In August 2015, a salvage excavation was conducted northwest of Horbat Nekhes (Permit No. A-7492; map ref. 195184/644613), prior to the construction of a railway line. The excavation, undertaken on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and financed by the Israel Railways, was directed by I. Elad, with the assistance of Y. Amrani and E. Bachar (administration), R. Mishayev (surveying and drafting), A. Gorzalczany (scientific advice), Y. Agmon (preliminary inspections), E. Belashov (plans) and A. Azab and A. Shadman.
Two excavation squares were opened 5 m apart in a streambed northwest of Horbat Nekhes and south of Horbat Bet ‘Anava and Nahal ‘Anava (Fig. 1). The area was located near Highway 431, southeast of the ‘Anava Interchange. A long, east–west field wall (W10; exposed length c. 25 m; Figs. 2, 3) was exposed on the surface. It was built of fieldstones that were piled along the stream’s northern bank. The wall extended beyond the limits of the excavation area. The central part of the wall in the excavation area was recently destroyed, when it was breached to allow vehicles to pass through it. A layer of stones that gently sloped from north to south (L15, L16; Fig. 4) was exposed at a depth of 1.2 m in both excavation squares; these stones were apparently the remains of another field wall, earlier than W10, which was covered with alluvium over time.