those of the building platform. They were constructed of thin rectangular masonry stretchers as facing on a core of rubble (Fig. 39a). Some of the corners were bonded, others were not. The original height of the walls is unknown. There was no sign of wall inserts near the entrances to Rm. 1, 4, or 5.
The roof of Str. 7F-29-1st had completely collapsed, but the amount of debris, and the presence of beveled stones, clearly proves that the building was vaulted. It is assumed that the vault was built before the interiors of the rooms were finished (CS. 2). The angle of the bevel of the vault stones averages 116 degrees. The back ends of the stones were tapered, so as to bond into the hearting of the vault. Roof collapse on the E end platform of Rm. 1 showed an intact vault spring of 0.10 m.
Construction Stage 1 saw completion of 29-1st-B. In the rear of Rm. 1, 4, and 5 (and probably Rm. 2 and 3), platforms were constructed on the fill of the building platform (Fig. 2). They were faced with vertically set rectangular masonry that abuts the room-end walls. A second course of like masonry was set horizontally above the first, so as to produce a cornice on the platforms in Rm. 1 and 4 (and probably 2). The fill of the interior platforms was covered by plaster surfaces, and plaster floors (Fl. 2) were laid in each room. These floors cover the masonry of the building platforms in the doorways, and turn up to the building walls and interior platform walls. A peculiarity of Fl. 2 in Rm. 5 is the presence of a round hole (Fig. 2:U. 8). Its regularity suggests that a post was set here, but for what reason it is hard to imagine. Unit 8 is located directly in front of the S end of the interior platform. It was probably also in the course of CS. 1 that the exposed top of the supplementary platform was surfaced.
STRUCTURE 7F-29-1ST-A
After a period of use, Str. 29-1st was extensively renovated. The exact sequence of events