Descriptive Attribute	Value(s)
Architectural or Soil Locus?	Soil
Underlies	Loci 30, 16, 12.
Bottom (m)	Closing elevation: 891.563 m.
Phase Description	Phase IV: Nabataean Grand Design: 1st c. BCE to CE 1st c. The full Lower Temenos is constructed, complete...
Overlies	None.
Definition	Fill in the sondage beneath Locus 30
Stage Description	Pre-construction fill.
Stage	Stage 1
Location	Inside Vault Locus 12, at the east end beneath Locus 30 and between Loci 31 and 32.
Description	This is a soil layer sealed beneath Locus 30. Its fine consistency ranged between silt and sand, with a Munsell Color in the range of 2.5 YR 3/3. The soil was noticeably moister than any other removed from Trench 97, and could be easily balled in the hand. The deposit was compacted—possibly as a result of the increased moisture, but may also indicate that it served as construction fill for the emplacement of Locus 30. The sondage was begun 1.23 m east of the Locus 12 entrance, and measured 1.10 m north south-by-0.70 m east west-by-0.50 m in depth upon completion. Excavation ceased once the bottom of the lowest courses in Wall Loci 31 and 32 had been exposed, as no further architectural or constructional elements were revealed. Since the locus was sealed, the fill was sifted upon removal. A small selection of artifacts was obtained, including pottery, stucco, bone, metal, stone and vegetal materials. Of greatest significance was a Nabataean sherd containing a frond design clearly datable to Phase 2A of the fine ware chronology (cf. P-39). Several smaller sherds from this same phase were also discovered, but were unfortunately lost during transit from the site to the pottery area (see note on DFF #97614 for description). There were also three stone tesserae (cf. S-16, S-19), and two carvings made of a soft fine-textured yellow sandstone. Three vegetal samples, one of bark and two of charcoal, were also retrieved.
Phase	IV
Top (m)	Opening elevation: 892.063 m.
Combined with	None.