Ball et al. (1986) report that in Phase 2 of Area JNT-C, the portico of the North Theater, a substantial collapse layer accumulated above the robbed paving foundations. This phase, dated to the 6th century CE, reflects the stripping and subsequent collapse of the North Theater after it was abandoned as a public building. The paving stones of both the upper stair flight and the portico were removed, and a thick deposit of collapsed architectural elements — blocks from the theater’s north wall together with fragments of the colonnade and architrave — rested atop the surviving foundations.

Pottery from this collapse dates to the second half of the 6th century CE, suggesting a mid- to late 6th-century destruction event. The authors remain cautious about its cause, proposing either an earthquake or systematic stone removal. However, they note that once the theater’s north wall had fallen into the portico, reaching the paving would have been difficult, implying that the wall collapse post-dated the robbing—which likely occurred earlier in the 6th century CE.

Deformation Map - Click on image to open in a new tab - Modified by JW from Fig. 10 of Ball et al. (1986)