Descriptive Attribute	Value(s)
Designator	Floor/Surface
Context rating	Primary
General remarks	Locus 173 is a surface in the center of the trench that runs up against the retaining wall (Locus 170) in the eastern baulk. The soil appears slightly lighter and grayer with some charred seeds and ash visible.
Strat below	168
Strat above	180
Strat abuts	170, 175
Top depth center	587.66
Bottom depth center	587.6
Dimension length	2.5
Dimension width	1.05
Start date	2007-06-24
End date	2007-06-26
Color	7.5 YR 5/3 Brown
Texture	silt
Composition	with some pebbles, ash, and mudbrick debris
Tentative Date	Ubaid
Has note	Contexts excavated in trenches were recorded using the "locus system." A locus is any discrete three-dimensional entity excavated in a trench. The key to the locus system is the recognition that a locus is any one thing. Differences in soil composition or texture are therefore as important as, for example, the difference between a pit and a wall. If two entities were distinct, they were considered separate loci and were therefore assigned separate locus numbers. It should also be noted that every context excavated in a trench was given a locus number and thus the trench itself is made up completely of excavated loci.