During June 2006, a survey prior to development was conducted in the region of Giv‘at Ha-Qinyan in Haifa (Permit No. A-4838*; map ref. NIG 19849–950/74169–240; OIG 14849–950/24169–240). The survey, carried out on behalf of the Antiquities Authority and financed by H. Erez, was conducted by A. Shadman and P. Spivak, with the assistance of L. Yihye (GPS) and I. Berin (final plans).
The survey extended along the western slope of the Karmel ridge, between Nahal ‘Ammiram in the north and Nahal ‘Ovadya in the south (Fig. 1). The thick vegetation in the area made the survey work extremely difficult. A few potsherds, dating to the Byzantine, Crusader and Mamluk periods, were collected. The region had been surveyed in the past (Olami, Ronen and Romano. 2003. Map of Haifa – West [22]).
Prehistoric Finds. Five survey sites (15, 21, 22, 24, 38) included scatters of knapped flint implements that dated to the Middle Paleolithic and the Neolithic periods. Four of them (21, 22, 24, 38) had especially high concentrations of flint implements that comprised dozens of items per square meter. These flint concentrations were connected to prehistoric sites that had been discovered nearby in the past, including Karmeliyya (ESI 14:137), Nahal ‘Ovadya, Ornit Cave and ‘Ovadya Cave (see Map of Haifa – West [22], Sites 108, 109). An abundance of raw flint is found in the vicinity.
Settlement Remains. Building remains, rock-cuttings, a quarry, several caves, hewn shafts and soil from a ruined site (Sites 16–20, 25–30) were documented on the northeastern part of the top of Giv‘at Ha-Qinyan, indicating that an ancient settlement had existed here (Map of Haifa – West [22], Site 105). Building remains, a cave and soil from a ruined site were documented in the western part of Giv‘at Ha-Qinyan (Sites 13, 14). Remains of a building and soil from a ruined site (Sites 10, 11) were observed at the top of a small hill, in the western part of the surveyed area. Due to the dense vegetation it was impossible to evaluate the extent of these remains.
Remains of Agricultural Activity. On the gentle slopes of the hills, a field wall was documented (Sites 4, 12; length c. 500 m). It was built of two rows of fieldstones with rubble core and preserved three courses high. The wall was abutted by short perpendicular walls (Sites 4, 5, 9) that were built in a similar manner. Another similar wall (Site 33; length c. 100 m) was discovered along the western slope of Giv‘at Ha-Qinyan. The walls apparently delimited agricultural plots or pastureland. Five heaps of fieldstones (Sites 7, 36, 40–42), two circular watchman’s huts built of fieldstones (Sites 12A, 39; diam. c. 2 m), remains of two square buildings (Sites 6, 9) and several farming terraces (Sites 3, 34, 35, 37) were recorded in the area between the field walls.