The excavation was conducted in a cultivated agricultural area, where orchards and groves had previously been planted. A single square was excavated, yielding stones and finds from the Roman and Mamluk periods. Previous excavations at the site revealed a mosaic floor of a church from the beginning of the Byzantine period (Tzaferis 1966; Fig. 1: A-741), as well as a bathhouse from the end of the Byzantine period – the Umayyad period and remains from the Mamluk period (Cinamon 2013; Fig. 1: A-5705).

 

A layer of alluvium containing dressed stones, fieldstones, worn flint items and pottery was exposed on the surface. Beneath the surface layer (L11–L14; Figs. 2, 3) were concentrations of stones of various sizes, some dressed or plastered, and worn potsherds dating from the Roman and Mamluk periods (not drawn). A layer of clay soil (L15), devoid of finds, was exposed below the stone concentrations. The unearthed remains do not appear to be in situ, possibly as a result of agricultural activity.