Ashqelon

Pirhiya Nahshoni

16/02/2009

Final Report

During November–December 2005, a salvage excavation was conducted in Ashqelon (Permit No. A-4641; map ref. NIG 16043/61986; OIG 11043/11986). The excavation, undertaken on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and underwritten by the Aharoni Brothers Company, was directed by P. Nahshoni, with the assistance of H. Lavi (administration), V. Pirsky and V. Essman (surveying and drafting), Y. Nagar (physical anthropology), Y. Bukengolts (pottery restoration), C. Hersch (drawing), Y. Gorin-Rosen (glass) and Y. Huster.

Seven excavation squares were opened at the corner of Eli Cohen and Tishrei Streets in the Migdal Ashqelon neighborhood (Fig. 1). A layer of fill from the Hellenistic period was discovered; upon it were the remains of a winepress and a few construction remains that dated to the Byzantine period. In 2002, remains that dated to the Roman, Byzantine and Early Islamic periods were excavated in a lot, located next to and west of the current excavation (Permit No. A-3804). In 1993 and several dozen meters to the west of the excavation, remains from the Roman and Byzantine periods were excavated (‘Atiqot 37:181–209 [Hebrew]). Remains from the Hellenistic and Byzantine periods, c. 500 m northwest of the excavation, were excavated (ESI 14:110–111), as well as remains from the Chalcolithic period (‘Atiqot 38:99*–111*). Other excavations in the Migdal Ashqelon quarter revealed tombs that date to the Middle Bronze Age (ESI 15:131–132; 16:141).

A layer of soil fill (Loci 127, 129, 137, 145; thickness c. 0.95 m), which contained potsherds from the Hellenistic period, was exposed; thee included bowls (Fig. 2:1–5), a krater (Fig. 2:6), cooking pots (Fig. 2:7–10), an amphora (Fig. 2:11), jars (Fig. 2:12–15), a hydria (type of water jar; Fig. 2:16), a jug (Fig. 2:17) and a juglet (Fig. 2:18).

Remains of a built winepress were exposed on the layer of fill (Fig. 3). These consisted of a treading floor (L140), three fermentation cells (Loci 110, 111, 123) and a collecting vat (L144). The western part of the treading floor was located beyond the limits of the excavation area. The treading floor (3.6 × 9.0 m) was probably paved with limestone slabs; several fragments of such flagstones were found, ex situ, in the excavation. A channel led from the treading floor to the collecting vat. The fermentation cells (1.0 × 2.6–2.9 m) were built of debesh construction that utilized small stones and light colored cement; only the inside of the cells was coated with light colored plaster (wall thickness 0.3–0.4 m) and they were preserved to a maximum of 0.35 m high. The cells were paved with potsherds that were set in a herringbone pattern and probably constituted bedding for a plaster layer that was not preserved. A channel leading from the treading floor was discerned in the center of the western side of Cell 110. The space between the cells was filled with soil and stones that aided in maintaining a cool temperature in the cells. Repairs to the walls of the cell were noted in Cell 123. The collecting vat (1.3 × 2.0 × 2.0 m; Fig. 4), whose walls were built of debesh construction, was next to a wall that delimited Cell 123 from the west (W10) and a wall that delimited the treading floor from the north (W14); hence, a double wall of sorts was created around the vat. A circular settling vat (upper diam. 1.05 m, depth 0.55 m) was cut in the middle of the collecting vat with a small sump in its center (upper diam. 0.3 m, depth 0.23 m). All the components of the collecting vat were coated with a light colored plaster. The top edge of the collecting vat was plastered, thereby forming a kind of bench (width c. 0.4 m) that was only preserved along the northern wall. A large quantity of debris was discovered on top of the winepress remains. It included numerous ceramic and glass finds that dated to the end of the Byzantine period, as well as fragments of distorted vessels that attest to the close proximity of a pottery workshop. Based on the dating of the finds, it seems that the winepress ceased to operate in the later part of the Byzantine period. The ceramic finds included Late Roman C bowls (Fig. 5:1–4), Cypriot Red Slip bowls (Fig. 5:5–7), an Egyptian Red Slip bowl (Fig. 5:8), a Fine Byzantine Ware bowl (Fig. 5:13), local bowls that are characteristic of the Ashqelon region in the Byzantine period (Fig. 5:9, 10, 12), kraters with a folded rim whose sides are adorned with strips of combed decorations (Fig. 6:1–4), cooking kraters (Fig. 6:2), frying pans (Fig. 6:3), cooking pots (Fig. 6:4, 5), Gaza jars (Fig. 7:1, 3, 4), bag-shaped jars (Fig. 7:5–9), Bet She’an-type jars (Fig. 7:10), Yassi Ada-type amphorae (Fig. 7:11), stirrup jugs and flasks (Fig. 7:12–14) and juglets (Fig. 7:15, 16). The glass vessels included goblets (Fig. 8:1–6) and bottles (Fig. 8:7, 8).

Construction remains, which included a corner of a building (W1, W2) and a floor of small stones (L106), were exposed south of the winepress. Pottery vessels that dated to the Byzantine period were discovered on the floor, including a bowl (Fig. 5:11), a cooking pot lid (Fig. 6:5) and a Gaza jar that was standing upside down (Fig. 7:2).

A dug pit (L143) was discovered along the eastern edge of the winepress. It contained Gaza jars whose upper parts were missing (Fig. 9:1–3); one of the jars contained an infan’s burial. This pit damaged the eastern end of Fermentation Cell 111 and it therefore seems to postdate the winepress.

The earliest remains at the site date to the Hellenistic period and it seems that they are indicative of contemporary settlement remains located in the vicinity. The building, whose remains were exposed south of the winepress, is probably related to the activity at this installation. Based on the ceramic finds discovered on the floor of the building, it can be determined that the winepress operated during the Byzantine period. It is also possible that at some point in the Byzantine period, the winepress was damaged, as the repairs in Fermentation Cell 123 show, and parts of it, such as the removed flagstones from the treading floor, were dismantled for secondary use. The large quantity of ceramic artifacts in the area of the winepress indicates that at the end of the Byzantine period, a pottery workshop was established nearby and its production debris was discarded in the winepress area. After the winepress was no longer in use, a pit that contained infant burials in jars was dug in part of its area.

1. Plan and sections.

2. Pottery from the Hellenistic period.

3. The winepress, looking west.

4. The collecting vat, looking west.

5. Bowls.

6. Kraters and cooking vessels.

7. Storage vessels.

8. Glass artifacts.

9. Jars.