The weather report of the day: 100% Muggy. While the rain missed us once again, work is proceeding slowly today as we try to figure out a number of irregularly shaped stains in several units. Thus far, most have proven to be natural features (ancient tree roots and the like) or fairly modern intrusions (holes dug into the lower areas that contain 1950s bottle fragments, etc.). However, each of these features has to be investigated -- on the chance that it relates to the period of the church.

Our first photograph (looking southeast) shows the north wall excavation -- and gives some idea of the scale of the expanding investigations of the front of the church.

The second photograph is looking due east down the entire length of the front wall.

Our third photograph (looking southwest) shows the front area from another angle -- the brick pathway in the center of the photograph is poorly preserved, but emerging.

Unfortunately, as the crews searching for the northwest corner reached the level where the foundation stones should be, we discovered that the stones have apparently been removed from the northwest corner -- this may have happened at the time of the destruction of the church, or at a later time. A modern Coca-cola can adjacent to the surviving foundation stones indicates that the area has been disturbed in relatively recent times. Fortunately, however, the trench in which the stones once stood remains definable by archaeological standards.

In the interior of the church (the "southern excavation area"), a limestone block feature has finally appeared at over two feet below the current surface. The last photograph for the day shows the intact parts of the coursework -- these stones still have mortar in place on the tops, and probably represent the foundation for the eastern gallery of the church.