Further study confirmed that this was likely part of a “first fruits” or foundation ritual related to the house.

Area of burned bone and other evidence of burning found around and under an intact bowl SU536 = special find 239. The two SUs, SU536 and SU537 appear to be related. Both are within the area of the house in the northwest corner next to wall SU541 and may represent a votive deposit. A miniature pot, special find 214, possibly also a votive deposit, was found just east of SU536 and SU537 in SU461. The position of the vessel and the burnt deposit in the northwest corner of the house (with the 'corner' comprising the north end of wall SU541 and the east-west running ledge in the bedrock of the north end of the structure) possibly signifies that SU536 and SU537 were deposited after the house was constructed and were placed within a cut feature (cutting SU461 and perhaps SU505) that we were unable to see. In the absence of such a visible cut, there is little option but to place SU536 and SU537 beneath SU461 in the Harris matrix (in other words, assign them to a pre-construction phase) but it should be noted that this might be erroneous.