Byzantine Industrial Installation

May 28, 2013

Installations such as these are usually identified as winepresses for producing wine from grapes, and it is also possible they were used to produce wine or alcoholic beverages from other types of fruit that grew in the region. Yafo’s [Jaffa’s] rich and diverse agricultural tradition has a history thousands of years old beginning with references to the city and its fertile fields in ancient Egyptian documents, up to Yafo’s orchards in the Ottoman period. 

According to Dr. Yoav Arbel, director of the excavations on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “This is the first important building from the Byzantine period to be uncovered in this part of the city. The fact that the installation is located relatively far from Tel Yafo adds a significant dimension to our knowledge about the impressive agricultural distribution in the region in this period. It is possible that the section that was discovered represents a relatively small part of the overall installation, and other elements of it are likely to be revealed in archaeological excavations along adjacent streets which are expected to take place later this year”.

Source: From an Israel Antiquities Authority press release

Photo Credit: IAA