A Late Byzantine Oil Press at Kefar Barukh

‘Atiqot 47, 2004 A LATE BYZANTINE OIL PRESS AT KEFAR BARUKH DANNY SYON In May 1997, a salvage excavation was carried out at the ancient site near Kefar Barukh (map ref. NIG 2177/7273, OIG 1677/2273), following the cutting of a trench for a water pipe that damaged part of it.1 BACKGROUND The site lies at the foot of a low limestone hill which rises c. 15 m above the western part of the Jezre’el Valley. It is partly built on the rich and deep alluvial soil, c. 200 m from the Nahal Qishon riverbed (Fig. 1). A glance at the recently published survey map of Mishmar Ha-‘Emeq (Raban 1999) shows that the site (No. 33) is isolated, with no other ancient site within a radius of c. 3 km around it. This stands in contrast to the densely marked areas outside the valley (compare also the Nahalal survey map [Raban 1982]). There may, however, be undiscovered ancient remains under the deep alluvium. Fig. 1. Location map. The site of Kefar Barukh has not been identified with any ancient site mentioned in historical sources and in general has been little studied. Thus, all information relies on archaeological evidence (partly culled from the IAA archive database) and on the newly published survey mentioned above (Raban 1999:50*–51*, Site 33). The earliest presence on the site that can be traced dates to the Early Bronze Age, based on Canaanite sickle blades found in the present excavation. Various other flint cores and chips cannot be dated with any precision, but may be earlier in date. In the past, flint implements were found on the surface but were not documented. The survey by Raban does not mention finds earlier than the MB II, from which a tomb and pottery are recorded (Raban 1999:51*). A single piece of an Attic black-glazed vessel from the Persian period found in the present excavation indicates some sort of presence at that time, though again, this period is not attested in Raban’s survey. A rim piece of a large limestone jar was found on the surface, a type common in Jewish contexts in Jerusalem and its vicinity (e.g., Cahill 1992: 251, Fig. 18) from the first century CE. Our example is of inferior workmanship and may have been manufactured in the Galilee (Gal 1991). This find ties in with two cave tombs with kokhim, excavated a few hundred meters to the east in 1956 (Prausnitz and Rahmani 1967). The caves, cut into a small limestone outcrop, yielded several limestone ossuaries, one inscribed in Greek with the name Judas, (son) of Thaddeus (Rahmani 1994:114, No. 145). These finds indicate a Jewish presence at the site in the late Second Temple Period and later (first–second centuries CE). Numerous 156 DANNY SYON such caves are documented on the slopes of the Menashe plateau to the west and in the southern reaches of the Jezre’el Valley (Raban 1999) and in the Migdal Ha-‘Emeq area to the north. In the Roman period the Legio–Sepphoris road passed slightly to the east of the site, where a Roman milestone was found (Druks 1967:190, Site 39; Hecker 1967). THE PRESENT EXCAVATION Area A of the excavation was found to contain material dating from the Late Roman through Ottoman periods (Syon 2002). The oil press that is the subject of this article was found in Area B, situated c. 50 m east of Area A (Syon 2002 and Fig. 1). The single 4.5 × 6.0 m square that was originally laid out was enlarged four times during the excavation, as new installations of the press emerged. Stratum I Stratum I consisted of the meager remains of a room (L201, Plan 1) with a floor of crushed chalk or lime. Only a single course of soft chalk fieldstones remained of the walls of the room (W203–205). The room and the surrounding area were found to be covered by a 10 cm deep layer of ashes. Some of the walls, especially W205, were burnt as well. The layer of ashes was found to extend for some distance outside the room. The foundations of W205 below the Plan 1. Stratum I remains. floor were found to lie directly on the crushing stone of the oil press of Stratum II (see below). The Finds.— The finds in this stratum consisted of mixed material. Two datable Byzantine coins were found on the floor of the room, one of Anastasius I or Justin I (498–527 CE, cat. no. 8) and another of Justin II, dated to 567/8 CE (cat. no. 9). Three additional Byzantine coins and one probable Late Roman coin were found in the burnt layer corresponding to Stratum I when the original square was enlarged. The pottery fragments collected ranged from the Byzantine period (Fig. 2:1) through later phases of the Early Islamic (Fig. 2:2–4) and Crusader periods (Fig. 2:5), with the greatest quantity from the tenth– eleventh centuries CE. A small number of nonindicative glass fragments were collected also, most probably of Byzantine origin. Two finds were found in the upper levels of Stratum II, but should be considered as belonging to the leveling fill for Stratum I, because of their generally later date than the finds discussed below. One is a jug (Fig. 2:6), probably dated to the ninth–eleventh centuries or to the Mamlûk period, although no exact parallel was found for the fabric. The other is an intact oil lamp (Fig. 2:7) dated to the eighth– eleventh centuries CE. The lamp is identical to and was made from the same mold as a lamp found in the Bet She’an excavations (Hadad and Khamis 1998:75, No. 15). Dating: Since no complete vessels except the lamp were found in association with the room, its dating is conjectural. The flimsy architectural remains suggest a short period of use. It is probably best placed in the later phases of the Early Islamic period, i.e., the tenth– eleventh centuries CE, following the evidence of the lamp and most of the pottery fragments, in spite of the Byzantine coins, which may, in fact, indicate even later disturbances in the area which mixed up some material. The stratum was found to contain much less later (Mamlûk and Ottoman) material than Area A to the west and certainly postdates the oil press that lies directly below it, which is dated to the late Byzantine–Early Islamic period (see below). 157 A LATE BYZANTINE OIL PRESS AT KEFAR BARUKH Fig. 2. Pottery from Stratum I (1–5) and intrusions into Stratum II (6, 7). No. Reg. No. Vessel Type and Description Date (CE) Parallels 1 202/2012 Bowl CRS form 9 7th c. Hayes 1972:378, Fig. 81, No. 7 2 202/2009 Bowl Glazed bowl, ‘splashed and mottled’ yellow and light green on the inside only; core: yellowish red 5YR 4/6 11th c. Yoqne‘am: Avissar 1996b:88, type 26 3 201/2006 Cooking pot Core: yellowish red 5YR 5/6; outside surface: reddish brown 5YR 4/4 Late 10th–early 11th c. Caesarea: Arnon 1999:242, Fig. 8j 4 202/2001 Jar Surface: dark gray 10YR 4/1; core: brown 7.5YR 5/4; metallic 9th c. Yoqne‘am: Avissar 1996b:149, type 4 5 202/2003 Glazed bowl Byzantine Sgraffito Ware 12th c. Yoqne‘am: Avissar 1996b:107, type 66 6 213/2037 Jug Reddish brown 2.5YR 5/4; white grits; cooking pot fabric Mamlûk period? For fabric, cf. Yoqne‘am: Avissar 1996b:162, Pl. XIII.139:6 (9th c.) 7 218/2048 Lamp ‘Buff’ ware: pale yellow 5Y 8/3; on the channel the word barakah in mirror script Late 8th–11th c. Bet She’an: Hadad and Khamis 1998:75, no. 15 (apparently the same mold) Stratum II (Plan 2; Figs. 3, 4) This stratum begins immediately below the chalk/lime floor of Stratum I. It consists of debris and collapsed building stones that extend down to the floor of the oil-press building, altogether a thickness of c. 55 cm. This does not include the depth of the various installations in the building and the probe under the ‘street’ (see below). 158 DANNY SYON Plan 2. Stratum II remains. Fig. 3. General view, looking north. A LATE BYZANTINE OIL PRESS AT KEFAR BARUKH 159 Fig. 4. General view of the oil press, looking east. At right, W208. The Building (L207) Only part of the outline of the building was exposed: a 7.5-m-long section of the southwestern wall (W208), a 4-m-long section of the southeastern wall (W221) and a fragment that may be the northeastern wall (W222). Wall 208 was dry-laid and was constructed of ashlars and welldressed blocks, of which only two–three courses survived (c. 80 cm from the foundation). Some of its stones are reused architectural elements, such as two stones that may be door threshold segments, and along it there is a blocked doorway (not visible on the plan or photographs). In contrast, W221—at least what survives of it—is constructed mostly of fieldstones, without any apparent binding agent. The continuation of this wall to the northeast appears to have been robbed, though no clear traces of a robber trench were discernible in the section. Inside the building two short ashlar walls were identified (W217, W223, Plan 2); these are apparently piers that supported an arch over the center of the building. The line formed by joining the two piers is equidistant from W208 and from wall fragment W222. Thus, W222 is probably the northeastern wall of the building, making it c. 8.5 m wide. There is insufficient evidence to conclude whether or not the building was rectangular or had various projections or niches in its northwestern and southeastern walls (but see below). Its minimum length was c. 9.5 m, measured from W221 to slightly beyond the collecting vat (L224) at the northwestern edge of the excavation. Another architectural element observed inside the building was Wall 225 at right angles to Pier 223; its function is uncertain (but see below). The floor of the building is roughly paved with fieldstones, broken building stones and stone elements used in the pressing process that broke or were replaced, e.g., weights. The entrance(s) to the building in its last phase was not identified with certainty. One possible entrance was in W208, between the storage bins and the weight pit. A roughly hewn rectangular pillar (1.28 × 160 DANNY SYON 0.55 × 0.45 m, see Fig. 3 foreground, lying partly on W208) may have been a structural element of the building, such as a support for the roof or a lintel of the presumed entrance here. In general, all the stones used in the building are fashioned from local soft chalk (nari), with the exception of the crushing stone. The Elements of the Press These will be described in the order of their use in the pressing process. Storage Bins.— Two storage bins were identified, L215 and L227 (Fig. 3, foreground), next to the southeastern wall (W221) and confined between the southwestern wall (W208) and Pier W217. These bins are nothing more than a single shallow (c. 35 cm deep) pit dug into the floor, lined on the northwest by fieldstones and dressed stones, separated into two by a row of dressed blocks. The purpose of these bins was to store freshly arrived olives. From considerations of symmetry, one may suppose that W225 may be the edge of a similar set of bins in the opposite corner of the building. From the method of construction, especially the retaining walls constructed of fieldstones, it appears that the bins, as well as the weight pit (below) were dug into the floor after the construction of the building itself was finished. Crushing Mill.— The crushing mill consisted of two elements: a crushing basin and the crushing stone. The basin was constructed of six (assuming symmetry) segments made of limestone (Fig. 5). One segment was discovered in the center of the building and another in Bin 215. This type of crushing basin is unusual, but not unique. A similar basin was excavated at Tel Safsafot, near the foot of Mount Tabor, c. 20 km to the east (Frankel 1988–1989). Here the basin was found complete, and the crushing surface was made of a flat, finely ground basalt disk that was laid on the assembled segments (Frankel 1988–1989:79, Pl. 7:2). It is highly likely that a similar crushing surface was used at Kefar Barukh as well. Yet another similar, though not as well executed basin, was found in one of the oil presses excavated at Qastra, at the southern approaches of Haifa.2 The basin belongs to Types 3103 (a single site in Italy) or 3123 (Tel Safsafot) in Frankel’s typology (Frankel 1999:68–69, CD-ROM File 2:56–57). The reconstructed outer diameter of the basin is Fig. 5. Crushing stone and basin segments. A LATE BYZANTINE OIL PRESS AT KEFAR BARUKH 161 c. 2 m (Fig. 6). The crushing stone is made of a very porous, hard limestone and was found in the center of the room (see Plan 2), cracked and well worn (see Fig. 5). The socket has an apparently unusual mortise (Fig. 7). Weights.— Three weights were found in weight pit L230 (Fig. 4; Table 1). All are made of soft nari chalk, are rectangular and have a ‘reversed T’ bore, the most common type in Israel and the surrounding regions Weight Pits.— Two weight pits were found. One, L230, next to W208 (see Fig. 4) was fully excavated, while the second, L218, next to W222 (see Fig. 3, right background) was only partially excavated. Both pits were dug into the floor and lined with poorly-built walls made of mixed fieldstones, dressed stones and old weights which apparently had been discarded and replaced by larger ones (see Plan 2 and Fig. 4). The excavated pit is irregular in shape and measures 1.0–1.8 × 3.7 m. In the second pit large quantities of large, black tesserae were found (average size 2 × 2 × 2 cm), probably remains of a mosaic floor surrounding the press bed. Fig. 6. Crushing basin segment. Fig. 7. Crushing stone. Table 1. Dimensions and Weights of the Press Weights No. Length (m) Width 1 (m) Width 2 (m) Weight (kg) Horizontal bore Vertical bore 1 1.10 0.53 0.57 490 Oval, straight sided, Ø10 × 14 cm Round, straight sided, Ø13 cm 2 1.11 0.61 0.56 560 Round, conical, small Ø 8 cm, large Ø 17 cm. Square, straight sided, 17 × 18 cm 3 1.00 0.71 0.67–0.81 780 Square, straight sided, 18 × 20 cm Square, straight sided, 19 × 20 cm 162 DANNY SYON from the Hellenistic period onward (Frankel 1999:101, type 53). The weights in Table 1 have been calculated using an average density of 1500 kg/m3 for nari and have been rounded off to the nearest 10 kg. A weight of similar dimensions was found in the northeastern pit but was not fully excavated (see Plan 2 and Fig. 3, rear). Collecting Vat (Figs. 8, 9; Plan 3).— Since Collecting Vat 224 could not be completely excavated, some of its details remain obscure. It consists of a one-m-deep square pit (0.8 × 0.8 m), in line with Weight Pit 230, but not along its centerline. It is plastered on the inside with a thick layer of pinkish hydraulic plaster. All edges, with the exception of its northeastern edge, have parallel grooves to direct excess oil Fig. 8. Collecting vat, before opening, looking northwest. into the vat. Traces of a coarse white mosaic floor were observed to the northwest of the vat. It is not certain whether the vat served as the press-bed as well (central collecting), or if there is a separate press-bed farther to the northwest, which was not excavated (lateral collecting). The second possibility is more likely, as square central collecting vats are rare, known only from two sites, both dated to the Hellenistic period.3 The fragmentary mosaic floor between a pressbed and the vat also supports this reconstruction. The vat was found covered by two large stones. One, measuring 1.75 × 0.55 × 0.27 m (Fig. 3, far left, and Fig. 8), has an L-shaped cross section, and is probably an architectural element reused in the press as a plain pier, laterally supporting the press beam. The second stone partially Fig. 9. Collecting vat, looking southwest. Plan 3. Collecting vat: plan and section. A LATE BYZANTINE OIL PRESS AT KEFAR BARUKH covered the edge of the vat (Fig. 9) and was not completely excavated; this is probably the second pier. It appears as if the piers were laid over the vat on purpose when the press was no longer in use. Features Outside the Building.— Parallel to the southwestern wall of the press building (W208), at a distance of 1 m from it, another wall was uncovered (W206). The wall is very similar to W208, built of well-cut ashlars, without mortar in the joints. The space excavated between the two walls (L209) has a compacted earth floor that is c. 10 cm lower than the floor of the press building. This passage is probably a street or alley, but since the excavated area is small, the possibility that it is another room of the press complex cannot be ruled out. The passage was found blocked by three large ashlars that were laid on the floor side by side (Fig. 3; Fig. 4, far right). A test probe sunk under the floor of the passage exposed the fieldstone bedding of the floor (L211) and below it a foundation layer lying on sterile alluvial soil (L212). The trench proved that the foundation of W206 rests 163 directly on this sterile soil, while the foundation of W208 is c. 15 cm lower, dug into the soil. Adjacent to the outside of W221, at the southeastern corner of the press building, remains of a tabun were excavated, damaged by the cutting of the trench for the water pipe. THE FINDS Pottery The most prominent ceramic find in the various areas of the press building were fragments of black, white painted baggy storage jars on—or very close to—the floor and inside the weight pit and storage bins (Fig. 10:7). Two limestone stoppers were recovered from the floor of the building, perfectly fitting the openings of these jars (cf. Magen 1993:172, Fig. 7). No doubt these storage jars contained the olive oil produced in the press. Very few cooking pot fragments were found, and the complete cooking pot (Fig. 10:6) stands out in this respect. Most of the common families of Fine Wares were present, although not in great quantities: Late Roman C (Fig. 10: 1), Cypriote Red Slip (Fig. 2:1, technically from Fig. 10. Pottery from Stratum II. 164 DANNY SYON
Fig. 10 No. Reg. No. Vessel Type and description Date (CE) Parallels 1 209/2016 Bowl LRC form 10 7th c. Yoqne‘am: Avissar 1996a:68, Fig. XII.2, No. 11 2 211/2030/3 Bowl CRS form 2 6th c. Yoqne‘am: Avissar 1996a:69, Fig. XII.3, No. 5 3 213/2037 Bowl ARS form 99C Late 6th–early 7th c. Hayes 1972:152–155, Fig. 28, No. 28 4 211/2030/4 Small cooking Core and inside: light reddish pot or jug brown 5YR 6/4; outside varies from reddish brown to brown 6th–7th c. (?) 5 211/2030/1 Storage jar Surface: pink 7.5YR 7/3; core: gray 7.5YR 5/0 6th–7th c. Smith and Day 1989: Pl. 48:11 6 207/2026 Cooking pot Yellowish-red 5YR 5/6 7th c. Nazareth: Bagatti 1969: 283, Fig. 224, No. 12 7 207/2028 Storage jar Color is the same on the surface and the core, but this varies at different places on the vessel from gray 10YR 5/0 to red 10R 5/8; large white grits Late 6th–7th c. Cf. McNicoll, Smith and Hennessy 1982: Pl. 139:5 Stratum I) and African Red Slip (Fig. 10:3). The test probe under the ‘street’ (L211) yielded similar material (Fig. 10:2, 4, 5). All these date to the sixth–seventh centuries CE. The absence of ceramic lamps is notable; only a single fragment was recovered, roughly dated to the Byzantine period. oil pressing period is short and is conducted in late fall when daylight hours are short, it stands to reason that the work went on after dark, necessitating illumination. In excavated oil presses, large quantities of ceramic lamps are commonly found (e.g. Magen 1993:172, Fig. 7). Glass Large quantities of glass fragments were collected in the press building, unfortunately mostly body fragments. The few pieces that can be identified are bottle or flask rims, a winegoblet base and a lamp stem, all consistent with a terminus post quem in the fifth century CE. Coins A total of twenty-eight coins were found in Area B, with the following chronological breakdown (Table 2). Most (8) unidentifiable coins are probably of the fourth century CE, based on considerations of size, thickness and general appearance (fabric); three others are Byzantine. Thus, with the exception of the single coin probably attributable to the first century CE, the rest span the early fourth–early seventh centuries. The lack of fifth century coins is, by itself, not indicative of anything, as coins of this century are notoriously elusive, partly because of their small size and partly because of reduced mint outputs in this period. Also, coins of the fourth century were often used well into the fifth century. Miscellaneous Finds On the floor of the press building a number of iron nails were found; their use is unknown. A c. 20 cm long piece of bronze chain made of figure-eight shaped links of square crosssection was found. Identically constructed chains are commonly found in churches of the Byzantine period,4 and it may be suggested that the chain supported a lamp holder for glass lamps suspended in the press building. As the 165 A LATE BYZANTINE OIL PRESS AT KEFAR BARUKH A breakdown according to strata and loci presents the following picture (Table 3; one coin is a surface find and thus does not appear in the table). The coins in Stratum I, though from a ‘good’ context on the floor, seem to be stray finds or, at best, coins reused in a much later period (see above). The coins in the probe sunk under the passage (L211) are very worn and supply a terminus post quem in the late fourth century CE, and probably later for the construction of the passage, and likely, for the press. The latest phase of the use of the press is supplied by an abundance of sixth century coins found on the floor of the building. The latest coin, that of Heraclius, was found in the debris covering the floor and extends the numismatic evidence into the seventh century. Table 2. Chronological Breakdown of the Coins Cat. No. Mint(s) Date (CE) Minting Authority Quantity 1 Ascalon 37–41 Caligula (?) 1 2 Antioch 337–347 Late Roman 1 3 Constantinople 361–363 Julian II 1 Late 4th c. Late Roman 4 498–527 Anastasius I or Justin I 1 565–578 Justin II 5 4–7 8 9–13 Constantinople (1), Nicomedia (1) 14 Constantinople 15 16 Alexandria 17 579–582 Tiberius II 1 582–602 Maurice 1 618–628 Heraclius 1 6th–7th c. Byzantine 1 Probably 4th c. Unidentifiable 8 Byzantine (probably 6th c.) Unidentifiable 3 Table 3. The Coins in Context Stratum Locus Context Minting Authority Date (CE) Quantity I 201 and 216, 218 (upper levels) On crushed chalk floor or in layer of ashes Late Roman 4th c. 1 Byzantine 6th c. 5 II 207, 215, 216, 218 Debris layer covering the press building Unidentifiable 4th c.(?) 3 Late Roman 4th c. 2 Byzantine 6th–7th c. 2 Caligula (?) 1st c. 1 Unidentifiable 4th c. (?) 1 Late Roman 4th c. 1 II 207 On floor of press building Byzantine 6th–7th c. 6 II 215 On floor of storage bin Late Roman 4th c. 1 II 209 On floor of passage Late Roman 4th c. 1 II 211 Probe under passage Unidentifiable 4th c. (?) 2 Late Roman 4th c. 1 DANNY SYON Catalogue 1. B2043, L207, IAA 84477. Caligula (?) (37–41 CE), Ascalon(?) Obv.: [---] Head l. Rev.: Astarte standing l. on prow, holding scepter and apluster. To l. altar, to r. dove (oblit.). Æ, ↑, 11.73 gm, 23 mm. Cf. RPC 1:675–676, Nos. 4882–3; 4885,4887 2. B2025, L207, IAA 84478. Late Roman (337–347), Antioch. Obv.: [---] Bust r., pearl diademed. Rev.: GLOR–IA EX[ERC]–ITVS Two soldiers, between them one standard. In field r. and l. dots Æ, , 1.43 gm, 16 mm. Cf. RIC 8:515, No. 52 ↑ 8. B2002, L201, IAA 84488. Anastasius I or Justin I (498–527 CE) Obv.: [---] Bust r. Rev.: K To l.: cross; to r.: star. Æ half follis, ↓, 8.97 gm, 26 mm. 9. B2008, L201, IAA 84493. Justin II, 567/8 CE Obv.: Obliterated. Rev.: M To l.: [A]NN[O]; to r.: I / II; beneath: B Æ follis, ↑, 12.38 gm, 32 mm. Cf. DOC 1:205, No. 24b. 10. B2014, L207, IAA 84494. Justin II, 567/8 CE Obv.: [---] Justin and Sophia nimbate, on thrones. Rev.: M To r.: II / I; beneath: B Æ follis, ↑, 5.92 gm, 31 mm. Cf. DOC 1:205, No. 24b ↑ 3. B2038, L213, IAA 84480. Julian II (361–363 CE), Constantinople. Obv.: [---] Bust r., cuirassed. Rev.: SECVRITA[S REIPVB] Bull r., above, two stars. Æ, , 8.72 gm, 27 mm. Cf. LRBC 2, Nos. 2056–2059 Obv.: [---] Bust r. Rev.: [---] Victory l.(?) Æ, , 1.62 gm, 16 mm. ↑ 166 4. B2045, L215, IAA 84483. Late Roman (late fourth century CE) Obv.: [---] Bust r. with young features. Rev.: [SALVS REIPV]BLICA Victory l. Æ, ↓, 1.14 gm, 14 mm. 5. B2046, L215, IAA 84485. Late Roman (late fourth century CE) Obv.: […] Traces of bust. Rev.: [---] Obliterated. Æ, 1.25 gm, 11 mm. 6. B2021, IAA 84481. Late Roman (383 or 425–450 CE) Obv.: [---] Bust r. Rev.: VOT/X/MVLT/XX in wreath. Æ, ↑, 0.99 gm, 13 mm. Cf. LRBC 2, Nos. 2158, 2242. 7. B2032, L211, IAA 84482. Late Roman (4th c. CE) 11. B2065, L207, IAA 84495. Justin II, Nicomedia, 571/2 CE Obv.: [---] Justin and Sophia nimbate, on thrones. Rev.: M To l.: ANNO; to r.: M ; beneath: A Æ follis, ↓, 13.09 gm, 28 mm. DOC1:228, No. 97b 12. B2024, L207, IAA 84492. Justin II (565–578 CE) Obv.: [---] Justin and Sophia nimbate, on thrones. Rev.: M To r.: ANNO; date obliterated; beneath: B Æ follis, ↑, 12.07 gm, 30 mm. 13. B2050, L218, IAA 84491. Justin II (565–578), Constantinople. Obv.: Obliterated. Rev.: M Above: ½; to l.: ANNO; date obliterated; beneath: D Æ follis, 14.36 gm, 29 mm. Cf. DOC 1:207, No. 29d A LATE BYZANTINE OIL PRESS AT KEFAR BARUKH 14. B2042, L207, IAA 84496. Tiberius II (579–582 CE), Constantinople. Obv.: [---]PPA Bust facing, in his r. globus cruciger. Rev.: XX. Above: cross. Æ half follis, ↓, 5.54 gm, 23 mm. Cf. DOC 1:274, No. 17c 15. B2044, L216, IAA 84497. Maurice Tiberius, 587/8 CE Obv.: Obliterated. Rev.: K Above: cross; to l.: ANNO; to r.: M Æ half follis, 4.79 gm, 25 mm. Cf. DOC 1:312, No. 51 16. B2020, L207, IAA 84498. Heraclius (610–641), Alexandria, 618–628 CE Obv.: [---] Bust facing. Above: cross; to r.: crescent; to l.: star. Rev.: I+B Æ dodecanummium, ↓, 5.70 gm, 17 mm. DOC 2/1:336, No. 191 17. B2056, L218, IAA 84490. Byzantine (sixth–seventh centuries CE) Obv.: Obliterated. Rev.: K To l.: ANNO Æ half follis, 6.10 gm, 22 mm. CHRONOLOGY AND CONCLUSIONS The extent of the excavation does not permit the identification of the press as belonging to a farm, village or other form of settlement.5 167 The presence of an oil press in the middle of the valley, however, is rather unusual. Olives were (and still are) usually cultivated in hill country and not in the heavy soil of the plains. As demonstrated in Raban’s survey, the nearest oil presses are all on the fringes of the valley and the slopes of the Menashe plateau (cf., e.g., Raban 1999: Sites 60, 74, 92, 93, 95, 122, 147). The numismatic evidence indicates that the oil press was built toward the end of the fourth century CE at the earliest. Yet a date in the early sixth century is more probable, based on the lack of ceramic evidence for the fourth century and the total assemblage of finds found in and around the oil press. The presence of fourth century coins in the probe under the passage can be explained, in this case at least, as fill material brought from other parts of the site when constructing the complex. The press apparently functioned uninterruptedly until sometime in the seventh century when it fell into disuse. The ceramic evidence, and especially the black baggy-jars, strongly suggests that this did not happen with the Arab conquest (c. 640 CE) but somewhat later, in the Umayyad period. The single Umayyad coin found in Area A and the relatively small quantity of pottery from the period (in both areas), indicate a decline of the activity at the site at this time. A revival occurred later, probably in the ninth–tenth centuries, as evidenced by Stratum I. This revived settlement apparently carried on, uninterrupted, until the twentieth century, when the village was called elSheikh Muhammad or el-Waraqani, that existed here until 1948 (Raban 1999:24*–25*). NOTES 1 The excavation (Permit No. A-2660) was directed by the author on behalf of the IAA. Funding was provided by the Mekorot Water Company. I wish to thank the following persons for their contributions: H. Elnekaveh (administration), Y. Erpert and P. Pesakhov (on-site drawing), I. Vatkin and E. Belashov (general plans), L. Porat (pottery restoration), H. Tahan-Rosen (pottery drawings), E. Altmark (metal artifact cleaning) and N. Zak (final plans). After the excavation the site was backfilled to preserve and protect it from looting. 2 I wish to thank G. Finkielsztejn, co-director of the excavation, for allowing me to mention this press. 3 The sites are Aderet in the Shephelah (Yogev 1982) and Khirbet Yajuz in Jordan (Thompson 1972). 4 Similar chains were found at e.g., Waziya (Aviam 1995:53) and Nahariya (Dauphin and Edelstein 1984: Pls. LVIII–LXIII). 5 For a settlement pattern survey of the valley see Portugali 1986. 168 DANNY SYON REFERENCES Arnon Y.D. 1999. 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