During November 2006, a trial excavation was conducted along the northern slope of the Khirbat el-‘Eika hill (Permit No. A-4927; map ref. NIG 24290/74579; OIG 19290/24579), prior to paving a road. The excavation, undertaken on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and underwritten by the contractor, was directed by E. Amos (surveying and drafting), with the assistance of Y. Ya‘aqoby (administration), N. Getzov and M. Hartal (scientific guidance) and laborers from Tiberias.
The course of the road passed close by the Early Bronze Age city wall that had been previously exposed (Permit No. A-4376) and two excavation squares were opened alongside it. A farming terrace from the Late Roman period was excavated in the western square (A), c. 100 m northeast of the wall and the walls of a building from the abandoned village of Hittin were exposed in the eastern square (B), c. 80 m east of Square A.
Square A
A terrace wall that extended along the slope (W2) and an enclosure wall (W4; Figs. 1–3), which was perpendicular to it and delimited a cultivation plot, were exposed. The wide walls, founded on bedrock, were built of medium and large fieldstones. A lump of lime was placed on the corner that was destroyed. A cluster of medium fieldstones, probably a collapse (L13), was overlaying bedrock along the eastern side of W4.
A few fragments of pottery vessels from the Late Roman period were found atop bedrock surface. Fragments of pottery vessels that dated to the beginning of the twentieth century CE (Rashaya el-Fukhar and Gaza wares), to the Late Roman and Byzantine periods and three fragments with band slip decoration from Early Bronze IB were found on surface.
Square B
The northeastern corner of a modern building was exposed and c. 1 m north of it, at the bottom of the slope, was a retaining wall, founded on bedrock (Fig. 4). Part of a plow was discovered on top of a thick white plaster floor segment and alongside it were a chisel, an axe head and rifle cartridges.