A trial excavation was conducted in February 2002 at Horbat Tittora (West), next to Modi‘in (Permit No. A-3603*; map ref. NIG 20015–75/64675–725; OIG 15015–75/14675–725). The excavation, on behalf of the Antiquities Authority and financed by the Hayyim Zaken Construction Company, was directed by T. Kanias, assisted by A. Hajian (surveying) and T. Sagiv (photography).
During an antiquities inspection a cave and a watchman’s booth were discerned, and subsequently excavated.
The cave (Fig. 1) was accessed via a narrow opening (0.7 × 1.5 m) and a shaft that inclined in a slant. A hewn step (height 0.5 m) in the entrance led to a bell-shaped chamber (L101), which contained a layer of large stones and terra rosa soil with several human bones, mainly long ones. In the wake of this discovery the excavation was suspended; no details about the contents could be obtained, i.e., age and gender of the interments and size and context of the finds.
The watchman’s booth was circular (diam. c. 2 m; Fig. 2). Its northern side was preserved two courses high and its southern side collapsed. The watchman’s booth was built of very large fieldstones and contained a fill of medium-sized fieldstones and alluvium, which was devoid of datable finds. Remains from the Hasmonean and Early Islamic periods had previously been discovered on this hill (ESI 20:68*–69*).