The site is located in the southern Golan, in the middle of Moshav Benē Yehuda, where the Skūpiyye village once stood. Architectural elements that could be ascribed to a Byzantine church and burial caves had been documented around the village mosque (M. Kochavi [ed.], Judea, Samaria and the Golan Heights, The 1968 Archaeological Survey, Jerusalem, 1972, Site 180). One of the burial caves was excavated and dated to the Byzantine period (HA-ESI 109:13*–14*). The survey of abandoned villages, conducted by D. Urman, documented numerous other artifacts at the site, including parts of an olive press (relocated to the Qazrin Park in 2008) and tombstones, while the gathered potsherds dated to the Islamic and medieval periods.

Two areas (A, B; c. 100 sq m) were excavated. Four settlement layers from the Byzantine, Abbasid and Mamluk periods were revealed in Area A, on the southern slope. A rich assemblage of potsherds, mostly dating to the Mamluk period, was collected next to the hilltop in Area B and two cisterns were exposed.

Area A (Fig. 1)

Four strata (to a depth of 1.4 m) were identified above bedrock.

Stratum 1. Remains of the Syrian village Skūpiyye were identified and a mixed assemblage of potsherds was collected on surface.

Stratum 2. Numerous fragments of pottery vessels from the Mamluk period, without any architectural finds, were discovered.

Stratum 3 (Figs. 2, 3). Building remains that consisted of at least two rooms, separated by a long wall, were exposed. The wall (W114), built of fieldstones and roughly hewn stones in dry construction, was preserved three–four courses high. The room exposed to its southeast (L111) was delimited by a wall (W116), parallel to W114 and another wall that was perpendicular to them (W117). A pillar located to the northwest, next to W114, is indicative of a room whose roof was borne atop arches (Loci 106, 109, 113). This room was delimited on the west by a wall (W115) that was perpendicular to the continuation of W114. The burnt remains inside the room were probably those of the roof, as well as a hearth that contained wood remnants, metal and an unidentified white material.

Many fragments of pottery vessels, including bowls (Fig. 4:1–11) and bases of bowls (Fig. 4:12, 13), a frying pan (Fig. 5:1), kraters (Fig. 5:2–9), a cooking pot (Fig. 5:10), a jar (Fig. 5:11) and a lamp (Fig. 5:12), were found, as well as numerous cream-ware vessels, including bowls (Fig. 6:1), jars (Fig. 6:2–6), jug bases (Fig. 6:7, 8), a flask (Fig. 6:9), lamps (Fig. 6:10, 11) and decorated fragments (Fig. 6:12, 13), all of which dated to the Abbasid period.

Stratum 4. A stone pavement (L105) with meager ceramic finds from the Byzantine period was exposed atop bedrock, next to a presumed corner outside of the large room and southwest of W115.

 

The area was c. 100 m east of Area A. The farther one ascended up the hill to the northeast, bedrock was closer to the current surface; the farther south and west one went ancient building remains were exposed. The area, excavated to bedrock (depth 0.9 m), was severely damaged by mechanical equipment that dug down to bedrock level. No architectural remains were uncovered.

The large amount of potsherds dated mostly to the Mamluk period and included decorated and glazed vessels, as well as soft-paste ware, such as a bowl (Fig. 6:14) and a base (Fig. 6:15).

One of the two exposed cisterns was located between Areas A and B. It was discovered open and clean to a depth of c. 5 m and was destroyed after its documentation. The second cistern, north of the excavation areas, had been excavated (HA-ESI 120). The cisterns should probably be dated to the Byzantine period, although this dating can not be certain.