Israel Antiquities Authority

Khirbat Dir el-‘Amud (No. 6; Map of Talpiyot [106], Site 141). Rock-cuttings and foundations of buildings are visible in a ruin that extends along the lower part of the eastern spur (Fig. 3).

Olive Presses (Nos. 1, 3, 10). Two olive presses and a crushing stone were documented on the eastern spur. The olive presses (Nos. 3, 10) were located at the top and the bottom of the spur and each consisted of a hewn rectangular surface (3.0–3.5 × 5.0 m) in whose sides were square hewn recesses (0.35 × 0.40 m; Fig. 4), intended for securing beams. Next to the treading floor of Olive Press 10 were hewn channels and a rectangular surface that was smaller than the treading floor (remains of a winepress? Fig. 5). Some 300 m to the east was a round crushing stone (No. 1; diam. 1.1 m, thickness 0.35 m; Fig. 6) with a square perforation (0.1 × 0.1 m) in its center.

Winepresses (Nos. 17, 20). Two rock-hewn winepresses were documented along the southern part of the western spur. Winepress 17 (Fig. 7) included a square treading floor (3 × 3 m) that had square recesses cut in its sides. Winepress 20 (Fig. 8), at the southern end of the spur, consisted of a rectangular treading floor (2.5 × 4.0 m) and a rectangular collecting vat (1.0 × 2.3 m). Channels that led into the treading floor were cut from rectangular depressions that were hewn in the bedrock surface around the winepress; a round basin (diam. 0.7 m) was cut nearby.

Rock-hewn Cisterns (Nos. 2, 13, 17, 18). One of the cisterns (No. 2) was not far from Olive Press 3 at the top of the eastern spur and next to a burial cave (1.2 × 1.8 m) that was entered by way of a rectangular shaft, which terminated in a round opening. A circular capstone (diam. of cistern opening 1.3 m) with a round hole in its center (diam. 0.35 m) was placed above the cistern’s opening. The burial cave was adapted for use as another opening to the cistern, near which hewn channels and troughs were noted. One of the troughs was large and rectangular (0.6 × 1.2 m) and one of the channels (No. 4; Fig. 9) led to the cistern. On the upper part of the western spur was a bell-shaped cistern (No. 13) whose ceiling had collapsed and rock-cut steps had led to it. Two other cisterns were located on the lower part of the western spur: a cistern with a square opening (1.1 × 1.1 m) next to the treading floor of Winepress 17 and a cistern with a rectangular opening (No. 18; a collecting vat of a winepress?).

Caves (Nos. 5, 11, 14, 16). Four caves used as dwellings during the past several hundred years were documented; it was not possible to determine if the caves were natural or anthropogenic. Modern walls were identified in the openings of two caves (Nos. 5, 16). Twelve hewn niches (0.14 × 0.20 m), probably used for raising doves (columbaria?), were noted in Cave 16 (diam. 15 m).

Basins and Cupmarks (Nos. 15, 21–23). A large conical cupmark (diam. 0.7 m) and two small ones (diam. 0.15 m) were hewn on bedrock outcrops in the middle of the western spur (No. 15). An elliptical basin (No. 21; 1.1 × 1.6 m), a cluster of cupmarks, a nearby round basin (No. 22) and another round basin (No. 23; diam. 1 m) were hewn along the lower part of the western spur.

Farming Terraces (Nos. 7, 9, 19). Well-built farming terraces of roughly hewn stones were documented on the lower part of each of the spurs. A potsherd scattering and small and medium white tesserae were discerned next to Terrace 9 (Fig. 10).

Ashlar Wall (No. 8). A wall built of large ashlar stones (0.5 × 0.7 m) was located c. 18 m west of Terrace 9 and a potsherd scattering was documented nearby.

Limekiln (No. 12). A circular limekiln (diam. c. 4.5 m; Fig. 11) was found on the high part of the western spur; it was lined with dressed stones, incorporated together with medium-sized fieldstones. Traces of plaster were discerned on the sides of the kiln.