During August 2008, a salvage excavation was conducted in the eastern part of Qibbuz Yif‘at (Permit No. A-5503; map ref. NIG 221597–901/731199–301; OIG 171597–901/231199–301), prior to the construction of a new neighborhood. The excavation, on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, was directed by K. Covello-Paran, with the assistance of Y. Lavan (administration), R. Mishayev and M. Kunin (surveying), H. Smithline (photography) and E. Belashov (drafting). Additional assistance was provided by F. Abu Zidan (IAA district inspector).
The site is located on the Yif‘at Hill and its northern slopes, east of the Qibbuz, which is part of the ridge that is one of the northern borders of the Yizra‘el Valley (Fig. 1). The bedrock of this hill is limestone with a nari crust and it is mostly forested today. The site overlooks Nahal Yif‘at and is 300 m above two springs located to its southeast.
No previous excavations had been carried out at the site; however, during the course of 55 years, over 70 winepress installations were recorded at Yif‘at by an antiquities enthusiast, M. Barak from the neighboring Qibbuz Gevat. Unfortunately, almost all of the recorded winepresses were destroyed during development works at Qibbuz Yif‘at.
The present excavation was limited to only documenting agricultural installations in part of the area that is due to be built. Eleven winepresses were documented, nine of which were fully excavated and three quarries were partially excavated (Fig. 2).
Winepress I
A rock-hewn winepress (Figs. 3, 4) that consisted of an elongated shallow trapezoid treading floor with rounded corners (length 5.25 m, width 1.50–2.25 m, depth 0.25 m) and a small rectangular collecting vat (0.58 × 1.20 m, depth 0.4 m). Two circular cupmarks (northern—diam. 0.3 m, depth 0.2 m; southern—diam. 0.26 m, depth 0.32 m) were hewn on either side of the treading floor, at a distance of 1.4 m from the bottom, closest to the collecting vat (Fig. 5). An additional depression (diam. 0.15 m, depth 0.07 m) was hewn in the center of the back third of the treading floor. Two channels (diam 0.16 m), partially hewn in the treading floor, drained the liquid out of the floor into the collecting vat.
After the winepress went out of use, the treading floor was quarried for ashlar blocks. Part of a severance channel was observed. The winepress and quarry were devoid of finds.
Quarry/Winepress II
A quarry for ashlar blocks (Fig. 6). The quarrying was incomplete, as indicated by a roughly hewn stone block (0.37 × 0.90 m), surrounded by severance channels and clefts that was left in situ. The negative of another extracted stone was surrounded by a deep groove that served as a severance channel.
A sloping smoothed surface, c. 0.5 m north of the quarry, was probably the remnant of a winepress treading floor (Fig. 7). The quarry was devoid of finds.
Quarry III
A large quarry (length 9.5 m, width c. 5 m, depth c. 1.5 m; Fig. 8) in the northern part of the area was used for hewing ashlar stones. In addition to a rectangular ashlar block, a curvilinear quarried stone was left in place. The middle of the area was completely quarried and steps were hewn on the northern, southern and western margins (Fig. 9). The negatives of the extracted stones and a deep severance channel were partially visible. Trees from a protected forest could not be removed from the center of the quarry and precluded the completion of the excavation.
Quarry IV
A large stepped quarry (length c. 20 m, depth up to 1 m; Fig. 10), of which only a small part was excavated and documented (length 4.5 m, width 3.5 m, depth 0.8). This quarry was located c. 5 m south of Quarry III and both were probably contemporaneous. The imprints of a large ashlar block (0.9 × 2.0 m) had visible severance channels (width 5 cm). A small pit (diam. 0.53 m, depth 0.4 m) was found at the bottom of the ashlar-block imprint. This quarry, not very wide or deep, indicates that a maximum effort was made here to cut into rocky outcrops for obtaining ashlar blocks.
Winepress V
A rock-hewn winepress that consisted of a short trapezoid treading floor with rounded corners (length 2.2 m, width 1.70–2.24 m, max. depth 0.5 m; Fig. 11) and a small rectangular collecting vat (0.58 × 0.97 m, depth 0.35 m). The treading floor was relatively deeper than in most winepresses and notably, the collecting vat was not positioned at the central axis of the floor, but was justified to the northern corner (Fig. 12). A circular depression (diam. 0.15 m, depth 0.1 m) was hewn in the center of the treading floor and a small sump (diam. 0.24 m, depth 7 cm) was cut in the center of the collecting vat floor. Two channels (diam. 0.15 m), partially hewn in the treading floor, drained the liquid out of the floor into the collecting vat.
An open channel (width 0.6 m) was identified 0.75 m east of the winepress. It was not determined whether it was natural or a rock-hewn installation. The winepress and adjacent area were devoid of finds.
Winepress VI
A rock-hewn winepress that consisted of a small squarish and shallow treading floor with rounded corners (length 2 m, width 1.15 m, depth 0.2 m; Figs. 11, 13) and a small rectangular collecting vat (0.63 × 0.97 m, depth 0.35 m). A circular depression (diam. 0.15 m, depth 5 cm) was hewn in the center of the treading floor and a small sump (diam. 0.19 m) was cut in the center of the collecting vat floor. Two channels (diam. 0.21 m), which drained the liquid from the treading floor into the collecting vat, were relatively wide, more circular and more vertically angled than those in the other excavated winepresses. The southern part of the winepress was damaged by modern agricultural activities. The winepress and adjacent area were devoid of finds.
Winepresses VII and VIII
These winepresses were not excavated during the current fieldwork; however, their location and preliminary measurements were documented. Winepress VII had a small treading floor (2.2 × 2.2 m) and a small collecting vat (0.65 × 1.00 m). Winepress VIII had a large elongated treading floor (length 7 m, width 2.6 m) and a collecting vat (0.80 × 1.35 m).
Winepress IX
A rock-hewn winepress that consisted of a short trapezoid treading floor with rounded corners (length c. 2.5 m, width 1.90–2.24 m, depth 0.2 m; Figs. 14, 15) and a small rectangular collecting vat (0.53 × 1.11 m, depth 0.3 m). A circular depression (diam. 0.2 m, depth 0.1 m) was hewn in the center of the treading floor and another small circular depression (diam. 0.24 m, depth 0.2 m) was cut north of the treading floor. Two channels that drained liquid from the treading floor into the collecting vat could not be clearly identified due to damage caused to bedrock. Two elongated depressions whose function is unknown were hewn to the northeast of the winepress. A similar depression was noted south of Winepress X (below).
Winepress IX was 2 m northeast of Winepress X. The bedrock area between them exhibited additional quarrying, including circular cupmarks, elongated depressions and smoothed bedrock. It is proposed that this area served the workers during the wine harvest and for various functions connected to the pressing of the wine grapes. It is also possible that some of these hewn depressions were the initial stages of hewing another winepress that was then abandoned.
Winepress X
A rock-hewn winepress that consisted of a shallow rectangular treading floor with rounded corners (length 2.4 m, width 1.8–2.0 m, depth 0.25 m; Fig. 16) and a small rectangular collecting vat (0.58 × 1.14 m, depth 0.38 m). Two circular cupmarks (eastern—diam. 0.3 m, depth 0.25 m; western—diam. 0.24 m, depth 0.24 m) were hewn on either side of the treading floor at a distance of 1.0–1.2 m from the bottom of the treading floor, closest to the collecting vat. An additional depression (diam. 0.15 m, depth 7 cm) was hewn outside of the southwestern corner of the treading floor. Two channels (diam. 0.2 m), partially hewn in the treading floor, drained the must from the floor into the collecting vat. Another small circular sump (diam. 0.2 m, depth 8 cm) was cut in the corner of the collecting vat floor. The wall separating between the treading floor and the collecting vat was not well preserved. After the press went out of use this rocky outcrop was disturbed by forces of nature, e.g., the northwestern corner of the treading floor was damaged.
Winepress XI
This winepress had an irregular shape. The almost rectangular treading floor (length 3.75 m, width 2.25 m; Figs. 17, 18) was similar to the treading floor of Winepresses IX and X; however, the rectangular collecting vat (0.60 × 1.15 m, depth 0.6 m) was not aligned with the floor, but situated at the southeastern corner and was slightly damaged by modern agricultural activities. A small circular sump (diam. 0.2 m, depth 0.1 m) was cut in the corner of the collecting vat floor. A well-hewn deep circular depression (diam. 0.25 m, depth 0.37 m) in the center of the treading floor was aligned with another deep circular depression (diam. 0.27 m, depth 0.3 m) cut to the east of the treading floor. Two channels (diam. 0.15 m), which flanked the corner of the treading floor, due to the position of the collecting vat, drained the must from the treading floor into the collecting vat (Fig. 19).
This winepress is an interesting example of how the rock cutters adapted the basic characteristics of the Ta‘anakh winepress (below) to the available rocky outcrop.
Winepresses XII and XIII
Two well-preserved adjacent rock-hewn winepresses (Figs. 20, 21), which included each a shallow, trapezoid treading floor, a small rectangular collecting vat and various rock-hewn cupmarks. A tethering installation (diam. 0.25 m; Fig. 22) was hewn due north of Winepresses XII and XIII; its close proximity to the winepresses suggests a contemporaneous use.
Winepress XII
A rock-hewn winepress that consisted of a shallow rectangular treading floor with rounded corners (length 3.0–3.7m, width 1.93–2.30 m, depth 0.25 m). The back southern part of the floor had a steep slope and an irregular shape, which is probably the rock-cutters’ adaptation to bedrock. The small rectangular collecting vat (0.73 × 1.06 m, depth 0.35 m) had a circular sump in its floor (diam. 0.3 m) that was not well preserved. Two circular cupmarks (eastern—diam. 0.3 m, depth 0.36 m; western—diam. 0.25 m, depth 0.3 m) were hewn on either side of the treading floor at a distance of 0.75 m from its bottom, closest to the collecting vat. Additional depressions (diam. 0.22 m, depth 0.14 m) were hewn outside of the northeastern corner of the treading floor. Each of these depressions had a small recess at their bottom. Two channels (diam. 0.15 m) drained the must from the treading floor into the collecting vat. Four small rock-hewn cupmarks, which were discerned in the top southern part of the treading floor, appeared to be aligned together and traversed the back of both Winepresses XII and XIII.
Winepress XIII
A rock-hewn winepress that consisted of an elongated shallow trapezoid treading floor with rounded corners (length 4.5 m, width 1.60–2.88 m, depth 0.10–0.15 cm) and a small rectangular collecting vat (0.65 × 1.40 m, depth 0.35 m), in the center of whose floor was a circular sump (diam. 0.3 m, depth 0.1 m). Two channels (diam. 0.16 m) drained the must from the treading floor into the collecting vat.
The back part of the treading floor was very shallow and had no well-defined upper (southern) corners. Its southeastern corner was turned toward the back of Winepress XII, which accordingly, was hewn first and Winepress XIII was installed either directly after or at a later date, possibly to an increase in demand.
Dating the winepresses to Middle Bronze II is based on the similarity of shape and repeated group of features in all the Yif‘at winepresses with that of a winepress found below the Middle Bronze Age rampart at Tel Ta‘anakh in the southern Yizra’el Valley (BASOR 195, p. 12). The ashlar quarries postdated the MB period, as indicated by the quarrying that had cut Winepress I.
Albeit a number of variations, the winepresses are all of the ‘Ta‘anakh’ type, whose characteristic features are a shallow sloping treading floor, two rock-hewn channels at its base that drain the must into a small collecting vat with a circular sump cut in its floor. Often, two rock-hewn depressions flanked either side of the treading floor, presumably for poles that held a covering for giving shade and for grasping to keep steady during the tramping of grapes. The relatively wide channels probably held a thorny bush acting as a sieve for the grape skins. The fermentation process apparently did not take place in the small-dimensioned collecting vat, but rather in clay jars, to which resin that aided in the fermentation process was added.
The dimensions of the various components of the winepresses exhibit a high degree of similarity between them, albeit certain deviations, such as the depth of Winepress XI collecting vat. An additional circular cupmark in the treading floor was found in a number of the Yif‘at winepresses, which can also be characterized by their adaptation to local topography that somewhat altered the traditional shape of the installation, but still incorporated many features of this type, e.g., Winepress XI.
No Bronze Age settlement to which the Yif‘at winepresses can be attributed has been found to date within the limits of Qibbuz Yif‘at. However, it is plausible that this ancient industrial area was connected to one of the Middle Bronze Age settlements in close vicinity, such as the MB II settlement near Qibbuz Sarid (HA 77:10 [Hebrew[) c. 700 m to the southwest, or to Tel Shaddud that is 1.6 km southeast of Yif‘at. No Middle Bronze finds have yet been found to date at nearby Kh. Jabata in Qibbuz Gevat, the closest to Yif‘at.
Other than Yif‘at and Tel Ta‘anakh, winepresses of the Ta‘anakh type are known from other sites in the Yizra’el Valley. Over 15 winepresses were excavated in association with the Middle Bronze occupation at ‘Ein el-Hilu, c. 1 km northeast of Yif‘at in northern Migdal Ha-‘Emeq (‘Atiqot 34:63–84). It is suggested that the Yif‘at winepresses and those at ‘Ein el-Hilu were part of extensive wine production during the Middle Bronze Age, most likely controlled, organized and redistributed by the nearby city-state at Tel Shimron (Map of Nahalal [28], 1982: Site 83).