A party without wine? Impossible! In the contemporary world, it’s undeniably an essential cog of any social gathering. But if we told a group of people that all the wine bottles in the party belonged to a 1500-year-old Israelian winery, forget the party, the wine alone would become the hot topic!
But why have we taken a ride in Doraemon’s time machine? Well, it’s because archaeologists have unearthed a Byzantine-era winery in the Israeli city of Yavne. And we’re offering you a walk through the deets of this interesting discovery. So pick up your glasses, and tag along!
Julia Volk/Pexels | Archaeologists have unearthed a 1500-year-old Byzantine-era winery in the Israeli city of Yavne
The world’s largest winery in the sprawling city of Yavne!
The two-year-old excavation project finally accomplished its goal a few days back, with archaeologists working for the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) tracing down this “sophisticated” wine-making complex.
Spread over 75,000 square feet of land 15 miles south of Tel Aviv, this winery includes five wine presses as well as warehouses where nearly two million liters of wine (or 530,000 gallons) were produced a year. And guess what, it was all conducted manually! In times when the UK produces a little less than 8 million liters of wine overall, this sounds like an impossible feat!
So, how did the Israelites manage to do it?
Believed to be operated either by a local large estate owner or the city of Yavne, the workers of this factory first placed the grapes on treading floors where they were crushed barefoot to produce juice free from bitter tannins. Thereafter, the juices were collected and fermented in octagonal-shaped clay jugs made from kilns. Owing to its geographical location, the winery produced wines namely – “Gaza” and “Ashkelon”.
Reuters/BBC | The two-year old excavation project finally accomplished its goal a few days back
Who were the consumers of this “as white as snow” wine?
Owing to its fine quality, the wine was shipped in “Gazan jars” (which were known to be commonly used for wine storage in those days). The route it took covered the ports of Ashkelon and Gaza throughout the Mediterranean, that is, present day Egypt, Turkey, and Greece, as well as possibly southern Italy.
According to the excavation directors, drinking wine was considered as a major source of nutrition and a substitute of water for adults and children during the Byzantine era, because water was often unavailable or contaminated. Quite unbelievable indeed!
Pouring history in your glass!
As it is said, pull someone by the ears and his head will follow, the discovery of this stunning 1500-year-old wine complex also threw some light on the history of the town.
One of the most influential towns in Israel in the past days, Yavne was located at the juncture of a major road, called the sea highway and the Sorek River. And as the pages of history suggest, it was believed to be a town where prominent rabbis sought refuge after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the year 70 AD. Featuring three large churches, Yavne was not only home to Jews but also to Christians and Samaritans.
Reuters/BBC | One of the most influential towns in Israel in the past days, Yavne was located at the juncture of a major road, called the sea highway and the Sorek River
And how can the archaeologists report all these with confidence? Because they found ancient lanterns, children’s toys, a house from the ninth century, and some other buildings from the interim between the Byzantine and Islamic periods, which confirmed the presence of this rich land.
We believe you’re surely intrigued by these facts. Even the archaeologists believe that further discoveries at the site are still likely. So, hold your patience as more interesting news is coming on your way!
