The excavation was carried out along the lower eastern slope of a kurkar hill where previous excavations that reveled building remains and installations from the Byzantine and Early Islamic period had been carried out (ESI 13:48–50; HA-ESI 111:38*–39*; Permit No. A-3764).

Seven excavation squares were opened and excavated to a depth of 1.5 m. Building remains, which belonged to one or more structures that dated to the latter Byzantine and the Early Islamic periods, were exposed (Fig. 1). The general plan of the buildings is unclear due to the scattered setting of the excavation squares.

The remains are herewith described from north to south and east to west.

The northern walls of the building (W9, W10) were built of various sized fieldstones, without bonding material. A stone collapse (L146) in Sq A1, south of W10, probably originated from this wall. Poorly preserved walls below the collapse (W1, W2, W17, W18; Fig. 2) and south of it (W11) were apparently part of partition walls that separated between the rooms of the building. A fieldstone floor (L107) abutted W1 on the south. East of this floor and west of W11 was a section of a plastered floor (L127) that did not abut any of the walls, although its elevation corresponded to that of Floor 107 and the two floors were apparently contemporary.

 

A wall (W3), perpendicular to W9, was exposed in Sqs B1–B2. A doorway in this wall (width 1 m) led to a room (L120; 4 × 10 m). Room 120 was enclosed by Wall 5 on the south, Wall 4 on the east and a small section of Wall 6 in the north, which could have been a partition. Wall 4 was built of mud bricks (0.3 × 0.6 m) and additional wall sections (W7, W8), which did not connect to a coherent plan, were exposed to its east. A tabun (L133; diam. 0.9 m, height 6 cm; Fig. 3) was discovered to the south of W8.

Another room (L143; 3 × 3 m; Fig. 4), enclosed by four walls (W13–W16), was exposed in the southern part of the area. It is possible that W14 was the southern extension of W3. The floor of the room that comprised stone slabs of various sizes abutted the walls, except for W16.

Another wall (W12), to the east of this room, did not connect to any plan and was probably part of another room. An installation, built of debesh with a plaster floor (L144; Fig. 5) was exposed east of W12. A clay basin (L148), probably used in processing liquids, was discovered on top of the floor.  

 

Fill beneath the building’s floors (L142, L145, L149–151) contained various pottery vessels, including a cooking krater (Fig. 6:1), a lid (Fig. 6:2), bag-shaped jars (Fig. 6:3, 4) and globular jars (Fig. 6:5, 6) that dated to the end of the Byzantine and the beginning of the Umayyad periods. The ceramic assemblage on the floors of the building (L120, L126, L135, L138, L143) was richer and included bowls (Fig. 7:1, 2), kraters (Fig. 7:3, 4), cooking pots (Fig 7:5–9), lids (Fig. 7:10–12), jars (Fig. 7:13, 14), a bowl/lid (Fig. 7:15) and a jug (Fig. 7:16) that dated to the Umayyad and Abbasid periods (eighth–ninth centuries CE). The pottery vessels in the fills that covered the building remains (L101, L105, L108) included bowls (Fig. 8:1–3, 7, 8) and a cooking pot (Fig. 8:9) that mostly dated to the end of the Crusader–beginning of the Mamluk periods (thirteenth century CE). A few bowls (Fig. 8:4–6) probably originated in earlier strata.

Noteworthy among the metal artifacts recovered from the excavation was a bronze funnel in an excellent state of preservation that filled oil into lamps (Fig. 9). Similar lamp filler from the Early Islamic period had been discovered in the previous excavation (ESI 13: Fig. 45). A bronze handle (Fig. 10) among the finds most likely belonged to a large bronze vessel; a similar handle, dated to the Early Islamic period, was discovered in an excavation at Mazliah (Permit No. A-5331). An iron knife, decorated with a bronze strip that separated the blade from the handle was another exclusive find (Fig. 11). A similar knife from the Early Islamic period, but without the strip decoration, was discovered in the excavations at Holot Yavne (HA-ESI 118).

A coin that is dated to the Umayyad period (698–750 CE; mint of Ramla; IAA No. 109629) was found above W3 (L117); two more coins from this period (IAA Nos. 109630, 109631) were discovered in the excavation.

 

It is estimated that the building was erected in the second half of the seventh century CE and continued in use during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods (eighth–ninth centuries CE). It was probably part of the nearby site that dated to the same periods.