During July–August 2002 a salvage excavation was conducted along the eastern shoulder of the Jerusalem-Ma‘aleh Adumim road (Archaeological Survey of the Hill Country of Benjamin 1993, Site 446; Survey of Jerusalem: The Northeastern Sector 2001, Site 307), close to the Arab village of Al-Za‘im (Permit No. A-3697*; central map ref. NIG 22440/63385; OIG 17440/13385), prior to widening the road. The excavation, on behalf of the Antiquities Authority, was directed by O. Sion, assisted by A. Hajian (surveying), C. Amit (photography) and E. Belashov (drafting).
Stone quarries, extending across 7 dunams (50 × 140 m) and three cupmarks (Fig. 1), were discovered. The friability of the kirton bedrock from the Senonian era did not enable quarrying to any depth, thereby stopping the quarrying at a depth of 1.0–1.5 m in most places. The exposed quarries were small and belonged to the courtyard and stepped types. The quarrying method involved the use of severance channels, hewn around and below the stones (Fig. 2). A monastery from the Byzantine period (fifth century CE; Survey of Jerusalem: The Northeastern Sector 2001, Site 363), c. 400 m southeast of the excavation area, may indicate that the quarries should be dated to this period.
The quarries and cupmarks
No. |
Find |
Quarry type |
Size (m) |
Height (m) |
Min. Volume (cu m) |
1 |
Quarry |
Stepped |
1.8 × 2.0 |
0.4 |
1 |
2 |
Quarry |
Stepped |
1.3 × 2.0 |
0.7 |
1.5 |
3 |
Quarry |
Courtyard |
6 × 8 |
c. 1 |
24 |
4 |
Quarry |
Stepped |
1.5 × 5.5 |
2 |
8 |
5 |
Quarry |
Stepped |
1.5 × 5.0 |
0.7 |
3 |
6 |
Quarry; severance channels |
Stepped |
1.0 × 1.7; width 0.1; size of stone 0.5 × 0.6 (3 sides) |
0.5 |
0.5 |
7 |
Quarry |
Courtyard |
3.5 × 4.0 |
c. 1 |
7 |
8 |
Cupmark |
|
Diam. 0.5 |
0.2 |
|
9 |
Quarry; two cupmarks |
Courtyard |
2 × 5; diam. 0.75; diam. 0.3 |
0.5; 0.25; 0.16 |
3 |