Stone quarries, extending across 7 dunams (50 × 140 m) and three cupmarks (Fig. 1), were discovered. The friability of the kirton bedrock from the Senonian era did not enable quarrying to any depth, thereby stopping the quarrying at a depth of 1.0–1.5 m in most places. The exposed quarries were small and belonged to the courtyard and stepped types. The quarrying method involved the use of severance channels, hewn around and below the stones (Fig. 2). A monastery from the Byzantine period (fifth century CE; Survey of Jerusalem: The Northeastern Sector 2001, Site 363), c. 400 m southeast of the excavation area, may indicate that the quarries should be dated to this period.

 

The quarries and cupmarks

No. Find Quarry type Size (m) Height (m) Min. Volume (cu m)
1 Quarry Stepped 1.8 × 2.0 0.4 1
2 Quarry Stepped 1.3 × 2.0 0.7 1.5
3 Quarry Courtyard 6 × 8 c. 1 24
4 Quarry Stepped 1.5 × 5.5 2 8
5 Quarry Stepped 1.5 × 5.0 0.7 3
6 Quarry; severance channels Stepped 1.0 × 1.7; width 0.1; size of stone 0.5 × 0.6 (3 sides) 0.5 0.5
7 Quarry Courtyard 3.5 × 4.0 c. 1 7
8 Cupmark Diam. 0.5 0.2
9 Quarry; two cupmarks Courtyard 2 × 5; diam. 0.75; diam. 0.3 0.5; 0.25; 0.16 3