During July 2004, a small salvage excavation was conducted in the southern edge of Karm er-Ras (Permit No. 4197; map ref. NIG 231545/739335; OIG 181545/239335), in response to a court ruling. The excavation, on behalf of the Antiquities Authority and financed by the landowner L. Safuri, was directed by Y. Alexandre, with the assistance of V. Essman and V. Pirsky (surveying), E. Belashov and I. Berin (drafting) and H. Tahan (pottery drawing).
The removal of topsoil was carried out during the first few days of the excavation, leaving insufficient time for excavating the earlier, lower strata. Nonetheless, archaeological remains from the Hellenistic (Strata VI, V), Early and Middle Roman (Strata IV, III) and Byzantine (Stratum I) periods were exposed, yet in a limited area (Fig. 1).
Floors of houses from the Hellenistic (L249) and Early Roman (L247) periods were revealed, but without associated walls. A well-built Middle Roman-period wall (W248; Fig. 2) that was dug into earth floors, was probably part of a domestic structure.
The pottery finds from the destruction level dated to the Hellenistic period and should be compared to the finds from other excavated areas, aiming to establish whether a general destruction by an enemy had occurred at the site.