Descriptive Attribute	Value(s)
Stage Description	Disuse of the cistern and deposition of debris.
Architectural or Soil Locus?	Soil
Definition	Fifth layer from top of test trench (1.00 m)
Location	Along east wall of cistern in south, but not as far as the area where the shaft opens into the cistern.
Phase	XI XII X IX XIII
Phase Description	Phase X: Site abandonment after major collapse dating to the Byzantine period from the CE 4th to 5th c. New... Phase IX: Major CE 363 earthquake leads to the collapse of large architectural features and the primary... Phase XII: Use levels, robbing and abandonments continue. Upper levels of fluvial wash are deposited. Rooms A and B are abandoned. Phase XIII: Major collapses continue into the Islamic period. Phase XI: Further collapse post-CE 5th c., possibly the result of the earthquake of 512. Fill accumulates...
Stage	Stage 3
Description	The soil of this locus had a Munsell color of 10YR3/3, Dark Brown, and was slightly darker than earlier deposits. In this layer were found two small, round spindle whorls with holes in their centers, one made of bone and the other of stone (Seq. Nos. SP 85153 and SP 85156). These probably fell into the cistern at the same point in time, as no other artifacts of this sort were found, whereas these were found very close together. Also found in this locus was a translucent stone tile (Seq. No. SP 85169), which may be made of alabaster. This locus was closed, and Locus 23 was begun when the excavation began to uncover an unusually large amount of pottery. Because this layer contained an architectural fragment and was of similar consistency to the loci above it, it is likely that this locus marks the first true deposition of washdown and fill in the cistern. Therefore, it is also important that the pottery from this locus be read.
Top (m)	Opening Elevation: northeast 4.81 m below Sub datum SP 85 G or 898.082 m; southeast 5.01 m below Sub datum SP 85 F or 898.252 m.
Bottom (m)	Closing Elevation: northeast 5.30 m below Sub datum SP 85 G or 897.592 m; southeast 5.75 m below Sub datum SP 85 F or 897.512 m.
Overlies	Locus 23, crushed pottery and soil at bottom of test trench.
Underlies	Locus 20, test trench fill.
Size	1.80 m in north south length-by-1.45 m in east west width-by-0.49 m in northeast depth-by-0.74 m in southeast depth.