During July 2011, a survey was conducted north of Mizpe Ramon (License No. S-298/2011; map ref. 1812–22/5040–8), prior to the construction of a solar energy farm. The survey, undertaken on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and underwritten by the Energix Renewable Energies Company, Ltd., was performed by Y. Haimi (field photography), with the assistance of S. Gal (GPS).
A survey was conducted on foot in the northern industrial region of Mizpe Ramon, and eleven sites were documented (1–11; Fig. 1). Several declared antiquities sites are located in the survey area. Farming terraces, installations, a concentration of stone circles, a building, wall remains of buildings, an animal pen and a scatter of potsherds and flint tools were documented at the site ‘Mizpe Ramon North’. Remains of a farmstead that included farming terraces dating to the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods were documented at the site ‘Nahal Hava’.
1. Map ref. 181834/504232. Remains of a round building (diam. 2 m; Fig. 2); flint flakes are scattered within it.
2. Map ref. 181841/504229. Remains of a round building (diam. 2 m); flint flakes are scattered within it.
3. Map ref. 181840/504242. Remains of a round building (diam. 2 m); flint tools are scattered within it.
4. Map ref. 181996/503994. A gravestone (Fig. 3).
5. Map ref. 181649/504478. Remains of an elliptical building (8.5×13.0 m; Fig. 4).
6. Map ref. 181649/504478. Remains of an elliptical building (12.5×17.0 m; Fig. 5).
7. Map ref. 181636/504477. Remains of a round building (diam. 5 m; Fig. 6).
8. Map ref. 181687/504588. A channel that conveyed water from a hilltop and was connected to another channel (below, Site 9). A line of stones was preserved from the channel (length 425 m; Fig. 7).
9. Map ref. 181250/504739. A water channel (length 121 m; width 0.6 m; Fig. 8) that was connected to the channel at Site 8. Two lines of stones that are the sides of the channel were preserved. This channel is wider than the channel at Site 8. It conveyed water to the north, in the direction of Highway 40, and to the site ‘Mizpe Ramon North’. The channels indicate that rainwater was used for winter farming.
10. Map ref. 181360/504392. A stone heap (diam. 1 m; Fig. 9).
11. Map ref. 181461/504439. A stone heap (diam. 1 m).