Archaeologists discovered a large ancient wine factory in the center town of Yavne, Israel. Thousands of jars, five wine presses, and kilns for manufacturing clay storage vessels were in the storage at the site. It is likely to be 1,500 years old.
On Facebook, Israel’s Antiquities Authority posted a 2-minute video of the vast complex. Thereby, noting that the ancient wine made at Yavane and its name was “Gaza or Ashkelon Wine”. The drink was a high-quality wine at the time, according to the post.
“We were surprised to discover a massive factory here that produced wine in commercial quantities. Furthermore, decorative conch-shaped niches that adorned the winepresses indicate the great wealth of the factory owners,” Dr. Elie Hadad, Liat Nadav-Ziv, and Dr. Jon Seligman, directors of the excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
“The production capacity of these winepresses suggested that approximately two million liters of wine were produced for here the market every year, and we should remember that the whole process was conducted by hand,” added Dr. Seligman.
More about the ancient wine factory in Israel
According to the researchers, the facility was capable of producing two million liters of wine per year.
“So far, other sites where wine was produced are known from the southern coastal plain. But now, we seem to have found the main production center of this prestigious wine,” added Dr. Seligman.
He went on to say that the wine was light and popular in many Mediterranean countries. It includes Egypt, Turkey, and also Greece.
That’s not all, though. He also believes that in ancient times, wine was an important export item and a source of enjoyment.
“Beyond that, this was a major source of nutrition and this was a safe drink because the water was often contaminated. So they could drink wine safely,” he said.
During the Byzantine time, it states that both adults and children drank wine. This was primarily due to poor water quality.
