Location and Identification:
Khirbet ed-Dawwara is situated at the desert’s edge in the territory of Benjamin, approximately 1.5 km southeast of modern Mukhmas and 10 km northeast of Jerusalem.
Historical Period:
The site was occupied from the second half of the 11th century BCE to the end of the 10th century BCE.
Archaeological Features:
The settlement was built on a limestone knoll at the tip of a spur, 600 meters above sea level, with a circular enclosure surrounded by a stone fence.
A peripheral wall, 1.1 to 1.2 meters thick, delineated the top of the knoll, giving the site its oval shape.
On the west side of the site, three rows of monolithic pillars typical of four-room houses during the Iron Age were observed.
Excavations:
Excavations were carried out in 1985 and 1986 under the direction of I. Finkelstein, on behalf of Bar-Ilan University. Approximately 1,000 sq m, constituting some 20 percent of the site, were excavated. Two segments of the wall were exposed, revealing construction of large field stones, some exceptionally large, preserved to a height of 1.2 meters.
Iron age
Occupation Period:
The site was occupied from the second half of the 11th century BCE to the end of the 10th century BCE, with no evidence of more than one building phase.
Architectural Features:
- Peripheral Wall: A wall 1.1 to 1.2 meters thick encircled the top of the knoll, giving the site its oval shape and contributing to its name, which means “the enclosed or circular ruin.”
- Four-Room Houses: The presence of three rows of monolithic pillars on the west side of the site is indicative of the four-room houses typical of the Iron Age.
Excavation Findings:
- Pottery: The oldest sherds found at the site are characteristic of the Iron Age I, including a few cooking pots and collared-rim jars. Some jars resemble pithoi from the 10th century BCE more than those from the Early Iron Age I.
- 10th Century BCE Pottery: The majority of the pottery found at the site has been assigned to the 10th century BCE, featuring characteristic kraters, cooking pots, jugs, and cooking jugs of the period. A few burnished potsherds were also noteworthy.
- No Later Iron Age II Pottery: There was no pottery characteristic of later stages of the Iron Age II found at the site.
Site Abandonment:
- The site was abandoned in an orderly fashion without signs of conflagration or destruction, likely at the end of the 10th century BCE.
Later Periods:
Late Roman/Byzantine Period: A terrace-like boundary wall was built on the debris of the old wall, intended to prevent soil erosion and permit seasonal cultivation.