During March–April 2008, a survey preceding development was conducted southwest of Qibbuz El-Rom in the Golan Heights (Permit No. A-5041*; map ref. NIG 2705–25/7841–70; OIG 2205–25/2841–70), prior to the construction of a water reservoir. The survey, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, was carried out by O. Zingboym (photography). The survey map was prepared with the aid of a GIS system of the Golan Regional Council.
The survey area (3,300 dunams) extended west of the Mount Bar’on orchards, south of the El-Rom-Sekhakh road, east of Horbat Poran and north of the Poran camp hills. Forty-two sites were surveyed, including walls, animal pens and remains of buildings and dolmens (Fig. 1). Minimal ceramic finds were recovered from the survey.
The region of the survey area consists of rocky hills, separated by small valleys and small parcels of land. The area is characterized by natural oak groves that become denser to the north and west. The watershed passes approximately through the eastern third of the area. Most of the surveyed area is currently located within an active firing range and in its northern part are orchards and cattle pens. Several antiquities sites, such as El-Rom Junction, ‘Ein Hajlah and Horbat Poran, are known nearby.
Walls, animal pens and fences (Sites 1–13) were documented in the northern part of the survey, along the fringes of small valleys between the rocky hills. The walls of animal pens were built of fieldstones to a height c. 1 m. Based on their construction and the amount of lichens on the stones it seems that they were ancient. Some of the terraces and the walls are modern.
On a high ridge in the middle of the survey area, animal pens, walls, dolmens and remains of buildings (Sites 27–42) were recorded. Some of the animal pens and the building remains are modern. The buildings (3 × 4 m) consisted of two rows of fieldstones and were preserved c. 1 m high (Fig. 2). The location in the northern Golan Heights of the dolmens on the eastern part of the ridge (Sites 33–36; Fig. 3) is remarkable, being far away from the dolmen fields in the center of the Golan.
The walls and animal pens (Sites 14–26; Fig. 4), which were documented on the edge of a large valley surrounded by two ridges in the southern part of the survey area, were similar to those recorded in the northern part of the survey area. The remains of a modern village, probably Syrian (Site 20), in the southeastern part of the area, were not fully examined due to overgrown vegetation. Based on the scant amount of potsherds collected in the village and the tops of a few walls, it is possible that this village is located atop the remains of an ancient settlement.