Area A
Two quarries, a round basin and a burial cave were excavated in the area east of Highway 444 and north of Highway 465 (HA-ESI 115:74*). The excavation of the cave was not completed because human bones were discovered. All these antiquities seem to date to the Byzantine period. An occupation level, dating to the Persian period, was exposed in an excavation along the northern shoulder of Highway 465 (HA-ESI 122).
More than twenty sites were documented in this area, including the remains of the Arab village that existed until 1948 (Sites 183–187, 193) and other ancient remains, sometimes beneath those of the village or adjacent to them (Sites 8–26, 83). The more ancient remains among the village ruins indicate that the village was built on an ancient settlement and some of its walls were built on top of ancient walls. The secondary use of cisterns and rock-hewn installations is clearly evident, as is that of building stones. In addition, the openings of shafts and caves were found blocked with fieldstones.
The use of ancient settlement remains and their foundations by Arab villagers from the time of the British Mandate is a well-known phenomenon in archaeological research, as documented at other sites, e.g., Kerem Maharal (HA-ESI 121), Na‘an (HA-ESI 117), Tel Hadid (HA-ESI 117) and Horbat Nevallat (HA-ESI 117).
 
Area B
Meager architectural remains had been discovered at Horbat ‘Ammar (ESI 20:51*), near the area south of Highway 465 and east of Highway 444.
A hewn winepress (Site 192), several stone-clearance heaps, farming terraces (Sites 1, 2) and a rectangular compound enclosed within a fence of large fieldstones (Site 175), were identified.  
 
Area C
Cultivated farmland extends across most of the area west of Highway 6 and east of Highway 444, at the end of which is a grove, wherein a farming terrace, oriented east–west, and a number of stone-clearance heaps (Sites 126–131, 191) were identified.
 
Area D
An excavation that revealed a cemetery dating to the Chalcolithic period had been conducted north of the large area rich in antiquities, and west of Highway 6 (HA-ESI 113:62*–63*). Remains from other periods were also discovered in the excavation, among them burial complexes from the Hellenistic and Roman periods, a winepress from the Early Islamic period and a limekiln whose date is unknown. 
Many installations hewn in limestone bedrock were discovered in the survey (Fig. 2), particularly rock-hewn cist graves (Fig. 3), cisterns and water installations (Fig. 4), various kinds of channels, quarries and a variety of rock-cuttings (Sites 34–183, 188–190). Multiple cist graves are located on the lower slopes of the streams. Scatterings of potsherds dating to the Chalcolithic period were found on the surface. A large part of the area is covered with debris and thick vegetation, precluding its examination and documentation. An especially high concentration of shafts was found in the high part of Area D, which is in the western side of the survey area. In the wake of the survey, the southern and western parts of Area D (41.5 dunams), which included a section of the slopes east and west of a tributary of Nahal Mazor, as well as the northern slopes of the hill west of the wadi, were exposed. During the exposure, dozens of rock-cut tombs scattered amongst the other hewn remains, were discovered. Several rock-cut cist graves located close to each other were exposed next to a loculi complex, east of the wadi. Thirty-four hewn tombs were documented on a strip of land (length c. 250 m, width c. 30 m), running along the eastern and northern slopes of the hill, west of the wadi; six were discovered in this strip prior to the ground exposure and were added to the high concentration of tombs.
Other rock-cut tombs were identified during the survey south and east of the exposed strip. The western boundary of the examined area was an arbitrary choice and the scope of the cemetery, which so far included dozens of tombs, has not yet been ascertained.
The ceramic finds discovered next to the tombs were scant and included worn jar fragments that probably dated to the Byzantine period. Other remains dated from the Chalcolithic to the Ottoman periods.
 
Area E
Two natural burial caves that contained burial remains from the Chalcolithic period and the Intermediate Bronze Age had been excavated in the area between Highway 6 in the west and Highway 444 in the east (HA-ESI 113: 62*–63*). A large part of Area E is inaccessible because of the fence alongside Highway 6. Centers of ancient activity were identified on the surface of bedrock outcrops, including rock-hewn installations, cisterns and rock-cuttings (Sites 27–33).
 
The ceramic finds associated with the rock-cut tombs, the rest of the installations, and the other remains documented in the survey, were dated to the Chalcolithic and Byzantine periods. Besides these, a burial cave with loculi of the type common to the Second Temple period was found. Other burial caves and building remains from the Second Temple period were discovered in excavations and probes nearby, conducted prior to paving Highway 6 (see above).
 
Based on the identification of the building stones and the foundations of ancient walls below the remains of the Arab village in Area A, it can be assumed that it was constructed on an ancient settlement.It is possible that this is part of the ancient settlement that was in the Qula Forest and had been exposed in other excavations. The architectural remains of some five buildings that were dated to the Late Roman and Byzantine periods were discovered in excavations of the Arab village of Qula, less than 1 km northeast of the survey region (ESI 20:51*–53*).
It seems that Areas B and C were mostly used for agriculture. A large burial field that includes rock-hewn cist graves, arcosolia and burial complexes from the Chalcolithic, Roman and Byzantine periods was discovered in Areas D and E. Numerous burial caves from the Chalcolithic period and several burial complexes from the Hellenistic period next to a limekiln and a hewn winepress that were dated to the Early Islamic period were also exposed along the route of Highway 6 (between Areas D and E). In excavations prior to the paving of Highway 6, a cemetery that included dozens of rock-hewn tombs which were used from the Early Roman until the end of the Byzantine periods was exposed. These finds indicate that the area west of the Qula Forest was used for burial from the Chalcolithic until the Late Byzantine periods, at the very least. We can assume that the burial region was used by settlements that existed in these periods in the Qula Forest and its environs, although it is impossible to connect the burial field with any degree of certainty to any particular settlement.
The findings from the survey and the previous excavations suggest a settlement model that was spread across several hills and wadis. On the eastern hill, which is the highest, a settlement that overlooked the hills and wadis to the west, which were used for farmland, industry and burial, was built.
Table 1. Map references of Finds in the Survey Area
Area
No.
Find
X
Y
A
20
Shaft
195953
660389.2
3
Clearance stone heap
196360.6
660253.2
4
Tomb?
196487.1
660267.7
5
Clearance stone heap
196500
660265.3
7
Clearance stone heap
196263.4
660243.6
8
Shaft
196070
660253.2
9
Cave
196059.7
660232
10
Cistern
196039.3
660213.7
11
Shaft
195996.2
660233.2
12
Shaft
196000.1
660307.1
13
Shaft
196002.6
660316.8
14
Cave
196016.7
660323.2
15
Shaft
195994
660328.8
16
Shaft
195976.5
660360
17
Shaft
195981.8
660357.4
18
Shaft
195979.3
660353.1
19
Cistern
195954.7
660379.2
21
Cupmark
195982.5
660378.5
22
Rock-cutting
196041.8
660306.9
23
Shaft
196044.7
660290.4
24
Shaft
196054.5
660288.2
25
Shaft
196090.3
660265.7
26
Cistern
196139.6
660249
176
Wall
196178.6
660221.8
177
Agricultural terrace
196376.3
660263.5
178
Cave
196406.3
660274.9
181
Wall
196110.7
660229.7
182
Cave
196070.1
660272.2
183
Remains of Arab village
196069.7
660238.8
184
Remains of Arab village
196045.4
660218.8
185
Remains of Arab village
195995.7
660243.8
186
Remains of Arab village
195986.7
660269.4
187
Remains of Arab village
195995.9
660320.4
193
Remains of Arab village
195999.4
660228.5
B
1
Clearance stone heap
196080
659985.2
2
Clearance stone heap
196106.8
659928
6
Clearance stone heap
196504.9
660187.9
175
Step
196084.5
660050.9
180
Step
196389
660189.5
179
Agricultural terrace
196476.7
660206.2
192
Winepress
196077.7
659945.6
C
126
Clearance stone heap
196064.1
659707.8
127
Clearance stone heap
196068.4
659711.1
128
Clearance stone heap
196071.5
659709.5
129
Clearance stone heap
196079
659710.6
130
Clearance stone heap
196075.4
659700.1
131
Clearance stone heap
196107.2
659677.8
191
Architecture
196047.6
659761.9
D
34
Cave
195645.5
660249.1
35
Rock-cutting
195645.8
660251.4
36
Shaft
195654.8
660238.7
37
Shaft
195674.9
660233.2
38
Shaft
195668.4
660244.2
39
Cave
195655.4
660254.3
40
Shaft
195645.9
660260.2
41
Shaft
195639
660264.2
42
Cistern
195638.3
660259
43
Rock-cutting
195632.8
660258.3
44
Rock-cutting
195639
660272.3
45
Rock-cutting
195616.6
660279.4
46
Three shafts
195610.5
660306.1
47
Shaft
195584.9
660312.3
48
Rock-cutting
195590.7
660310.8
49
Hewn tomb
195588.6
660321.1
50
Hewn tomb
195586.7
660325.2
51
Rock-cutting
195589.2
660328.2
52
Shaft
195577.7
660334.2
53
Shaft
195576.8
660330.2
54
Shaft
195612.2
660270.7
55
Shaft
195462.7
660455.8
56
Shaft
195467.2
660445
57
Shaft
195474.7
660461.2
58
Shaft
195451
660549.3
59
Shaft
195452.9
660554.3
60
Two shafts
195446.5
660563.7
61
Two shafts
195430.4
660576.8
62
Shaft
195430.8
660564.8
63
Cave
195434.2
660558.2
64
Cistern
195435.5
660561
65
Shaft
195174.9
660157.6
66
Shaft
195230.4
660184.5
67
Shaft
195238
660202.1
68
Shaft
195236.5
660208.9
69
Shaft
195276.1
660204.2
70
Shaft
195280.1
660197.9
71
Shaft
195283.9
660194.7
72
Shaft
195292
660185.2
73
Shaft
195307.9
660167.9
74
Shaft
195321.6
660161.9
75
Shaft
195357
660144.1
76
Architecture
195371.7
660114.6
77
Shaft
195374.1
660113
78
Shaft
195367.2
660098.1
79
Shaft
195320.8
660130.5
80
Shaft
195309.1
660131.4
81
Shaft
195312.8
660126.1
82
Shaft
195293.7
660120.1
83
Shaft
195265
660132.8
84
Shaft
195234.8
660126.4
85
Cave
195224.5
660118
86
Clearance stone heap
195691.8
660018.3
87
Cupmark
195766.7
659955
88
Shaft
195746.9
660039
89
Shaft
195339.8
660273.7
90
Shaft
195551.5
660250.9
91
Cupmark
195560.4
660250.4
92
Installation
195552
660233.9
93
Shaft
195544.5
660230
94
Shaft
195544.5
660232.8
95
Cistern
195543.9
660220.9
96
Cistern
195539.8
660216.5
97
Rock-cutting
195539.6
660209.9
98
Cave
195538.7
660141
99
Shaft
195543.8
660137.8
100
Shaft
195551
660129.1
101
Cave
195562.3
660110.7
102
Cave
195560.9
660106.6
103
Cave
195546.7
660117.6
104
Cave
195540.7
660116.2
105
Cave
195541.8
660114.2
106
Cave
195533.2
660121.9
107
Tomb
195513.9
660126.4
108
Tomb
195505.2
660118.9
109
Tomb
195497.4
660122.4
110
Shaft
195491.7
660145.4
111
Shaft
195486.3
660159.1
112
Rock-cutting
195485.9
660176
113
Rock-cutting
195484.2
660182
114
Shaft
195490.8
660191.1
115
Shaft
195495
660201.9
116
Rock-cutting
195494.1
660192.9
117
Cistern
195491
660206.6
118
Shaft
195492.7
660214.6
119
Shaft
195493.3
660228.1
120
Tomb
195491.3
660233.4
121
Tomb
195501.7
660240.7
122
Tomb
195505.3
660242.1
123
Tomb
195504.9
660245.4
124
Tomb
195532.3
660243.1
125
Shaft
195541.9
660265.2
132
Shaft
195494.1
660214.5
133
Shaft
195442.9
660210.9
134
Tomb
195506.1
660241.5
135
Rock-cutting
195499.2
660221.6
136
Shaft
195442.4
660206.1
137
Tomb
195506.7
660243.9
138
Cistern
195492
660207
139
Tomb
195503.3
660239.6
140
Tomb
195495.4
660236.4
141
Tomb
195490.9
660236.6
142
Quarry
195496.3
660236.7
143
Tomb
195491.8
660233.7
144
Double shaft
195513.5
660241.6
145
Tomb
195495.5
660230.3
146
Tomb
195520.8
660228.4
147
Tomb
195496.6
660228.3
148
Shaft
195510.6
660224.7
149
Tomb
195494
660227.4
150
Rock-cutting
195541.2
660233.5
151
Tomb
195491.8
660219.6
152
Rock-cutting
195544.9
660232.2
153
Tomb
195492.8
660214.6
154
Installation
195545.3
660230
155
Tomb
195468.8
660219.7
156
Cistern
195544.2
660221
157
Tomb
195437.9
660206.6
158
Winepress
195550.5
660231.5
159
Tomb
195437.9
660203.5
160
Cave
195556.8
660244
161
Tomb
195434.5
660203.9
162
Cave
195560.7
660249.8
163
Tomb
195434.1
660200.9
164
Cave
195549.3
660251.2
165
Tomb
195430.4
660200.6
166
Weight
195564.1
660252.6
167
Tomb
195428.2
660201.2
168
Tomb
195393
660200.7
169
Tomb
195390.9
660200.1
170
Tomb
195392.5
660195.3
171
Tomb
195388.8
660195.7
172
Tomb
195385.1
660196
173
Tomb
195381.4
660195.1
174
Tomb
195382.2
660185.5
175
Tomb
195377.8
660185.4
176
Tomb
195378.5
660188.8
177
Tomb
195375.2
660190.5
178
Tomb
195372.9
660191.8
179
Tomb
195369.5
660195.8
180
Tomb
195347.7
660187
181
Tomb
195348
660189.5
182
Tomb
195347.5
660192.5
183
Tomb
195314.7
660195.9
188
Wall
195622.2
660275
189
Wall
195453.6
660539.5
190
Dam
195436.7
660492.4
E
27
Cistern
195725.6
660477.9
33
Floor
195725.7
660508.9
32
Shaft
195728.4
660509.2
31
Rock-cutting
195733.6
660504.3
30
Two shafts
195740.7
660502.2
28
Cistern
195749.6
660498.2
29
Clearance stone heap
195756
660497.7