Cohen (1982:244) identified two building phases in most of the rooms at
Sha'ar Ramon with the earlier phase containing artifacts of the 1st century CE: painted Nabataean bowls, jugs,
juglets, and oil lamps and Nabataean coins from the reigns of
Aretas IV [9 BCE - 40 CE] and
Rabel II [70-106 CE]
.
Erickson-Gini and Israel (2013:39-41)
estimate that during this initial phase, the caravanserai at Sha'ar Ramon was constructed in the Early Roman period.
Cohen (1982:244) identified a 2nd phase which
contained ceramic remains from the 2nd-3rd centuries CE including bowls, jugs, jars, and oil lamps
as well as
coins from the Roman Emperors Antonius Pius [138-161 CE],
Commodius [176-192 CE], and
Caracalla [198-217 CE].
Erickson-Gini and Israel (2013:39-41)
report an additional later phase when the site was re-occupied at the end of the 3rd century CE during the reign of
Diocletian [284-305 CE].
Like other sites along the Incense Road, Sha'ar Ramon was abandoned sometime after 222 CE
and assemblages of whole Nabataean fine ware vessels of the post-annexation period were
discovered in some of the rooms. Unlike the sites at Moyat Awad and Nahal Neqarot, which
were never again occupied after the third century CE, some of the rooms in the Sha'ar Ramon
caravanserai were reoccupied towards the end of the third century CE.
...
The reoccupation of part of the structure in this period coincides with the construction of
Diocletian's army camp in nearby Oboda as well as the construction of the military bathhouse,
and two towers that guarded the town (Erickson-Gini 2002; 2010: 17-19, 88-91).