Square 2 was opened in the northern part of the area, revealing a section of a wall foundation, oriented north–south (W2; length 4 m; width 0.5 m) and built of small irregular fieldstones bonded with gray plaster (Fig. 1). Remains of a gray plaster floor (L112) were exposed in a small section east of W2, which was dated to the Early Islamic period, based on the potsherds discovered amongst its stones (Fig. 2:4, 7, 8).

 

Square 4. Some 30 m south of Sq 2, a modern conduit was exposed below surface, conveying water from the modern pool and well to orchards planted there in the past. The rim of a Gaza-type jar and a jug rim (Fig. 2:5, 6) were found inside the conduit (L101). Two walls that formed the corner of a building (W3, W4; Fig. 3) were uncovered at a depth of 0.5 m below the conduit. Wall 4 (width 0.6 m, length 1.5 m) consisted of an exterior row of dressed limestone and an interior row of roughly hewn stones; it was preserved a single course high. Most of W3 was inside the section. It was preserved two courses high, the bottom one was composed of fieldstones and served as a foundation. An occupation level was exposed west of W4. It consisted of tamped earth (L110), overlain with jar fragments (Fig. 2:1–3) that dated to the Byzantine period.

Backhoe probe trenches to the northeast of the walls revealed a plastered conduit and floor; however, due to the limited excavation area it was impossible to relate them to the building.