The Quarry (F1)
The poorly preserved quarry is located in the north of the excavation area (length 7.46 m, width 6.7 m; Fig. 3). Two quarrying steps were discovered in the kurkar bedrock. The negatives of stones detached from the bedrock were discerned, and based on the quarrying lines it was possible to determine that stones of various sizes (width 0.50–0.75 m) were hewn. The activity in the quarry could not be dated. Potsherds dating to the Hellenistic period, including a krater (Fig. 4:6), and the Byzantine period, were retrieved from the brown soil that had accumulated above the quarry.
Presumably this quarry, like quarries that were run in antiquity, was operated over the course of several periods.
 
Medium-Sized Pits
Six medium-sized pits (F16, F18–F22, see Fig. 2) were discovered in the southern part of the excavation area. All the pits were hewn in the kurkar bedrock; their sides were smoothed and in most instances their bottoms were leveled. Accumulations of brown soil, which contained clusters of stones and hearths, were excavated in the pits.
F16 (diam. 1.6 m, depth 0.39 m; Figs. 5, 6). Large kurkar slabs alongside animal bones (see below) were discovered inside the pit (L115). The ceramic finds in the accumulation of the pit included a jar (Fig. 4:2) and a bowl (Fig. 4:3) dating to Middle Bronze Age IIB and a jar (Fig. 4:5) from the Persian period.
F18 (diam. 1.6 m, depth 0.65 m; Figs. 7, 8). The pit was bell-shaped, tapering toward the bottom. A cluster of small and medium kurkar stones andlarge kurkar slabs (L116) were discovered in the middle of the pit, as well as a level of burnt material that comprised an assemblage of animal bones bearing burnt marks (see below). Glass bracelets and fragments of pottery vessels were found in the pit, including a jar (Fig. 4:1), dating to Middle Bronze Age IIA, a cooking pot (Fig. 4:4), dating to the Iron Age, and a Gaza-type jar (Fig. 4:7), characteristic of the Byzantine period. The hearth contained mainly fragments of pottery vessels from the Mamluk until the Ottoman periods, including a bowl (Fig. 4:9), a handmade cooking pot (Fig. 4:10), a jar (Fig. 4:11), a flask (Fig. 4:13), and a smoking pipe (Fig. 4:14). Noteworthy are the many handmade cooking pots and jars from the Mamluk period. Two fragments of glass bracelets (Fig. 9:1, 2) were also found in the pit. Similar bracelets were discovered in other excavations, e.g., in Yafo (HA-ESI 123), Yavne (HA-ESI 116) and Ramla (HA-ESI 123) and were dated to the Ottoman period. It therefore seems that the pit was used as a hearth at the beginning of the Ottoman period.
F19 (diam. 1.42 m, depth 0.22 m; see Fig. 7). Medium-sized kurkar stones, animal bones (see below), potsherds and a bracelet fragment were discovered in the pit (L113). A metal artifact (Fig. 10) that might have been used as a tool was discovered above the floor of the pit. The ceramic assemblage consisted of vessels that dated to the Bronze Age, alongside bowls (Fig. 4:8) and a jar (Fig. 4:12) dating to the Mamluk and Ottoman periods. The glass bracelet fragment (Fig. 9:3) was dated to the Ottoman period.
F20 (diam. 1.34 m, depth 0.3 m; Figs. 7, 11). Small and medium kurkar stones, burnt material, animal bones (see below) and fragments of pottery vessels (L112) were discovered in the pit. The ceramic assemblage was mixed, as in the other pits, but most of the finds could be dated to the Ottoman period. A fragment of a glass bracelet (Fig. 9:4) is another artifact from the Ottoman period found in the pit.
F21 (diam. 1.43 m, depth 0.34 m; Figs. 7, 12, 13). Small and medium kurkar stones, mud bricks, animal bones (see below), pottery fragments were discovered in the pit (L111). The ceramic assemblage consisted of vessels dating to the Persian period, handmade bowls and jars dating to the Mamluk period and fragments of Gaza ware vessels dating to the Ottoman period.
F22 (diam. 1.5 m, depth 0.6 m; Figs. 5, 14). The bottom of this pit was uneven, unlike the other pits, probably due to a technical reason; the bottom of the pit had no kurkar layer but rather a sandy level. Collapse consisting of medium and large kurkar stones, kurkar slabs and small fieldstones (L114) was discovered in the pit; it contained fragments of pottery vessels dating to the Persian period and jar and jug fragments dating to the Ottoman period.
 
Small Pits
Five small pits, dug into the kurkar bedrock (3–5, 9, 10; diam. 0.60–0.75 m, depth 0.10–0.25 m; Figs. 2, 5), were discovered in the northern part of the area. The bottoms of the pits were neatly leveled, evincing human work. The pits contained accumulations of black soil, devoid of any ceramic finds.
 
Anomalies in the Kurkar
Ten anomalies were discovered, mostly in the northern part of the area (2, 6–8, 11–15, 17; Fig. 2). These were depressions in the kurkar and for the most part had no distinct form. The depressions were shallow (max. depth 0.3 m) and contained accumulations of brown soil, devoid of finds. It seems that these were natural depressions in the kurkar, as well as a result of modern activity.
 
The Animal Bone Remains
Nuha Agha
The examined animal remains included bones, teeth and horns that were found in six pits (16, 18–22). Two hundred forty-five remains, which constitute c. 80% of the finds in the pits, were identified according to animal species and sex. To avoid skewing the data due to double counting and to facilitate identifying the bones, those bones broken during the excavation or in antiquity whose parts remained close by were glued together and restored. The distinction between sheep and goats was based on Boessneck (Boessneck J. 1969. Osteological Differences between Sheep[Ovis aries Linne]andGoat[Capra hircus Linne]. In D. Brothewell and E. Higgs, eds. Science in Archaeology. London. Pp. 331–358) and Zeder and Lapham (Zeder M.A. and H.A. Lapham. 2010. Assessing the Reliability of Criteria Used to Identify Postcranial Bones in Sheep, Ovis, and Goats, Capra. Journal of Archaeological Science 37:2887–2905). The sheep/goat bones identified by this method included three goat bones and six sheep bones. The equids were identified based on the dental morphology according to the methods of Eisenmann and his colleagues (Eisenmann, V., Alberdi, M.T., De Giuli, C. and Staesche, U. 1988. Methodology. In M. Woodburne and P. Sondaar, eds., Studying Fossil Horses. Vol. I. Netherlands. Pp. 1–71) and Johnstone (Johnstone, C.J. 2004. A Biometric Study of Equids in the Roman World. Ph.D diss. University of York).
Taphonomic factors and processes were checked on all the bones, some of which are anthropogenic, like burnt and cutting marks, and some are natural, like traces of roots and chewing by predators/rodents. Traces of roots were observed on most of the bones. Chewing marks by predators were discovered on one bone belonging to a camel. Gnawing marks were discovered on two bones belonging to cattle; on one of the bones the gnawing marks were of small rodents and on the other bone, the gnawing marks belonged to a porcupine.
Most of the finds are those of mammals, among them domesticated cattle (Bos taurus), sheep/goat (Capra hircus/Ovis aries), equid (Equus sp.), camel (Camelus sp.), dog or wolf (Canis sp.) and mountain gazelle (Gazella gazelle). In addition, the bones of domestic chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus), tortoise scales (Testudo graeca), mole rat (Spalax sp.) and one bone of an amphibian were discovered. Due to the nature of the finds, which are not a complete assemblage that can be ascribed to a particular period, the important remains are described below according to the pits they were discovered in.
 
Table 1. Identified Animal Remains
Species
F16
F18
F19
F20
F21
F22
Total
Cattle (Bos taurus)
1
3
1
4
4
2
15
Equid (Equus sp.)
15
 
 
 
1
2
18
Camel (Camelus sp.)
 
 
 
 
 
1
1
Large-size animals
4
3
4
1
1
1
14
Sheep/goat (Capra hircus/Ovis aries)
 
24
 
2
 
 
26
Mountain gazelle (Gazella gazelle)
 
38
 
 
 
 
38
Medium-size animals
 
45
1
 
4
 
50
Canine (Canis sp.)
 
14
 
 
42
2
58
Tortoise (Testudo graeca)
 
 
 
9
 
 
9
Mole rat (Spalax sp.)
1
1
 
 
8
 
10
Amphibian (Amphibia)
 
1
 
 
 
 
1
Domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)
 
 
 
 
5
 
5
Total
21
129
6
16
65
8
245
 
F16. The bones in this pit mainly included several teeth of a donkey maxilla and two skull bones, probably remains of one complete cranium. There were also the first phalanx of a cow and several bones, radius, femur, tibia and abdominal vertebrae, of a similarly large animal. Cutting marks were discerned on the femur and tibia bones, indicating the removal of meat and thus it seems that these are remnants of food.
F18. The largest number of bones was found in this pit. Especially noteworthy is the multitude of bones belonging to mountain gazelle, representing at least three individuals. Gazelle bones were not identified in the other pits. Many of the bones are not fused at their two ends and it seems that they belonged to the same newborn, all of whose skeletal parts are represented. Cutting marks were not discovered on any of the gazelle bones.
All skeletal parts are represented among the sheep/goat remains, which include at least one sheep and one goat. Cleaving marks were noted on one bone. 
Many of the bones belonged to the group of medium-sized animals, particularly fragments of ribs and vertebrae that cannot be identified at the level of species and sex. Based on the other remains in the pit, it seems that they belonged to gazelle or sheep/goat. The canine bones belonged to at least one dog and included most of the bones of the fore and hind paws and a single tail bone.
F19. Only several bones were discovered, almost all of them vertebrae and ribs of cattle or an animal of similar size. No burnt marks were detected on the bones and signs of dismemberment were identified on half of them. The remains are probably butchering waste.
F20. Nine fragments of tortoise shell scales are noteworthy. In addition, several remains of cattle should be mentioned, among them a lower tooth and a mandible with cutting marks on it, perhaps for the removal of the tongue.
F21. The most prevalent bones are canine and at least some of them were identified as dog bones. Based on forepaw bones, it seems that the remains represent at least two individuals. It should be noted that at least one individual is represented by all the skeletal parts and might have been buried or discarded there. The remains of the mole rat included skull bones alongside postcranial bones and represent a single individual. The chicken and cattle bones are probably the remnants of food. Signs of meat removal were discovered on one of the latter. The chicken bones and some of the dog bones were especially well-preserved and are evidently not ancient.
F22. Only one bone, a heel bone of a camel, is noteworthy.
 
A review of the finds shows that clear differences exist between the contents of the pits. Some of the pits were used for burying debris, mainly butchering refuse (Pits 19 and 20) and the remnants of food (Pits 16 and 21); however, remains of animals that were not used for food were also found in them: a donkey skull in Pit 16 and dogs in Pit 21. Also discovered in the pits was evidence of modern activity that is not anthropogenic, such as remains of a mole rat (particularly in Pit 21), a tortoise (Pit 20) and an amphibian (Pit 18).
Pit 18 is unusual in its number of bones and their composition. Many of the bones were identified as belonging to mountain gazelle, which lived in the country until the middle of the last century. The appearance of gazelle at the site might be connected to the site’s proximity to the Yarqon River. The appearance of at least three individuals, one of which is almost complete and none bear cutting marks, is difficult to explain.
Bones bearing burnt marks were only discovered in Pit 18, indicating the pit was used as a hearth. These included ten bones that were burnt to various degrees. The color of the sheep/goat bones and the bones of large animals was whitish gray, evidence of direct exposure to fire. Three gazelle bones, two sheep/goat bones, two bones of medium-sized animals, and a dog bone bore black-brown colored burnt marks that are likely to be produced by fire, but also after deposition, for example when the bone is buried up to 5 cm below an active hearth or as a result of mineral staining (Shahack-Gross R., O. Bar-Yosef and S. Weiner. 1997. Black-Coloured Bones in Hayonim Cave, Israel: Differentiating between Burning and Oxide Staining. Journal of Archaeological Science 24:439–446). Very new burnt marks that are not a result of direct and intentional roasting are visible on the end of one of the bones.  
The animal bones in the excavation are similar to contemporaneous assemblages that were discovered in Yafo (HA-ESI 121, HA-ESI 122; Permit No. A-5883) and represent a household similar to the ceramic assemblages. 

Twenty-two spots representing four kinds of remains, a quarry, medium-sized pits, small pits and kurkar anomalies, were discovered in the excavation.
It seems that the excavated area is part of the settlement located at the Ramat Aviv site in the Middle Bronze Age, and the Persian, Hellenistic and Ottoman periods. This is probably an area where peripheral activity transpired, mainly industrial in nature, such as stone dressing, storage, refuse disposal or incinerating in pits. The repeated use of the pits over prolonged periods usually made it impossible to date them. The phenomenon of the pits is fairly common in the region and therefore all of the assemblages recovered within them were carefully examined, including the archaeozoological assemblages, for the purpose of comparative research in the future. The excavation finds join the assemblages that had been discovered in previous excavations conducted at the site (HA-ESI 122) and supplement our data about the ancient activity at the Ramat Aviv site.