In July 2018, a salvage excavation was conducted near Tel Aviv University in Ramat Aviv (Permit No. A-8323; map ref. 181805–45/668382–427; Fig. 1), prior to construction. The excavation, undertaken on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and financed by Tel Aviv University, was directed by I. Jonish (preliminary tests and field photography), with the assistance of V. Shustin (preliminary tests), Y. Amrani (administration), A. Dagot (GPS), E. Aladjem (surveying and drafting), M. Shuiskaya (pottery drawing) and D. Abu Salah from the Israel Antiquities Authority central district.
Prior to the excavation, an upper layer of soft kurkar was removed from the surface. The excavation (c. 1.5 dunams) revealed 19 pits hewn in the kurkar (L11–L29; Table 1; Figs. 2–4). All of the pits were round save one (L23; Fig. 5), which was bell-shaped (not excavated for safety reasons); the other pits may also have been bell-shaped, but when the surface layer was removed their upper part may have been removed as well. The pits were found full of dark, very hard clayey soil mixed with pottery fragments from the Ottoman period—bowls (Fig. 6:1–4), kraters (Fig. 6:5, 6), holemouth jars (Fig. 6:7, 8), jars (Fig. 6:9–11) and tobacco pipes (Fig. 6:12–14)—and a few fragmentary animal bones, mainly of cattle and sheep.
The pits uncovered in the excavation are dated to the Ottoman period, and they resemble the hewn pits uncovered in the excavation nearby. They served either as cesspits or refuse pits in the Arab village.
Table 1. Measurements of the Hewn Pits
Locus
|
Diam. (m)
|
Depth (m)
|
11
|
1.92
|
1.23
|
12
|
1.73
|
0.43
|
13
|
2.31
|
0.89
|
14
|
1.84
|
0.53
|
15
|
1.74
|
0.24
|
16
|
1.90
|
0.14
|
17
|
1.38
|
0.24
|
18
|
2.04
|
0.40
|
19
|
1.20
|
0.02
|
20
|
1.68
|
0.51
|
21
|
1.53
|
0.52
|
22
|
1.88
|
1.83
|
23
|
0.61 (upper)
1.77 (lower)
|
2.68
|
24
|
1.73
|
0.23
|
25
|
1.95
|
0.50
|
26
|
2.01
|
0.60
|
27
|
1.38
|
0.22
|
28
|
1.57
|
1.96
|
29
|
1.02
|
0.47
|