Volume 126 Year 2014 El-Qubab Mordechai Haiman 21/07/2014 Final Report In October–November 2007, a trial excavation was conducted on Highway 424 in the El-Qubab antiquities site near Moshav Kefar Bin Nun (Permit No. A-5261; map ref. 195498–834/641285–571), prior to the construction of an intersection at the entrance to the modern village. The excavation, undertaken on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and financed by the Department of Public Works, was directed by M. Haiman (field photography), with the assistance of E. Bachar (administration), A. Hajian (surveying) and N. Zak (drafting). Remains from the Roman, Byzantine and Early Islamic periods and the ruins of the Arab village El-Qubab, which was abandoned in 1948, were identified at the site. Two architectural elements and ashlars from the ancient settlement were found incorporated in secondary use in the village ruins (Yilqut Pirsumim 1583:746). A previous excavation, conducted c. 100 m northwest of the current one and on the other side of Highway 424, exposed wall remains of the abandoned village, pottery sherds dating mainly to the Ottoman and Mandatory periods and a scant amount of finds from the Byzantine and Roman periods (Ein Gedy 2006). According to the excavator, the meager finds indicate that the excavation was conducted along the fringes of the ancient settlement, whose remains are located on the hilltop, c. 400 m to the north. The current excavation unearthed cisterns, a cist grave, burial cave, habitation level and walls. Cisterns. Three plastered, rock-cut cisterns were cleared. One (L1; Fig. 1) has a square opening (0.5 × 0.5 m, depth of opening shaft c. 1 m; Fig. 2) and a bell-shaped cavity (depth c. 3 m, width of base c. 4 m); it was partially filled with alluvium. Another (L3; Fig. 3) consists of a circular opening (diam. 0.6 m, depth c. 0.8 m; Fig. 4) and a cavity (diam. c. 4 m); it was also partially filled with alluvium. A third cistern (L7; diam. c. 3 m, depth c. 4 m; Fig. 5) was damaged by a backhoe. Cist Tomb. A cluster of large stones (length of each stone c. 0.8 m) arranged in a triangular vault and covering a cist tomb was unearthed. The interior of the tomb (c. 2 × 3 m, depth c. 0.6 m; Fig. 6), which could be discerned through the gaps between the covering stones, contained the supine skeleton of at least one individual, as well as other human bones. The excavation was halted and the tomb was covered. Burial Cave. A rock-cut burial cave, whose southern wall had been breached by a backhoe. The cave’s interior (width c. 3 m), was exposed. It was filled with alluvium up to c. 0.5 m from the ceiling. A corridor leading west and an opening in the north that was blocked with collapsed rock could be discerned. While cleaning the cave it became apparent that its floor was covered with a layer of scattered human bones. The excavation was stopped and the cave was covered. Habitation Level. An ash level (thickness c. 0.5 m) that yielded pottery sherds, mainly from the Byzantine period, was excavated. The place was severely disturbed as a result of the installation of modern infrastructures. Walls. Three wall segments were unearthed. A farming terrace retaining wall (W6; length 4 m, width c. 0.8 m, height 1 m; Figs. 7, 8) was built of two rows of large stones (max. length 0.6 m), some of which were ancient building stones in secondary use. South of the terrace were remains of a pavement (L14) made of packed fieldstones mixed with non-indigenous sand and kurkar, which was used to level the natural surface. Among the stones was modern construction debris, such as boards and nails, and it thus seems that the pavement served as a bedding for a modern road that is no longer in use. Only four stones of a second wall (W10; Figs. 9, 10) survived. A third wall section (W11; length c. 1.4 m; Fig. 11) was built of a single row of five stones (max. length 0.4 m) preserved to a height of one course. A channel dug for a modern cable infrastructure separated the wall from the habitation level (above); thus, it was impossible to determine if the wall was ancient. Two other trial squares were excavated in a place where sherds and building stones were found during the preliminary probes. No ancient remains were discovered, and the excavation was halted. It seems that the ancient artifacts were only on the surface and belonged to remains from the Early Islamic period that were excavated c. 50 m to the south (Ein Gedy 2006). Most of the ceramic finds date to the Late Ottoman period and the time of the British Mandate; several pottery sherds from the Byzantine period and a few sherds from Roman period were found as well as. The excavated cisterns belong to the village of El-Qubab. The habitation level contained sherds mainly from the Byzantine period; however, no architectural remains were found, and due to the limited scope of the excavation it was impossible to determine the nature of the site. Two of the tombs were covered immediately, making it impossible to date them. Wall 6 was built of large stones; it is very likely that these included ancient building stones in secondaty use. The excavation, situated c. 500 m from the ancient settlement, reflects the outskirts of the site and the transition to the farmland around the village. Ein Gedy M. 2006. El-Qubab. ‘Atiqot 51:55*–67* (Hebrew; English summary, p. 239). 1. Cistern 1, plan and section. 2. The opening of Cistern 1, looking west. 3. Cistern 3, plan and section. 4. The opening of Cistern 3, view from inside the cistern. 5. Cistern 7, plan and section. 6. Covering on top of a cist tomb, looking north. 7. Wall 6 and Pavement 14, plan. 8. Wall 6 and Pavement 14, looking west. 9. Wall 10, plan. 10. Wall 10, looking south. 11. Wall 11, plan.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 20:05:56 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015