The outlines of 31 cist graves oriented along a southeast–northwest axis were exposed. The graves were arranged in two rows, at a uniform level, and were generally well-preserved. In one uneven row, some of the graves were out of line. There were probably other graves east of those that were exposed, but the area was destroyed during earthmoving work when it was used by the Be’er Sheva‘ municipality garage. The excavation revealed that the cemetery extended to the north of the excavation area as well. The graves were large (ext. dimensions c. 0.6 × 2.0 m) and were apparently used to inter adults and adolescents, as well as children (ext. dimensions c. 0.6 × 1.3 m). All the graves were built of roughly hewn chalk slabs except for one, constructed with kurkar slabs (L101; Fig. 3). The graves were built in a shaft dug in the loess to a depth of c. 2 m. The bottom of the grave was not lined, and its walls were built of upright stone slabs. Several covering slabs were placed over the graves. About half of the graves were found without any covering stones, and only five of them were found sealed with all their covering stones in place (L106, L117, L118, L119, L128; Figs. 4, 5). The graves were not excavated.
The only artifact found in the excavation is a Gaza jar buried upside down (L125; Fig. 6).
 
Table 1. The graves
Grave
Dimensions (m)
Fig.
101
0.50 × 1.25
3
102
0.7 × 1.5
 
103
0.7 × 1.8
 
104
0.6 × 1.5
 
105
0.6 × 2.0
 
106
0.7 × 2.0
 
107
0.75 × 2.00
 
108
0.6 × 1.7
 
109
0.50 × 1.25
 
110
0.65 × 1.90
 
111
0.6 × 2.0
 
112
0.65 × 1.80
4
113
0.7 × 2.0
 
114
0.65 × 2.00
 
115
0.65 × 2.00
 
116
0.65 × 1.10
 
117
0.70 × 1.55
 
118
0.7 × 2.0
5
119
0.7 × 2.0
 
120
0.65 × 2.00
 
121
0.60 × 1.45
 
122
0.7 × 1.9
 
123
0.8 × 1.9
 
124
0.7 × 1.3
 
126
0.7 × 1.8
 
127
0.60 × 1.35
 
128
0.7 × 1.7
 
129
0.7 × 1.7
 
130
0.7 × 1.7
 
131
0.8 × 2.0
 
132
0.7 × 1.7
 
 
The excavation revealed part of a cemetery used by residents of Be’er Sheva‘ during the Byzantine period. The burials were arranged in rows. The existence of both small and large graves probably indicates that children were interred alongside adults. Apparently, some of the covering stones were plundered in the past.