A strip of land (length 3 km, width 250 m) was investigated in the low, western part of Samaria, along which eighteen survey sites with antiquities were identified (Fig. 1). The southwestern section of the surveyed strip (Sites 1–14), extending southeast of Bahan (map ref. 20245/69445) up to the road leading from the Zemer Junction to Shuweika, runs along the fringes of two tells, Khirbat Dahara and Horbat Siv, both declared antiquities sites. Burial caves, quarries and rock-hewn installations could be discerned on surface, as well as buildings remains and numerous potsherds. The central section (Sites 15, 16), extending eastward from the road and parallel to Nahal Bahan, passes through an olive grove that is c. 40 years old. Although clusters of flint artifacts were observed on surface, no ancient tools were identified among them. The northern section of the surveyed strip (Sites 17, 18) runs along a rocky slope where agricultural installations were hewn, including basins, a bodeda for extracting oil, cupmarks and a stone quarry. Farming terraces in this area were built along the fringes of Khirbat el-Jarushiya (Site 18).

The sites are described below:

(1) Map ref. 20252/69418 – burial cave; blocked entrance (0.83 × 1.60 m); courtyard walls (height 1.7 m) are vertically hewn in bedrock and modern heaps of soil cover the courtyard’s floor.

(2) Map ref. 20254/69420 – burial cave and rock-cuttings along bedrock surface. The cave, damaged by later quarrying, had survived by the chamber (1.3 × 1.6 m) and two kokhim in its southern side (0.68 × 1.55 m), filled with modern debris. East of the cave opening was a rock-hewn bodeda for extracting oil (diam. 0.3 m) and nearby, rock-cuttings that were probably used for quarrying building stones were discerned.

(3) Map ref. 20255/69418 – shallow rock-cutting (1.1 × 1.3 m, depth 0.3 m) on bedrock surface.

(4) Map ref. 20248/69413 – cave dwelling (5 × 10 m, height 1.9–2.1 m).

(5) Map ref. 20256/69417 – quarry (2.3 × 3.6 m, depth 0.32–0.55 m) and a scattering of potsherds (1.2 × 2.0 m).

(6) Map ref. 20257/69421 – cave (pit?; diam. of opening 0.9 m).

(7) Map ref. 20257/69526 – large hewn cistern with elliptical opening (1.50 × 2.25 m) and rock-hewn pool nearby (0.8 × 1.2, depth 0.55 m).

(8) Map ref. 20269/69442 – northeastern corner of building (presumed area 3.5 × 4.7 m), surrounded by scattering of building stones; pottery fragments from the Mamluk and Ottoman periods.

(9) Map ref. 20271/69449 – two rock-cuttings, square (0.5 × 0.6 m, depth 0.16 m) and rectangular (0.8 × 2.0 m, depth 0.9 m), probably used for processing agricultural products.

(10) Map ref. 20275/69454 – shallow quarry (3 × 5 m).

(11) Map ref. 20281/69469 – concentration of dressed building stones (5 × 5 m).

(12) Map ref. 20281/69471 – concentration (diam. 4 m) of building stones that may be the remains of a structure, most of whose stones were removed for reuse in later construction; potsherd scattering (diam. 10 m); rock-cuttings on bedrock outcrops.

(13) Map ref. 20284/69473 – winepress and rock-cuttings on a flat bedrock outcrop; the hewn winepress included a treading floor (0.9 × 1.0 m, depth 0.36 m) and a collecting vat (0.6 × 0.9 m, depth 0.78 m) to its east that was filled with alluvium; c. 2 m to the east—bedrock surfaces that bear signs of quarrying, probably of building stones.

(14) Map ref. 20280/6947 – two burial caves, a hewn winepress and a quarry for masonry stones; modern debris piled on all remains hindered accurate documentation.

(15) Map ref. 20395/69499 – scattering of potsherds from the Early Roman, Late Roman and Byzantine periods (diam. 15 m); farming terraces were built on the slope.

(16) Map ref. 20393/69496 – hewn rectangular vat (0.5 × 0.7 m), surrounded by potsherd scattering (diam. 5 m) from the Roman and Byzantine periods.

(17) Map ref. 20414/69519 – masonry stone quarry (2.7 × 3.0 m); hewn vat (0.44 × 0.66, depth 0.32 m).

(18) Map ref. 20414/69518 – farming terraces.