Locus 52 was a dark grayish brown, mottled, and loosely compacted soil deposit situated in the northwestern quadrant of the trench, just to the south of EPOC4’s northern foundation wall. It contained numerous limestone, terracotta, and charcoal inclusions, giving it its mottled appearance. It was excavated using hand picks and trowels, soil was hand-sorted in the trench, then passed through 1cm and 2mm gauge sieves.

Locus 52 contained high quantities of material culture, especially pottery. Overall, 374 sherds of pottery were recovered from this locus, including a handle for a lid, perhaps a pyxis (PC20230108), a fine impasto carinated rim fragment (PC20230122), and an incised impasto fragment, likely from the bottom of a shallow bowl or plate (PC20230127). In addition to high quantities of ceramics, we also recovered 170 bone fragments. Despite the high quantities of pottery and bone recovered from this locus, we recovered only 5 slag fragments and 1 fragment of vitrified terracotta. We also recovered an intact bronze arc fibula (PC20230097), a rocchetto fragment (PC20230107), and a worked and burnt bone fragment (PC20230111).

Stratigraphically, Locus 52 covered EPOC4’s beaten-earth floor. Based on the locus’ stratigraphy, its loose compaction, and the high quantities of material culture and charcoal recovered from the locus, Locus 52 likely consists of debris associated with the abandonment and destruction of EPOC4; as a result, any datable materials found within this debris provide a terminus ante quem for the life of EPOC4.

Locus 52 underlay Locus 50 and is equivalent to Loci 7 (2017), 19 (2018), 24 (2019), 28 (2019), 33 (2022), and 45 (2023).