Jericho Mafjar
Project
Work in Area 6 continued clearing the white mosaic paving of a corridor and pool found in 2011. The eastern portion was interrupted by a secondary wall placed on the mosaic within the pool for a building which extended eastward to the boundary fence. The pool is now identifiable as a large crushing floor with a large basalt base for the crushing machinery. A drain led from the floor into a settling tank from which two pipes carried the juices to two vats. One remains hidden in the baulk, but the other had narrow stairs and a mosaic flooring. The general plan is typical of many “wine presses” in Bilad al-Sham, though this example is unusually well designed and constructed. Such presses are usually dated to the Byzantine period, but this is clearly Umayyad and continued in use for a long time. The final period is difficult to determine but limited evidence suggests the early 9th century.