Khirbet Siya: A Byzantine Settlement in Ramallah Region - Palestine

Kh. Siya is a site located near to Jibya village, 15 km east of Ramallah region. The site was excavated by Birzeit University between July and August 1999. The site is very valuable to understanding the occupational history of the region. In general, it is mainly a one period village which is located on the mountain areas. It is probably the site identified as Giba of Josephus located five miles east of Gophna. The excavations revealed three major strata: the early strata related to a church building. During the excavation, we recovered remains of an olive press, a house and pavements. Few objects were recovered indicating that the houses may have been robbed during the long abandonment period.