Of the 19 mounds surveyed and numbered by Ruth Amiran in 1953, fewer than half remain today. And even these are endangered by urban growth. It takes only one bulldozer and a 20-minute mistake for another mound to disappear.
The most promising mound for further investigation remains tumulus 4. Untouched by construction, it is the best preserved and the most prominent one on the western horizon. A tunnel into the base of the mound would preserve the mound itself and at the same time reveal its inner secrets. The tunnel could then be opened to visitors, who from the summit could also enjoy the beautiful view of the hill to the west of Jerusalem and, to the east, the Mount of Olives, the tributaries of the Soreq Valley, the new city of Jerusalem and the forests of Mt. Herzl.
