In June 2015, a salvage excavation was conducted near Horbat Zekharya (Permit No. A-7433; map ref. 197489/647909; Fig. 1) after ancient remains were discovered during a preliminary inspection. The excavation, undertaken on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority and financed by the East and West Import and Marketing Company, Ltd., was directed by D. Shachar, with the assistance of A. Tendler (preliminary inspections), E. Bachar and Y. Amrani (administration), A. Hajian and M. Kunin (surveying and drafting) and C. Ben-Ari and A. Dagot (GPS).
A winepress (F101), a pair of cupmarks (F102) and a crushing basin of an olive press (F111) that were hewn in a limestone outcrop (Fig. 2) were exposed in the excavation area, c. 250 m south of Horbat Zekharya and c. 2 km west of Modiʽin. The winepress consisted of a square treading floor (L104; 2.20 × 2.75 m; Figs. 3, 4) and an elliptical collecting vat (L105; 1.6 × 1.9 m, depth 0.2 m) with a sump (L115). The pair of cupmarks (L109—diam. 0.41 m, depth 0.15 m; L110—diam. 0.22 m, depth 0.05 m; Figs. 3, 5) were hewn north of the winepress. The crushing basin (F111), which was circular (diam. 2.15 m; Figs. 6, 7), was rock-cut and had a depression (L116; diam. 0.3 m, depth 0.45 m) hewn in its center that served to secure an axle. Non-diagnostic abraded pottery sherds, crude tesserae, several chunks of flint, flint flakes and a fragment of a basalt vessel were found in the excavation and gathered from the surface.
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