During February 2003 a trial excavation was conducted in a field close to Qibbuz Hafez Hayim (Permit No. A-3829; map ref. NIG 182390/635103; OIG 132390/135103) prior to the construction of a large water purification reservoir. The excavation, on behalf of the Antiquities Authority, was directed by E.C.M. van den Brink, with the assistance of R. Abu Halaf and S. Navon (administration), V. Essman and V. Pirsky (surveying), T. Sagiv (field photography) and E. Barzilay (geomorphology). M. Adjubi, E. Aiyis and H. Khalaily were also of assistance.
The initial work in the field consisted of nine trenches (width 0.6 m) over an area of c. 240 × 160 m that were mechanically dug and supervised by M. Mulokandov. Various anomalies were observed in the trenches, which were examined in the excavation.
The latter was limited to two areas (1, 2), 70 m apart, along the former Trench 3.
Two adjoining probes (Sqs. A and B; 4.0 × 4.5 m each), separated by a balk (1 m) were excavated in Area 1. Virgin soil that comprised a Pleistocene conglomerate of wadi pebbles and flint nodules was reached only in a limited area in the southeast part of Sq. B, at a depth of c. 1.2 m below surface. Two adjoining probes (Sqs. E and F; 3.5 × 5.0 m each), divided by a balk (1 m), were excavated in Area 2 to a depth that did not reach virgin soil.
Area 1. Between 0.1 to 0.2 m below surface (at c. 52.5 m asl) various concentrations of medium-sized pebbles (diam. 10–12 cm) were encountered in both Sqs. A and B. One such concentration of stones, protruding from the north balk of Sq. B could have been a floor pavement of a circular hut. Cleaning its top and in-between the stones, flints and sporadic potsherds were collected. Another, smaller concentration of similar stones, protruding from the south balk of Sq. A proved to be the top of a small tapering pit (width 0.6 m, depth c. 0.45 m) that yielded some flints, potsherds, carbonized woods and a few animal bones. The scant datable artifacts from this stratum (I), which consisted of a layer of brown-reddish wind-blown silts (c. 0.7 m thick), pointed to the Early Chalcolithic period (Wadi Rabah phase).
Stratum I was cut through only in the southeast quarter of Sq. B to examine the underlying layers. The silty soil matrix of Stratum I sharply contrasted with the underlying layer of compact, dark gray, fat clays (Stratum II). Possible signs of human activities were only observed in its upper levels: a small fire pit or a posthole near and partly protruding from the south section of Sq. B. The gray clay indicated wetter climatic conditions than those attested to in Stratum I (E. Barzilay pers. comm.). Stratum II (c. 0.5 m thick), which did not offer any datable artifacts because of its very limited exposed area (2.00 × 2.25 m), was deposited on a conglomerate of medium and large-sized wadi pebbles from the Pleistocene era (Stratum III; U. Kafri, Geological Survey of Israel, pers. comm.). These deposits (thickness of at least 5 m) have been mechanically exposed in a deep cross-section over a large area, c. 100 m to the south of the present excavation.
Area 2. This area was excavated not as extensively as Area 1. However, the same phenomenon of concentrations of medium-sized pebble stones were encountered less than 0.2 m below surface (at c. 51.60 m asl, which is c. 1 m lower than Area 1). Pottery was retrieved from various loci of this stratum (I), dating them to the Early Chalcolithic period (Wadi Rabah). Due to bad weather and time constraints, none of these features were further probed.
The analysis of the flint and pottery finds retrieved from the partial excavations of Sqs A and B in Area 1 and Sqs E and F in Area 2, as well as the analysis of additional flint materials collected over the surface of the site and further corroborative observations in the sections of the various mechanically dug trenches prior to the excavations, enable us to state with confidence that the site was occupied during the Early Chalcolithic Period (Wadi Rabah), represented by Stratum I in Areas 1 and 2. The limited trial excavation precluded stating anything more specific about the nature of habitation during this period, for instance, did the excavated features form part of a permanent settlement or a seasonal camp site. The presence of animal bones and sickle blades would indicate a mixed subsistence of animal husbandry and agriculture.