Excavations at Horbat Malta, located in the Nazareth Hills, exposed evidence of occupation dating to Middle Bronze Age II (potsherds), Iron Age II and the Persian and Roman periods. The Iron II occupation included a massive fortification wall and many rock-hewn installations, including channels, grinding and pounding stones and possibly, winepresses (Area A), as well as a four-room house (Area C). The Iron Age settlement reveals intra-site planning, familiar from other contemporary sites in the central hill region. The architectural elements of the Persian period are chiefly of a domestic nature, including stone buildings, numerous rock-hewn installations (Area B), pits and a nearby tomb (Area C). The excavations at Horbat Malta revealed a rural settlement-system that prevailed during the Iron Age and Persian period.