1 7 ▁CE , ▁a ▁for tr ess ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁and ▁later ▁abandoned ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁site , ▁which ▁had ▁remained ▁abandoned , ▁was ▁survey ed ▁by ▁the ▁Palest ine ▁Ex pl oration ▁Fund ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 8 , ▁and ▁by ▁Av ner ▁R aban ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s . ▁It ▁was ▁first ▁exc av ated ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁" Y o q ne ' am ▁Regional ▁Project " ▁run ▁by ▁the ▁Heb rew ▁University ▁of ▁Jerusalem ▁and ▁the ▁Israel ▁Ex pl oration ▁Society . ▁The ▁exc av ations , ▁between ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁were ▁directed ▁by ▁the ▁arch ae ologist ▁Am non ▁Ben - T or . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁dig s ▁were ▁also ▁head ed ▁by ▁Ren ate ▁Ros ent hal ▁and ▁Yu val ▁Portug ali . ▁Two ▁other ▁sites ▁were ▁studied ▁in ▁that ▁project : ▁Tel ▁Q ash ish ▁and ▁Tel ▁Q iri . ▁Further ▁exc av ations ▁were ▁conducted ▁on ▁the ▁ac ropol is ▁by ▁Mi ri am ▁Av iss ar , ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁ ▁Today ▁there ▁is ▁an ▁arch ae ological ▁park ▁and ▁a ▁visitor ▁center ▁on ▁the ▁m ound . ▁The ▁park ▁is ▁operated ▁by ▁the ▁Israel ▁Anti qu ities ▁Author ity ▁and ▁the ▁municipality ▁of ▁Y ok ne am ▁Ill it . ▁It ▁was ▁created ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁conservation