The Byzantine and Early Islamic settlement of Khirbat ... - web journal

Marwan Abu Khalaf, Ibrahim Abu A‘mar, Salah Al-Houdalieh, Robert Hoyland4. The ChurchA considerable number of squares hadbeen opened up on the eastern sideof the site in the years 1996-2001(see fig. 2), but the nature of theprincipal building in this area was notclear to the excavators.They considered the option of achurch, but were unsure because“nothing was found to add toBagatti’s evidence for a church at thesite” and because “the east end of thebuilding, where an apse would havebeen, is completely destroyed belowfloor level by the modern field clearanceand ploughing”. 14 For this reason,and because earlier squares hadbecome dilapidated and further robbingtaken place, it was deemed best,when excavation was resumed in2003, simply to clean up the wholebuilding and also to remove the topsoil(only about 5-7 cm deep) fromthe unexcavated eastern part in thehope that the building’s functionwould become clear.Such an approach seemed justified inthat it was obvious we were dealingwith a single monumental buildingand so it could be treated as a singlearchaeological unit. Moreover, sinceheavy agricultural use had severelydisrupted this terrace, we did not haveto worry about disturbing any intactdeposits. This approach quickly paid10. Plan of atrium of church, 2003.14 Abu Khalaf et alii 1998, 8, 15. This report gives a full description of the excavation of squares B1-7 (seefig. 2).http://www.webjournal.unior.it - (II) 2006 56ISSN 1827-8868