Table of Contents in Hebrew and in English

Excavations on the ancient tell of Rosh Pinna revealed a vigorous settlement during the Iron Age and throughout the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and possibly the Early Islamic periods. In Iron I, Rosh Pinna seems to have been a substantial settlement in the eastern Galilee, as attested by impressive architectural remains with plastered and red-painted walls. During Iron II, Rosh Pinna was part of a strong Israelite settlement system. This stratum showed evidence of a violent destruction in the tenth or ninth century BCE, possibly throwing light on an event recorded in the Bible, such as the Aramean raid by Ben Hadad or Hazael. The later, final demise of Iron II Israelite Rosh Pinna may be related to the 733/732 campaign of Tiglath-Pileser III. Following a hiatus during the seventh–second centuries BCE, the site was resettled in the late Hellenistic period, with a Phoenician-style public building. Based on scattered remains of monumental building elements typical of synagogue architecture, a Jewish presence might be assumed during the Roman and Byzantine periods, possibly extending into the Early Islamic period.

The excavations at Mazor yielded architectural remains from the Byzantine and late Ottoman–British Mandate periods, and poor remains from the Early Islamic and Mamluk–early Ottoman periods; the Hellenistic and Early Roman periods are represented by small finds only. Three buildings were exposed, typical of the Byzantine period in the region (mid-fifth–early sixth centuries CE), which belonged to either a private estate or an agricultural monastery. The settlement probably formed part of the eastern hinterland of the urban center at Lod (Lydda/Diospolis). The next substantial phase at the site began in the Ottoman period (eighteenth century CE), with the establishment of the village of al-Muzayri‘ah over the earlier remains. The village continued to exist until the end of the days of the British Mandate. 

This article presents a study of the Mamluk–early Ottoman-period ceramic assemblage from the excavation on Ha-Eẓel Street, Ramla. The study set out to determine the geological source of the raw materials, and to explore fabrics and forms of local and imported wares to pinpoint the production locale of each. For the imports, the tracing of the fabric composition was based on previously published production centers. This study is a pioneer effort to fill the gap regarding the forms and fabrics of the pottery of these periods, whether found in clear architectural contexts, or not. 

The excavation at Kefar Gabirol revealed the remains of the Arab village el-Qubeibe, dating from the Ottoman period and the days of the British Mandate. Four adjacent architectural units were exposed, mostly preserved to their foundation course. The finds include local and imported pottery vessels, glass vessels, stone objects, metal finds, coins, animal bones and military artifacts. The proximity of the architectural units points to a dense rural settlement, and the various installations are domestic in nature.