In November 2014 a salvage excavation was conducted in Ramat Yishay (Permit No. A-7260; map ref. 215911-56/734351-95), prior to the construction of a residential building. The excavation, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, was directed by E. Bisharat (photography), with the assistance of R. Mishayev and R. Liran (surveying), Y. Ya‘aqobi (administration), W. Atrash (scientific guidance) and laborers from Kafr Manda.
Two excavation squares (c. 50 sq m; Fig. 2) were opened, exposing remains of a building-stone quarry, rock-cut installations and a hewn cave. In Sq A, the building-stone quarry (max. depth below surface level c. 0.5 m; Fig. 3) was revealed in a limestone surface; negatives of the rock-cuttings indicate that the stones, which were used for local construction, were large and rectangular (length 0.75–1.00 m, width 0.4–0.5 m, height 0.2–0.5 m). In the quarry were three–four quarrying steps on which chisel marks of hewn stones and rock-cut channels used to detach the stones from the bedrock were observed. A layer of soil containing fragments of pottery vessels dating to the Roman and Byzantine periods covered the quarry.
In addition, a rock-hewn burial cave (L55) with an opening (diam. c. 0.8 m) in its side was revealed. The cave was filled with clay and devoid of any artifacts; part of the cave had apparently collapsed (Fig. 5). Another cave, which was not excavated, was exposed in the western part of the lot.
In Sq B, c. 2 m west of the quarry, two rectangular basin-like hollows (L56—04 × 0.8 m, depth 0.5–0.6 m; L52—0.5 × 0.6 m, depth 0.3–0.5 m; Fig. 4) hewn in a bedrock surface were exposed, probably part of agricultural or industrial installations.
Another section of a quarry for the production of raw material for construction and remains of rock-hewn installations of unknown purpose were exposed. Based on the cave’s shape, which is characteristic of burial caves previously discovered in the area, it seems that burial activity took place, even though no funerary remains were found. These finds supplement information we have regarding the history of the ancient settlement at Ramat Yishay and the habitation density there.