During February 2005, a salvage excavation was conducted along the Shu‘fat Ridge in Jerusalem (Permit No. A-4381*; map ref. NIG 22055–110/63560–70; OIG 17055–110/13560–70), prior to construction in the Ramat Shelomo neighborhood. The excavation, on behalf of the Antiquities Authority, was directed by Y. Mizrahi, with the assistance of T. Kornfeld (surveying and drafting) and T. Sagiv (photography).
At the southwestern end of a bedrock slope that had been damaged during development work, an area (2 × 2 m) excavated down to natural bedrock (depth c. 3 m), was opened. An irregular rock-hewn niche (1.5 × 1.6 m, height 1.1 m; Fig. 1) was discovered; its entrance (height c. 1.1 m, width c 0.9 m) was provided with a step (height 0.1 m). It seems that the niche was used for storage or was part of an installation, whose continuation to the west was not preserved.
Non-diagnostic potsherds were found in the northeastern corner of the niche.