Tel Anafa was inhabited from the Early Bronze age through the Early Roman period and then again as attested by some later Arab structures. The most significant remains were found in the Hellenistic period (Herbert in Stern et al, 1993). The name of the town in Hellenistic times is unknown.

• from Sharon Herbert in Stern et al (1993 v.1)

Tel Anafa is situated in the upper Galilee at the base of the Golan Heights in the fields of Kibbutz Shamir (map reference 2105.2868). The site lies near the crossroads of the north-south trade route through the Jordan and Massyas valleys with the east-west road from Damascus to Tyre. In the Late Hellenistic and Roman periods, this constituted one of the major outlets to the west of the immensely profitable trans-desert trade route. The mound is small (c. 110 by 160 m) and rises some 10 m above the surrounding plain. Although excavations have shown that the mound was occupied almost continuously from the Early Bronze Age through the first century CE, the best-preserved and most impressive remains belong to the Late Hellenistic era, when the occupants of the mound appear to have profited greatly from their location near the trade routes. At that time the mound served as the acropolis of a larger town, part of whose walls was discovered in the early 1970s while digging the foundations for a fishpond. There is still no evidence for the ancient name of the town in Hellenistic times; the presence of several other Hellenistic settlements in the nearby Hula Basin makes it impossible to identify the tell confidently with any particular Hellenistic settlement mentioned in the literary sources.

• from Sharon Herbert in Stern et al (1993 v.1)

Nine seasons of fieldwork have been carried out at Tel Anafa in two series of excavations. The first series, sponsored by the Museum of Art and Archaeology of the University of Missouri, under the direction of S. S. Weinberg, was in the field for five seasons between 1968 and 1973; the second series fielded four summer campaigns from 1978 to 1981 and was jointly sponsored by the Kelsey Museum of the University of Michigan and the Museum of Art and Archaeology of the University of Missouri. Weinberg and S. Herbert were the co-directors of the second series.

In the nine years of excavations, approximately 1,000 sq m of the mound were dug to depths of as much as 5.8 m, although the average depth of penetration was about 2.5 m. The earliest habitation levels reached in the deeper probes belong to the Middle Bronze Age II, but pottery found in terrace fills and other secondary deposits bears witness to the occupation of the site in the Middle Bronze Age I and the latter part of the Early Bronze Age. Nowhere on the mound was sterile soil or bedrock reached. When, in the early years of the excavation, it became clear that there were more than 3 m of Hellenistic accumulation, well stratified into several major architectural phases, the decision was taken to concentrate on the Hellenistic remains, opening large areas to clarify the extent and plan of the Hellenistic buildings. In the first series of excavations, work was carried on in four main areas:

1. A step trench down the south slope, where superimposed houses from the Hellenistic and Early Roman periods were uncovered and, below these, paved roadways from the Iron and Bronze ages.
2. The northwest area where, below an Arab cemetery, houses of Early Roman and Late Hellenistic date were found.
3. The east-central area, where the southern part of a large buildingofLate Hellenistic date with elaborate stuccoed wall decoration was uncovered.
4. The northeast area, where about 15m oft he Hellenistic enclosure wall of the mound were exposed, together with part of a later porticoed structure built over and making use of the enclosure wall as a foundation.

The first series of excavations defined the site's major occupation phases and established its importance as a flourishing and exceptionally well-preserved settlement in the Late Hellenistic era. The great quantity of luxury products-thousands of molded glass bowls, numerous metal vessels and ornaments, molded lamps, and fine red-slipped pottery-testify to the settlement's great wealth and its participation in the far-flung Hellenistic trade. The small area opened in the first series (about 5 percent of the available surface) and the eroded condition of the upper levels made it impossible, however, to restore the plan or understand the function of the Late Hellenistic stuccoed building. It also caused serious problems in sorting out the chronology and interrelationship of the buildings in the uppermost strata. It proved particularly difficult to distinguish between the latest Hellenistic and earliest Roman occupation levels.

The second series of excavations was undertaken in 1978 to explore the Late Hellenistic stuccoed building and to clarify the chronology of the Late Hellenistic and Early Roman levels. From 1978 to 1981, work concentrated on the mound's north-central sector, between areas 3 and 4 of the first series. Approximately 40 percent of the Late Hellenistic stuccoed building's estimated area was exposed, providing definitive evidence for the building's late second-century BCE construction date and a subsequent first-century CE date for the architectural phase above it. The presence of scattered Arab structures in the uppermost levels was also documented.

• from Sharon Herbert in Stern et al (1993 v.1)

The results of nine seasons of excavation show the site of Tel Anafa to have been occupied almost continuously from the Early Bronze Age through the first century CE. The large and deeply founded buildings of the Late Hellenistic era disturbed and largely obscured the remains of the earlier habitations, but give a vivid picture of a rich, Hellenized settlement in Late Seleucid times. The evidence of the coins and stamped amphora handles together with the architectural remains of the Hellenistic levels indicates that there was a minor Ptolemaic settlement on the site in the third century BCE. This was succeeded in the second half of the second century BCE by a prosperous Seleucid settlement that took an active part in the trade of the Late Seleucid empire and flourished through the first quarter of the first century BCE. The chaotic conditions surrounding the disintegration of the Seleucid empire probably led to the site's abandonment some time shortly after 75 BCE. The mound was reoccupied in the early years of the first century CE as part of the reorganization of the Galilee under Herod Philip, whose capital was at nearby Caesarea Philippi (Banias). It was again abandoned toward the end of that century and was not reoccupied in antiquity.

• from Sharon Herbert in Stern et al (1993 v.1)

The evidence of the coins and stamped amphora handles together with the architectural remains of the Hellenistic levels indicates that there was a minor Ptolemaic settlement on the site in the third century BCE. This was succeeded in the second half of the second century BCE by a prosperous Seleucid settlement that took an active part in the trade of the Late Seleucid empire and flourished through the first quarter of the first century BCE. The chaotic conditions surrounding the disintegration of the Seleucid empire probably led to the site's abandonment some time shortly after 75 BCE. The mound was reoccupied in the early years of the first century CE as part of the reorganization of the Galilee under Herod Philip, whose capital was at nearby Caesarea Philippi (Banias). It was again abandoned toward the end of that century and was not reoccupied in antiquity.

Ellenblum et. al. (2015:4) suggested that an earthquake could be interpreted from the results of excavations in the Hellenistic period at Tel Anafa.

In another two-phase Hellenistic settlement some 20 km north of Ateret - Tell Anafa, an abrupt termination of a well-developed settlement with elaborate construction [Sharon Herbert in Stern et al (1993:58-61, v. 1)], may be re-interpreted as a result of an earthquake destruction.

Although Herbert in Stern et al (1993 v. 1) did not report any evidence for seismic destruction in Hellenistic times, they did date construction of a Late Hellenistic stuccoed building around ~125 BCE noting that a coin of Alexander Zebina (128-125 BCE) found in the construction fill of the bath's southern room is the latest find under any of the building's original floors. Herbert in Stern et al (1993 v.1) also reports that a massive leveling and terracing operation took place with the construction of the Late Hellenistic stuccoed building, obliterating earlier architectural remains. This could explain an absence of 2nd century BCE archaeoseismic evidence.

Coins and [] stamped amphora handles strongly suggested that the site was abandoned in second quarter of the first century BCE; similar to Tel Ateret which was abandoned sometime after 65/64 BCE. Abandonment could have been precipitated by seismic activity.

• from Wikipedia