Area V2
By Yuval Amir
Area V2, opened during the 2025 excavation season (Fig. 1), is located on the top of the mound, roughly 60 m southwest of area V1, within the southern part of al-Haditha’s nucleus. This location was identified following a thorough examination of a 1948 aerial photo of the village, which showed an open courtyard divided by a short separation wall surrounded by adjacent structures and an additional longer wall to its west (Fig. 2). Similarly to Area V1, the open courtyard at the heart of Area V2 allows for relatively direct access to the remains buried beneath the surface. Thus, the new area was opened with the aim of providing new data regarding the different processes of settlement in al-Haditha.
The most challenging feature the team had to face during the 2025 excavation season was the prevalence of rubble and stone collapses found throughout the top of the mound, which represent the debris of the destroyed village’s structures. Consequently, the early days of the excavation were concerned with careful and methodical dismantling of the debris. The excavation in the area exposed several phases of activity in the village, dating between the British Mandate of Palestine (1922–1948 CE) and the Late Ottoman Period (circa 1800–1918 CE), as well as scant remains which attest to activity in the site that predates the village.
Notable finds that reflect life in the village of al-Haditha include pottery sherds, broken loom weight, few glass finds, 2 metal bowls, and several coins which provide chronological anchors. Additionally, several features were uncovered that provided further information regarding the village: a stone-paved floor, a shallow plastered pit of a yet unknown function, and a large intact metal barrel deliberately buried under the courtyard floor (Fig, 4); awaiting analysis of its contents to better understand its purpose. The various finds uncovered in area V2 join the results of two seasons in area V1 in providing the expedition with valuable evidence of life in al-Haditha.
