In April 2009, a development survey was conducted northwest of Nazareth (License No. S-96/2009; map ref. 2265–75/7357–67), prior to construction of a new neighborhood. The survey, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, was directed by A. Mokary, with the assistance of F. Abu Zidan and B. Hanna (surveyors) and A. Shapiro (GPS).
The survey area extends along a spur on the northern slope of the Nazareth Mountains, near the Safafera neighborhood (Fig. 1). The area is surrounded by sites of different periods. Some 500 m southeast of the area is Horbat Malta, where there are settlement remains of the Iron Age. The site of Giv‘at Rabi, with settlement remains from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period, is located c. 300 m northwest of the survey area. About 1 km southwest of the survey area is ‘Illut, where there are remains that range in date from the Middle Bronze Age to the Ottoman period. About 500 m south of the area is ‘En Zameret, with caves and sherd scatters from the Persian, Roman, Byzantine and Early Islamic periods.
Seventy-two sites were documented in the survey, according to the following breakdown: fifty-seven flint debitage heaps (Sites 1, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14–18, 21–24, 26–30, 34–41, 43–72), three caves hewn in limestone bedrock (Sites 5, 6, 31), remains of six buildings (Sites 4, 9, 11, 13, 32, 42), a limekiln (Site 25), two sherd scatters (Sites 2, 3) and three rock-cuttings (Sites 19, 20, 33). The flint items are from the Upper Paleolithic period, and the pottery sherds date to the Roman and Byzantine periods.