Square I (3.8×8.0 m) was cut lengthwise by a trench that contained a modern water pipe (Fig. 4). The archaeological remains were found below a colluvial overburden (L200; thickness 0.5–0.8 m), directly overlying the Stratum I remains. The excavated debris from the excavation was entirely sifted in a large meshed sieve (1 sq cm) to maximize retrieval of finds.
Stratum V
The scant architectural remains, discovered in a small probe (1.5 × 1.7 m) below the Stratum IV features (L215, W217), included a stone floor (L219) and adjoining accumulation (L221) that overlay a living surface at a level of 9.11 m (Fig. 5). Floor 219 is composed of a layer of small and medium basalt and limestone stones that were hard packed (thickness c. 0.2 m; Fig. 6). Accumulation 221 was a reddish brown matrix that was sealed below L215 of Stratum IV. Between the stones of Floor 219 and in Accumulation 221, were potsherds and Canaanean flint blades.
The pottery assemblage, typical of EB IA, is characterized by red-slipped bowls (Fig. 7:1, 2), gray-burnished carinated bowls with flattened knobs (Fig. 7:3–6), plain and red-slipped holemouth jars with thickened-rims (Fig. 7:7–13), and flaring-rim jars (Fig. 7:14, 15). Red slip was common to the repertoire, as were oblique incisions (Fig. 7:10, 12, 13) or thumb-impressed bands (Fig. 7:11, 16).
 
Stratum IV
A single course of a wall foundation (W217; Fig. 8) is the only stratigraphically secured feature associated with Stratum IV. Wall 217 (preserved length 1 m, width 0.6 m) was built of two panels of medium-sized stones (0.25 × 0.30 m). A collapse (L215) of medium-sized stones is attributed to this stratum, which could have been another course of W217 that was removed by the builders of the successive Stratum III when they leveled this area.
The pottery assemblage of Stratum IV appears to be homogenous with that of Stratum V, exhibiting no discernible differences and dating to EB I. The limited exposure of Stratum IV resulted in a small sample that included flattened knobs of gray-burnished carinated bowls (Fig. 9:1, 2), holemouth jars with a squared-off rim (Fig. 9:3–5) and with rope decoration at the rim (Fig. 9:6), and a small jar (Fig. 9:7). Additional non-stratified pottery types, including a red-slipped bowl (Fig. 9:8), a holemouth jar with a thickened rim and rope decoration (Fig. 9:9), a pithos (Fig. 9:10) and an indented red-slipped ledge handle from a closed vessel (Fig. 9:11), which originated from the temporal span of Strata V–IV. 
 
Stratum III
The scant architectural remains of this stratum included a wall segment (W206) and accumulations (L207, L212, L214) associated with this wall to its east, west and north (see Fig. 8).
Wall 206 (width 0.9 m), preserved two courses high, was constructed from one course of two panels of large stones (0.3×0.4×0.6), with an alternate layer of smaller stones (Fig. 10). The building materials are both limestone and basalt. Wall 206 was cut by the modern trench, yet was traced beyond its northern side. 
Accumulations 207 and 214 consisted of dark brown soil with brick chunks that probably originated from the brick superstructure of W206. Accumulation 212, at the northern end of the wall, contained fired brick chunks; it is possible that a brick-built installation was present in this area, although undetected primarily due to mole burrowing activities. 
The limited exposure of Stratum III resulted in a small pottery sample (Fig. 11). Moreover, the potsherds mostly dated to MB IIA, yet there were more intrusive EB potsherds than the amount found in the upper Strata I and II. The sample included holemouth kraters (Fig. 11:1, 2) cooking pots (Fig. 11:3), small jars (Fig. 11:4), store jars (Fig. 11:5, 6), a jug base (Fig. 11:7) and decorated fragments from storage vessels (Fig. 11:8, 9).
 
Stratum II
A single wall (W204) and an accumulation (L208) in the western part of the square are attributed to this stratum (Fig. 12). Wall 204 (width 0.45 m) was constructed from basalt and limestone stones and preserved a single course high(Fig. 13). This wall was preserved on both the northern and southern sides of the modern trench. Accumulation 208 consisted of crumbly brown soil with brick chunks, tabun fragments and potsherds.
The pottery assemblage of this stratum included typical MB IIA vessels, such as bowls (Fig. 14:1, 2), a bar-handled bowl (Fig. 14:3), holemouth kraters with both curved walls and straight walls (Fig. 14:4, 5), handmade straight walled cooking pots (Fig. 14:6), store jars with an elongated rim (Fig. 14:7) and pithoi (Fig. 14:8). Surface treatment of store jars included painted bands (Fig. 14:9) or combed incisions (not illustrated).
 
Stratum I
The primary architectural feature from this stratum is the stone surfaces (L201, L213; Figs. 12, 15) that were cut by modern trenching activities. These surfaces comprised a layer of small and medium basalt and limestone angular stones that were hard packed (Fig. 16). Stone Layers 201 and 213 have a sharp eastern descent, exhibited in the sections of the modern trench. It is possible that these layers represented floor foundations together with disintegrated or eroded architectural features at the site’s outer limits; Layer 201 directly overlaid W204 of Stratum II. Associated with this stratum was a partially exposed curvilinear installation (L210) that extended beyond the excavated area. Between the stones were many potsherds and flints, and only a scant amount of animal bones. Additional finds included reworked circular potsherds and tabun fragments.
Stratum I produced the largest pottery sample that consisted of pottery vessels dating to MB IIA. The vessels included bowls (Fig. 17:13), kraters (Fig. 17:4), holemouth jars (Fig. 17: 57), globular and open straight-walled cooking pots (Fig. 17:814), small handleless jars (Fig. 18:1, 2), store jars (Fig. 18:37), pithoi (Fig. 18:815 ) and jugs. The outer surface of some closed vessels bear combing (Fig. 18:16), painted bands (Fig. 18:17), red-burnished slip (Fig. 18:18) or incised notches (not illustrated). Notable are the stone implements that include among others, two upper grinding stones fragments (Fig. 18:19), three rubbing stone fragments (Fig. 18:20), an intact pestle (Fig. 18:21), a stopper (Fig. 18:22), and a thin-walled grinding bowl fragment (Fig. 18:23).
 
The Chipped Stone Assemblage
Ofer Marder
The flint assemblage from ‘En Zelef consists of 963 artifacts from Middle Bronze IIA (Strata I–III; N=780) and Early Bronze Age (Strata IV–V; N=183). The artifacts were analyzed from each period separately.  
The flints are mostly small, high quality, fist-sized nodules (up to 15 cm) and the color varies from light brown to beige. Light gray flints were also used. High-quality flint and chert nodules are abundant in the immediate vicinity of ‘En Zelef, within Lower and Upper Cenomanian, as well as Eocene outcrops.
 
 
Table 1. General breakdown frequencies
Type
Strata I–III
Strata IV–V
 
N
 %
 N
%
Primary flakes
156
31.5
34
28.3
Primary blades
6
1.2
3
2.5
Flakes
258
52.0
62
51.7
Blade/lets
50
10.1
13
10.8
Canaanean blades
4
0.8
0
0.0
Core tablets
5
1.0
2
1.7
CTE - others
15
3.0
5
4.2
Ridge blades
2
0.4
1
0.8
Total Debitage
496
100.0
120
100.0
Chips
51
27.6
2
4.7
Chunks
134
72.4
41
95.3
Total
185
100.0
43
100.0
Debitage
496
63.6
120
65.6
Debris
185
23.7
43
23.5
Tools
54
6.9
11
6.0
Cores
45
5.8
9
4.9
TOTAL
780
100.0
183
100.0
 
 
 
Table 2. Core types frequencies
Core types
Strata I–III
Strata IV–V
 
N
%
N
%
Single striking platforms—flakes
11
24.4
5
55.6
Single striking platform—bladelets
4
8.9
0
0.0
Two striking platforms—flakes
3
6.7
0
0.0
Amorphous
8
17.8
2
22.2
Core on flakes
9
20.0
1
11.1
Discoidal—flakes
4
8.9
0
0.0
Core fragments
2
4.4
1
11.1
Tested cores
4
8.9
0
0.0
Total
45
100.0
9
100.0
 
Table 3. Tool frequencies
Type
Strata I–III
Strata IV–V
 
N
%
 N
%
Large geometric sickle blades
5
9.3
0
0.0
Retouched large geometric
4
7.4
0
0.0
Canaanean sickle blades
2
3.7
1
9.1
Sickle blades—other
2
3.7
2
18.2
End scrapers
5
9.3
0
0.0
Side scrapers
2
3.7
0
0.0
Awls
5
9.3
0
0.0
Truncations
3
5.6
0
0.0
Retouched blade/lets
4
7.4
2
18.2
Retouched flakes
8
14.8
2
18.2
Denticulates/Notches
11
20.4
4
36.4
Burins
2
3.7
0
0.0
Varia
1
1.9
0
0.0
Total
54
100.0
11
100.0
 
 
Strata I–III—Middle Bronze IIA
Waste material 
The flint industry is characterized by the dominance of flakes (>85%; Table 1), while blade/lets are found in low frequencies (c. 12%). This observation is underlined by core-type frequencies, since most of them were used for flake production (>80%; Table 2). Only a few cores displayed blade scars, which indicate that short blades were knapped from these cores (Fig. 19:2), mainly for sickle-blade production. Elongated blade blanks made of high quality flint for large geometric production were probably knapped off-site. Exceptions are four Canaanean sickle blades, which were intrusive from the EB layers (Table 1).
The cores component is dominated by single platform cores, core on flakes, as well as amorphous cores (Fig. 19:1–3). Additional core types were found in small quantities (Table 2). Of great interest is a group of core on flakes (N=9), which are the second common group among the cores (Table 2). The dorsal surfaces of more than half of these cores are cortical, or covered with at least 40% of cortex. Small flakes (length c. 30 mm, width 20–30 mm), or even flakelets (size <20 mm), were removed from the ventral surface. These items were usually removed from the proximal end of the flake, but occasionally from its edge or even its distal end (Fig 19:2, 3).
Core on flakes were not recorded from Middle Bronze assemblages. They were used for the manufacturing of small flakes, possibly for cutting meat, skin or ropes, similar to their usage during the Lower and Middle Paleolithic periods.
Tools
The tool assemblage is characterized by the dominance of notches/denticulates, large geometrics, as well as retouched flakes (Table 3; Figs. 19:4, 5; 20:1–6). Additionally, ad hoc tools, such as end scrapers, awls and retouched blades, were also found. Most of the large geometric sickles are broken (three of five); they have various shapes, trapezoidal, triangular and rectangular (Fig. 20:1–3, 5, 6). Most of them (four of five) are elongated blades, made from light brown flint, some with darker veins. All of them have one working edge, while the opposite side is plain (Fig. 20:1, 2), or alternatively backed (Fig. 20:4). Their working edge was shaped by regular fine denticulation, while gloss appears both on the dorsal and the ventral surfaces (Fig. 20:1, 3, 4). The remainder item is a short trapezoid, made on light gray flint, displaying plain working edge with signs of use (Fig. 20:5).
Four retouched large geometric were retrieved. They possibly reflect different stages of sickle-blade preparation. Some were modified in the first stage of the sickle’s preparation. One of the items is a naturally backed blade, distally truncated, which displays irregular retouch at the opposite edge (Fig. 19:4). The second artifact is a bi-truncated and retouched flake, modified by steep retouch on the ventral surface, which formed irregular quadrilateral shape (Fig. 19:5). The two remaining artifacts are backed and truncated, indicating that they were discarded in the last stage of preparation or after a short period of utilization (Fig. 20:6). Three distally truncated items can also be attributed to sickle preparation reduction sequence (Fig. 20:2); they were probably also discarded at the first step of geometric preparation. Of particular note is an awl that was modified into a core (Fig. 19:3) and two narrow backed and truncated sickle blades (Fig. 21:1) with triangular cross-section, which are probably intrusive and can be attributed to the Late Pottery Neolithic or Chalcolithic periods.
 
Strata IV–V—Early Bronze I
The Early Bronze assemblage is small (N=183) and similar to the Middle Bronze II assemblage; it is characterized by the dominance of flakes, reflected in both the debitage and core type breakdown (Tables 1, 2). Canaanean blade blanks were probably produced off-site. The tool kit comprised mainly ad hoc tools, as well as sickle blades (Table 3). One item in the sickles group is an intensively broken and burnt Canaanean type (Fig. 21:2). The two others are possibly Canaanean; one is proximally broken, displaying an un-polar, parallel dorsal scar pattern. Its working edge was modified by regular continuous retouch, while its opposite side was fashioned by irregular denticulate retouch (Fig. 21:4). The second displays cortical back and its active edge was modified by fine regular denticulation (Fig. 21:3).
 
Discussion
The MB IIA flint assemblage from Strata I–III is homogenous, with only a few intrusive elements. The Canaanean component originated from the underlying Early Bronze I layers (Strata IV-V), while the Late Pottery Neolithic/ Chalcolithic tools possibly point to earlier occupation levels at the site. Despite the fact that the Middle Bronze component was mainly retrieved from cobbled surfaces and not from clear architectural units, it is significant because only a few well-defined MB IIA chipped-stone assemblages are known. The Middle Bronze assemblage is characterized by intensive knapping of flakes or short blades for the production of geometric sickles, as well as ad hoc tools. Small flakes (dimension <30 mm) were also produced mainly from core on flakes. They were possibly used as cutting implements, similar to their usage during the earlier Paleolithic periods (see above). In addition, elongated blanks made of high quality flint, with trapezoidal cross section, uni-polar and occasionally parallel scar pattern, were produced possibly off-site. They were used for the production of elongated large geometric sickle blades (see above). These artifacts morphologically resemble the Canaanean sickle production and indicate continuity of forms from the EB period. There is a preference of blade blanks for large geometric production, the selection of high quality fine-grained flint and the recycling of Canaanean blades into large geometrics sickles and retouched blades.
Although the Early Bronze component is small, it exhibits high degree of similarity to other Early Bronze assemblages, e.g., ‘Afula, Bet She’an and Gat Hefer (‘Atiqot 44, 2003, pp. 139–142), studied in the same geographical zone.
 
The present small-scale excavation at ‘En Zelef, the first at the site,has revealed settlement remains dating from two main time periods, Early Bronze I (Strata V–IV) and the Middle Bronze IIA (Strata III–I). The small size of our excavation does not permit analysis of the fragmentary architectural features. However, it does provide valuable information for the study of regional settlement patterns in this ecological niche.  
The ancient settlement in this area of Nahal Ha-Shiv‘a comprised a large highly elevated mound (Horbat Zelef), an ancient cemetery south of the mound (HA-ESI 110), and the present excavated site north of the mound, above the streambed and next to the ‘En Zelef spring. The excavated remains from ‘En Zelef suggest that the occupation of the site during EB IA was followed by an occupation gap. Evidence indicates that a large EB IA village had probably existed at the top of the Horbat Zelef mound; it appears that the settlement during this period had extended both on the mound summit and in the adjacent surrounding lowlands.
During the ensuing EB IB period, the lowland site was abandoned and settlement continued only at the top of Horbat Zelef for the duration of the entire Early Bronze Age. The reoccupation of the lowland site during MB IIA, while the mound site was abandoned, indicates that the site of ‘En Zelef was part of the renewed rural network that apparently favored settlement alongside the spring and agricultural lands. The site of ‘En Zelef was again abandoned, following the Stratum I settlement, as was the mound. However, it is probable that occupation shifted to an alternate site in the vicinity, whose inhabitants buried their dead at the burial cave near Horbat Zelef. The full extent of the shifting settlement patterns, between the mound of Horbat Zelef and the spring-based lowland site or sites, can not be determined from the present excavation, yet its results contribute toward future study of this area.