In July 2016, a trial excavation was conducted along the outskirts of the site of Horbat Pi Mazzuva (Permit No. A-7743; map ref. 215220–340/776384–548), in the wake of damage to antiquities while constructing a road. The excavation, undertaken on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and financed by the Ministry of Defense, was directed by Y. Gur (photography), with the assistance of M. Kahan (surveying), A. Shapiro (surveying and mapping), I.E. Delerson (plans), Y. Yaakobi and R. Abu Halaf (administration), laborers, and participants in an educational program.
Two excavation areas were opened, a western one (A) and an eastern one (B); ll the excavated features were found along the road that damaged ancient remains (Fig. 2).
Area A yielded two quarries (L101, L102) and an entrance to a natural cave (L103), which was devoid of archaeological remains.
Quarry 101 (Fig. 3), south of the road, consisted of two quarrying sites on the north and south sides of a bedrock outcrop.
Quarry 102 (c. 10 m long; Fig. 4), to the north of the road, was probably the south end of a quarry that extended into the woodland.
Area B yielded a quarry (L104; 7 ´ 7 m, depth c. 1.2 m; Fig. 5), which comprised two quarrying steps. Cupmarks were hewn around the entire upper step.
The quarries were poorly preserved, and since the severance channels were not preserved, it was impossible to ascertain the size of the stones extracted from them.
A few unidentified potsherds were collected; they seem to date from the Roman and Byzantine periods.
The meager ceramic finds made it impossible to date the site, but its proximity to Pi Mazzuva suggests that the stones quarried here were used by the inhabitants of Pi Mazzuva.