Methodology:
        Operation 99-2 was located on a low terrace in the northern portion of Ciudad Vieja, in grid square 6FI, just over 100 meters from the northern boundary of the Main Plaza. Working under the initial assumption that the architectural remains uncovered in Operation 99-2 were part of a single functional unit (a solar), we designated these remains as Structure 6F4. Structure 6F4 is located to the east of the ruins of a street that runs north from the Main Plaza. Structure 6F4 is aligned slightly east of north along with the road, and the site as a whole.
        Immediately to the west and across the street from Structure 6F4 is Structure 6F1. Structure 6F1 occupies the western part of the low terrace that also supports Structure 6F4. The operations carried out there in Operation 98-1 and Operation 99-1 by Roberto Gallardo have been described elsewhere (Gallardo 1999). Structure 6F1 was a large stone and puddled earth structure and solar partially roofed with barrel-shaped teja ceramic tiles. The remains of these coverings are still present where they fell as units in many parts of Structure 6F1. We did not uncover any such deposits in Operation 99-2.

              Excavations in Operation 99-2 were conducted between April 7, 1999 and May 20, 1999. These excavations were directed by Jeb J. Card, with the exception of Unit 99-2.37, which was directed by Sarah Barber. All units in Operation 99-2 use Monument 5 as a datum. Except in the cases of 99-2.18, 2.31, and 2.37, all excavations were carried out in 2 m x 2 m units. Excavation units were placed and laid out by tape with some aid from a total station. However, all excavation borders, architectural features, and other features of interest have been mapped into the larger site map with the aid of the total station, recording any inaccuracies resulting from the use of tapes in planning the excavations. The elevations referred to in this report were obtained with a transit and stadia rod in the process of excavation.
          Any excavation units with architectural or archaeological features were drawn in plan view by José Francisco Galdanez. The only exception to this was Unit 99-2.37, which was drawn in plan view by Sarah Barber. The north wall of Unit 99-2.9 was drawn in profile by Jeb J. Card. All excavation levels were photographed upon termination with color slide film by Jeb J. Card.

Room 1:
          The interior of Room 1 measures approximately 4.9 meters East-West by 7.5 meters North-South. The east, north, and south walls of Room 1 have one course high (usually less than 15 cm off of the occupation floor) stone foundations with an occasional heaping up of stones in the middle of the foundation. They measure approximately 80 cm (possibly equivalent to the Spanish measure of 1 vara) in width. With a few exceptions, the foundations are constructed with unworked cobbles.  Presumably all of the foundations in 6F4 supported adobe or puddled earth walls, as there is no evidence for posts, and there are no areas of fallen stones that might indicate a stone coursed wall.

          The west wall of Room 1 is also the external western wall of Structure 6F4, and is more substantial than any other architectural features in Operation 99-2. On the exterior it presents three courses rising to approximately 50 cm in height above the probable occupation surface. This surface is marked inside Room 1 by a hard packed earthen surface at an elevation of between 15 and 30 cm above datum. All excavation units in Room 1 ended on this surface except 99-2.23, which continued to a second level approximately 10 cm below Level 1. On the interior, the wall arrives at this surface in a poorly organized slope of cobbles, with the exception of the northwest corner of Room 1, which is marked by a well cut, large cornerstone.

          To the west of Structure 6F4, a surface at a similar elevation is marked by a horizontal collocation of teja roof tiles, albeit at a much lower density than in Structure 6F1. This type of deposit was not uncovered in Room 1, nor anywhere else in Operation 99-2 for that matter. Although some fragments of roof tile were uncovered throughout Operation 99-2, they do not appear to be present in the quantity or quality to suggest that they are the remains of an intact tiled roof. It is of course possible that human agencies may have removed tiles in the past before any such roof collapsed. It appears likely that the tile fragments have been carried into Operation 99-2 by later taphonomic events, such as plowing. These tiles could originate from Structure 6F1 or from an area of the terrace to the north of Operation 99-2 that presents a high surface density of roof tile fragments.
          In addition to the walls that demarcate Room 1 as a discreet architectural entity, the eastern and western walls of Room 1 extend to the north and south of Room 1. The western wall extends to the south of Room 1 and appears to demarcate a second room, but this possibility was not investigated further.
The eastern wall of Room 1 also extends to the south, for approximately 10 m. This may well form the eastern boundary of another room. In addition, the wall uncovered associated with the southern midden may have been connected with this wall. Part of the puddled earth that once formed this wall may have been preserved by exposure to intense heat in Unit 99-2.35. A patch of burnt earth was found in this unit, but does not appear to have been part of any kind of cooking or other activity involved with a hearth. This patch was uncovered at an elevation of 41 cm above datum, over 10 cm higher than the occupation floor of Room 1. It directly abuts and partially covers the east wall in this unit. The soil was red (2.5YR 4/6 Red) but was also associated with a sandy tan soil (10YR 6/2 light brownish gray) which might also have been related to a burning event. We do not yet understand the sequence of events which might have caused a fire in this small area, but not along the rest of the wall.
        The eastern wall of Room 1 also extends approximately 2 m to the north, but does not connect with any architecture. We are uncertain what function this projection may have served.
          Possibly related to architecture are five collocations of stones in the north- to central-eastern part of the interior of Room 1. These collocations of small numbers of stones (3-5), are aligned in an irregular line approximately 60 cm west of the east wall of Room 1. We are not certain what these collocations may have been, but one working hypothesis is that they were supports for perishable posts. A metate grinding stone equipped with grooved legs, designed to interface with a wooden support, was found near these collocations.
          A paved area of small stones was present 240 cm south of the north wall of Room 1, and 160 cm west of the east wall. It measured 90 cm North-South by 170 cm East-West. Closely associated and immediately to the south of this paved area were three fragments of a legged metate (mentioned above). To the north of this area, a mano was discovered resting on one of its short ends next to the north wall, as if it had been left leaning against the wall of the room. To the southwest of the paved area, a large patch (80 cm north-south by 60 cm east west) of hard burnt soil was discovered in Unit 99-2.29. The soil here ranges in color from 2.5YR 5/8 Red to 7.5YR 6/6 Reddish Yellow to 10YR 3/3 Dark Brown. It lies at an altitude of 29.5 cm above datum, which is within the upper range of elevation for the occupation surface for Room 1.

          In addition to the metate, mano, and burnt area (which we are suggesting was a hearth), the remains of several large bowls were found in the northwest corner of Room 1 in Unit 99-2.14. Although a more secure conclusion must await the analysis of the chipped stone blades and the iron knife fragment found in Room 1, we believe that food processing may have been an important activity in Room 1. If this was the case, than presumably at least some of the refuse from this activity was deposited in the midden to the south of Room 1.

Gallardo, Roberto
    1999 Excavaciones y arquitectura de la Estructural 6F1. In Proyecto Arqueologico Ciudad Vieja: Temporada de 1998. Informe preparado para el
             Consejo Nacional de Cultura y el Arte.  W. Fowler & R. Gallardo, ed. San Salvador, El Salvador