During November 2005, a salvage excavation was conducted on Ha-Te’enim Street in Qiryat Ata (Permit No. A-4627; map ref. 2104/7449), in the wake of discovering antiquities during the installation of an electric cable. The excavation, undertaken on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and underwritten by the Israel Electric Company, was directed by A. Abu Hamid, with the assistance of S. Ya‘aqov-Jam (administration) and V. Essman (surveying and drafting).
The site is located on a slope along the edge of the Zevulun Valley, c. 5 km from the present coastline. Remains mainly from Early Bronze Age I and II had been exposed in previous excavations at the site (
HA-ESI 118;
IAA Reports 18). The current excavation area (P; Fig. 1) was located within the precincts of the ancient settlement, close to the former excavated areas (A–O) that are covered today with construction.
Two adjacent half squares were opened in a row along the northern side of the street; Square A (1.5×5.0 m; Fig. 2) in the east and Square B (1.5×2.5 m) in the west.
Square A. A section of a curved wall, built of two rows of medium-sized fieldstones and preserved two courses high, was exposed (W102; Fig. 3). The northern part of the wall was cut by the trench that the electric company had dug and its continuation to the south is located beyond the limits of the excavation area. The wall was founded on a level of brown soil in a natural depression in the qirton bedrock. A number of stones (L108) to the west of W102 were apparently part of a stone pavement, which abutted the wall and was founded on a level of tamped soil (L109).
The manner of construction and the ceramic finds, which included slipped and burnished potsherds, date the remains to Early Bronze Age IB. Similar finds were recovered from Stratum III in nearby Area A, which also dated to this period.
Square B. The natural bedrock was exposed below a level of brown soil fill that contained modern refuse.