During April 2006, a salvage excavation was conducted at Jatt (Permit No. A-4771; map ref. 20455–8/70043–5; Fig. 1), prior to construction. The excavation, undertaken on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and underwritten by the contractor, was directed by A. Abu Hamid, with the assistance of A. Hajian (surveying and drafting), T. Sagiv (field photography), Y. Gorin-Rosen (glass), H. Tahan (drawing of finds) and H. Smithline (studio photography).
The excavation area is located on the northeastern slope of the chalk hill where the village is situated, at an elevation of c. 100 m above sea level and c 1 km east of Tel Jatt (
‘Atiqot 37:1–78 [Hebrew]). Burial caves from the Roman period and remains from the Byzantine period were exposed in a number of areas nearby, which are now covered with construction (
HA-ESI 116,
HA-ESI 116).
One (A) and a half (B) squares were opened and bedrock was exposed with the aid of mechanical equipment in another area (C; 9.5 ´ 10.5 m; Fig. 2). Building remains, dating to the Roman period, were discovered, alongside rock-cuttings and installations.
Square A. A wall (W104), oriented north–south and founded on bedrock, was exposed. It was built of different size fieldstones and preserved a single course high. A grayish brown tamped earth floor (L111; Fig. 3) mixed with potsherds from the Roman period abutted the eastern side of W104.
The rim of a glass bowl decorated with a crimped trail was found; it is dated from the end of the first century to the mid-second century CE (Fig. 4:1).
Square B. A hewn cupmark (L102; diam. 0.3 m, depth 0.2 m) and a surface built of various size stones (L108) to its east were exposed.
A small glass bead, decorated with eye beads and dating to the Roman period, was discovered (Fig. 4:2).
Square C. A circular tabun (L116; diam. 0.9 m; Fig. 5) built on bedrock was uncovered. Fragments of pottery vessels, dating from the end of the first to the third centuries CE, were found inside it, including a bowl (Fig. 6:1), a krater (Fig. 6:2), cooking pots (Fig. 6:3–9), jars (Fig. 6:10–12), jugs (Fig. 6:13, 14) and lamps (Fig. 7); a candlestick-shaped glass bottle that dated to the same time period (Fig. 4:3) was also found.
The upper part of a bedrock-hewn round opening (L118; diam. 0.8 m) was partially excavated; a hewn rectangular installation (L113; 0.5×0.8 m) to its south was excavated. The opening of a bell-shaped cistern (L119; not excavated), filled with modern debris, was to the northwest of the excavation area.