In January–February 2014, a salvage excavation was conducted at Horbat Midrasa in the Giv‘at Ram neighborhood of Karmi’el (Permit No. A-7021; map ref. 226208–40/758020–42; Fig. 1), prior to expansion of the neighborhood. The excavation, conducted on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, was directed by Y. Gur, with the assistance of W. Atrash (scientific guidance), Y. Lavan and Y. Ya‘aqobi (administration), R. Mishayev and M. Cohen (surveying and drafting) and Y. Bibas (field photography).
A well-preserved limekiln (depth in excess of 3 m; Figs. 2, 3) was exposed in an excavation conducted on the southern slope of the hill. Its wall was lined with stones (Fig. 4), the lower courses of which exhibit signs of fire. A soft white limestone rock was discovered on the kiln’s floor. Quarrying tools, probably to be associated with the quarry that operated at the site in the first half of the twentieth century CE, were found in the soil accumulation inside the kiln. They include a detaching chisel with a wide head (Fig. 5) and a quarrying hammer with a conical head (Fig. 6). According to local residents, the limekiln operated in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century CE.