Descriptive Attribute	Value(s)
Stage Description	Disuse of the cistern and deposition of debris.
Architectural or Soil Locus?	Soil
Overlies	Locus 16, test trench fill.
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
Bottom (m)	Closing Elevation: northeast 1.81 m below Sub datum SP 85 G or 901.082 m; southeast 2.01 m below Sub datum SP 85 F or 901.252 m.
Description	The top layers of the test trench begun in the southeast of the cistern in order to ascertain its depth and better understand its geometric outline. A great deal of artifactual material came out of this locus, and pottery and other dateable material was mixed, suggesting a late deposition of Byzantine date at the earliest. The most interesting piece of pottery to come out of this locus was the side, rim, and small, wavy handle of a small Nabataean cooking pot (from Pottery 9, Seq. No. SP 85063). The Munsell of the soil was 7.5YR3/3, Dark Brown.
Top (m)	Opening Elevation: northeast 0.90 m below Sub datum SP 85 G or 901.992 m; southeast 0.82 m below Sub datum SP 85 F or 902.442 m.
Definition	Uppermost layer of fill in test trench
Size	2.50 m in north south length-by-1.50 m in east west width-by-0.91 m in northeast depth-by-1.19 m in southeast depth.