Towards the western corner of the northern porticus, a trench was opened continuing the exposure of the colonnade. Since the trench is situated exactly adjacent to room 4 (no. 1 on fig. 1), it was hoped that some additional information as to the water management of the complex could be obtained on these matters see now with some more detail and in a wider frame Schmid 2008 . As exposed in previous reports, room 4 as well as the neighbouring room 2 were obviously not constructed during the main building phase of the complex in the second half of the 1st century AD, but slightly later in the early 2nd century AD. When room 4 was constructed, an underground channel belonging to the Nabataean period was blocked, first of all by the construction of the substantial northern wall of room 4, and further by the fill upon which the floor of room 4 was than built.
Fig. 2: Wadi Farasa East, sounding within northern portico (photo: L. Gorgerat)
This had as consequence a massive disturbance of the water management of the entire complex. As a matter of fact, the water channel underneath room 4 was used in order to evacuate the water from the entire Wadi, a measure absolutely necessary in order to have a stable area for construction. In the Nabataean period and following the construction of the courtyard and the porticoes, this water channel run underneath this installations, but must have remained in use. It was but with the construction of room 4 that it was cut off. This, in turn, led to a series of problems. Since the water could not anymore be evacuated from the complex, it must have started penetrating the different rooms in the northern area. As a consequence, the water channel to the North of room 2 must have been constructed excavated in 2001, cf. Schmid 2002. . The water must have penetrated underneath room 4 as well, creating major problems of stability.
Fig. 3: Wadi Farasa East, sounding within northern portico with collapsed columns (photo: S. G. Schmid)
Therefore, one of the goals of the 2007 season was to verify the exact position and functioning of the water-channel underneath the northern portico, and of course the excavation of the colonnade itself. Since the area under exploration is limited on its northern side by the southern wall of room 4, the collapsed remains of at least two columns were found in debris (figs. 2. 3). So far, 12 column drums were registered from that area but no capital. Probably the capitals were falling further into the area of the courtyard when the colonnade collapsed. On top of the debris formed by the architectural members of the colonnade, a Medieval occupation was recognisable by a ashy layer and important amounts of 11th to 13th century AD pottery. As in previous years, it was observed that most of the initial floor slabs were already missing when the colonnade collapsed, but the foundations for the slabs, consisting of smaller, flat stones and clay containing earth not only remained in situ but indicated also a clear pattern of how the slabs were outlined (fig. 4).
Fig. 4: Wadi Farasa East, sounding within northern portico after cleaning (photo: S. G. Schmid)
To our big surprise, the results of a small sounding beneath the remaining floor slabs of the portico, immediately south of the southern wall of room 4, pointed in a different direction as for the chronology and the functioning of the water management of the site than exposed above. The small sounding was opened at the spot where one would expect to find the continuation of the above-mentioned water channel. And indeed, at the very precise spot the water channel was found (fig. 5).
Fig. 5: Wadi Farasa East, small sounding in northern portico (photo: S. G. Schmid)
However, contrary to our expectations, the channel clearly shows that it was already cut off by the initial construction of the Soldier’s Tomb complex. On figure 5 one can clearly see that it was the construction of the southern wall of room 4 (on top of fig. 5) that cut off the channel. In order to offer a better support for the stone alignments of that wall, a part of the channel was even chiselled away. This means that what we thought being a mayor water drainage and canalisation installation was already out of function with the initial construction of the main complex, i. e. in the second half of the 1st century AD. Therefore, the question how exactly did work the water evacuation after the construction of the complex has to remain open for the time being, all the more since different other solutions already had to be ruled out cf. supra and Schmid 2007B: 144–145 as well as Schmid 2008. .
Fig. 6: Pottery from small sounding in northern portico (photo: S. G. Schmid)
As far as the chronology of the complex is concerned, the new small sounding in the northern portico clearly confirmed the results provided by similar soundings carried out during previous seasons. A rather important amount of small pottery fragments was collected beneath the foundation level of the floor slabs of the colonnade. Besides a few coarse ware sherds, most of the fragments belong to Nabataean fine ware pottery and especially to painted cups (fig. 6). Since all of the painted sherds belong without exception to phase 3a of Nabataean painted fine ware according to Schmid 2000. , this gives us a reliable terminus post quem or, at the very best, a terminus ad quem for the construction of the complex that lies within the third quarter of the 1st century AD.
