During June 2012, a survey preceding development was conducted at Giv‘at Zemer, west of the Ramat Remez quarter and north of the Fliman Hospital (License No. S-358/2012; map ref. 200040–921/742799–3326; Fig. 1), prior to the construction of a new residential neighborhood. The survey, undertaken on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and underwritten and requested by Yefe Nof Transportation and Infrastructures Company, Ltd., was directed by E. Oren and D. Kirzner, with the assistance of A. Dagot (GPS).
The surveyed area (c. 230 dunams) is situated on a forested hill along the northeastern face of the Carmel Ridge and at a maximum elevation of 290 m above sea level. The Nahal Remez channel, which is a tributary of Nahal Giborim, is located on the southern side of the area and several springs are nearby (‘Enot Remez—‘Iyon Sunaya in Arabic).
The surveyed area is thick with vegetation and characterized by scrubland covered with dense spiny burnet, oak, mastic, carob and pine trees. The thick undergrowth and steep slope precluded walking in the entire survey area. The rock formation in the region is characterized by dolomite outcrops of the Lower Cenomanian age, overlain with a chalk formation attributed to the Middle and Upper Cenomanian ages.
The ‘Enot Remez site is mentioned in the Archaeological Survey of Israel (
Ronen and Olami 1983: Site 54); it is said that quarrying marks are visible next to the springs on both sides of the channel, including a semi-circular rock-cutting, a natural niche, and a small amount of Roman and Byzantine potsherds next to them. These points were also documented in the current survey. No archaeological excavations have ever been conducted in this area.
Three sites (1–3; Fig. 1)—a cupmark and rock-cuttings, were documented in the current survey.
1 (Fig. 2). An elliptical cupmark (diam. 0.15 m, depth 0.1 m).
2 (Figs. 3, 4). A natural cave filled with alluvium (length c. 1 m, width of opening 2 m). A wall built of small fieldstones (length 1 m) is located c. 4 m east of the rock-cutting at Site 3 (Figs. 4, 5).
3 (Fig. 5). A semi-circular rock-cutting (radius c. 2 m), which might be the opening of a blocked cave.
No finds that can date the remains were discovered in the survey. However, on the basis of those gathered from the area in the survey of the Map of Haifa—East, it seems that the currently documented remains can be dated to the Roman-Byzantine periods.