During late June and early July 2009, a salvage excavation was conducted at Horbat Gelom, east of Qibbuz Lehavot Haviva (Permit No. A-5695; map ref. 201389–418/699899–931), prior to planting olive trees. The excavation, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, was directed by E. Oren, with the assistance of S. Ya‘aqov-Jam (administration), Y. Nemichnitzer (surveying and drafting), P. Gendelman (pottery) and M. Shuiskaya (pottery drawing).
Two excavation squares (32 sq m; Fig. 1) were opened in an agricultural area on a hilltop; remains of buildings and installations that were probably part of an industrial zone dating to the Early Islamic period (eighth–ninth centuries CE) were exposed.
Several surveys had been conducted at the site in the past, as part of the Ma‘anit (Ne’eman Y. 1990. Map of Ma‘anit [54] 15–20. Jerusalem) and Tulkarm maps; tombs, cisterns, subterranean cavities, parts of an olive press and marble columns that dated to the Roman, Byzantine, Early Islamic and Mamluk periods were documented.
A thick layer of clay (thickness 0.4 m) was initially removed from the surface. Two walls (W15, W16) forming a corner were exposed in the northwestern part of the area. The walls were built of ashlars and various size fieldstones. A flagstone floor (L20) set on a thin layer of crushed limestone abutted the walls from the northwest and south. A bowl (Fig. 2:5) was discovered in situ on Floor 20. A partially damaged industrial mosaic floor (L33; Fig. 3) was exposed east of W15. Floor 33 abutted a plastered pit (L34), whose upper part was lined with small stones. The discovery of Muslim graves prevented excavating the eastern part of the pit; however, it seems that the pit and the mosaic floor were part of a winepress. Potsherds from the Early Islamic period were discovered above Floor 33, including bowls (Fig. 2:1, 4), a krater (Fig. 2:7) and an intact lamp decorated with wheat leaves (Fig. 2:9).
An installation was exposed in the southern part of the excavation area. It was bedrock-hewn and lined on all sides with meticulously dressed ashlars (L27; 1.1 ´ 2.6 m, depth 3 m; Fig. 4). The excavation did not reach the bottom of the installation. Walls built of large fieldstones and set on a foundation of small fieldstones (W17, W21, W23, W37) superposed the installation’s ashlar walls. The added walls were probably meant to prevent alluvium from penetrating the installation. Plaster remains were discovered in several places between the ashlar walls and the walls above them. Another fieldstone wall (W13) was north of W17 and adjacent to it. Wall 13 was set directly on bedrock and had no foundation. The installation contained plain bowls (Fig. 2:2) and glazed ones (Fig. 2:3, 6), kraters (Fig. 2:8) and jars from the eighth–ninth centuries CE. It seems that the installation was used to store agricultural produce.