Locus 44 consisted of an olive-brown colored soil deposit situated in the southwestern quadrant of the trench, in the southern half of the area where we began working this year. It was bounded to the north by the southern foundation wall of the small, rectilinear hut built atop the ruins of EPOC4’s front porch (Locus 42) and to the south by EPOC4’s southern foundation wall. This deposit consisted of a surface exterior to the small rectilinear hut built atop EPOC4 following the building’s abandonment and destruction; this exterior surface was situated to the south of the small, rectilinear hut.

The soil of Locus 44 was olive-brown in color, claylike in texture, and the surface was moderately to heavily compacted. Small limestone rocks (maximum dimension of 15cm) and limestone inclusions also were found in this soil deposit.

Little material culture was recovered from Locus 44; we found only small quantities of pottery and bone, and few examples of terracotta roofing tile fragments, plaster, slag, and vitrified terracotta. No datable materials were recovered from this Locus.

Locus 44 was excavated using hand picks and trowels. Soil was hand-sorted in the trench, then passed through 1cm and 2mm gauge sieves.

Locus 44 was adjacent to Locus 43, which was situated directly to its north. It also is equivalent to Loci 4 and 5, both excavated in 2017 and situated to the north of the northern foundation wall of the small rectilinear hut. Locus 44 overlay Locus 45.