The pottery found in two sounding-pits (L7 and L22) shows that the beginnings of the structure date to the early 6th century CE. The rest of the ceramic find, which is typical of the mountain region south of Jerusalem.

 

The globular bowls and the vessels of the Late Roman Red Ware type

were only found in Sounding-pits L7 and L22, and did not appear in the

assemblages connected archaeologically to the second and third construction phases. Moreover, the group of vessels from Locus 7 – fills beneath the floor of the second phase and in the foundations of Wall 100 – constitutes the main part of the assemblage. Besides the bowls found in these loci, nine other types of bowls were found in the fills, in the structure, and in the courtyard. These types were also attributed to the Byzantine period.

 

Three types of heavy-walled cooking pots were discovered, most of them made of a light-brown or red clay, all of them of the Byzantine period. a single fragment was found in Locus 22; 2-3). Large bowls were found in fills above the burials area in the west, which perhaps explains the purpose of the poor structures south and west of the main building: perhaps a kitchen and service buildings. The many roof tiles found in the fill of the structure, all of them made of a brown clay and rectangular in form, may help in reconstructing the roofing: a gable roof of clay tiles laid over wooden rafters supported by walls and pillars. A rosette imprint was found on two roof tiles.