Locus 23 was a soil deposit situated in the northern part of the T90, in the trench’s eastern meters.  It was situated just to the north of a gap in EPOC4’s northern wall, where prior excavators removed the stones of EPOC4’s northern wall and where we are conducting a stratigraphic sounding this summer.  Locus 23 is located along the eastern edge of this sounding, immediately to the northwest of the easternmost preserved portion of EPOC4’s northern wall.

Locus 23 was excavated using hand picks and trowels.  Soil was hand-sorted in the trench, then passed through a 1cm gauge sieve.  The first wheelbarrow of soil was collected as a sample for flotation. 

The locus was small, measuring only approximately 50 x 50 cm in dimension.  It was situated in what we believe to be a depression in a natural, geological deposit.  This depression was infilled by a heavily mottled and charcoal-rich deposit, which was designated Locus 23.  In addition to being dark gray, rich in charcoal, and heavily mottled, the soil of Locus 23 also was claylike and compacted.  The deposit also contained numerous small rocks, with a maximum dimension of 15cm.  These rocks became more numerous at the bottom of the locus, where the same natural deposit that underlay Locus 22 was exposed, confirming our hypothesis that Locus 23 infilled a depression in a natural deposit.

Given the small size of the locus, Locus 23 was relatively rich in material culture.  The deposit contained relatively high quantities of pottery and plaster, along with smaller quantities of bone, slag, and bronze.

Locus 23 underlies Locus 22 and overlies a natural deposit.  Based on stratigraphic positioning, this deposit must predate the construction of EPOC4.  It also is similar in appearance to Loci 10 and 13, excavated in 2017 and 2018, respectively, and contained similar types of material culture.  For these reasons, we believe Locus 23 to be contemporary with Loci 10 and 13.