Abstract
During May 1949 and March 1950, salvage excavations were conducted on the El-Waqf hill in Bene Beraq, under the direction of Jacob Kaplan (map ref. unknown). The 1949 excavation was conducted following the discovery of the remains of ancient structures during foundations work for construction. On the slope of the hill an olive-press was unearthed. A round stone slab with a square hole in its center served as a base for the press. Adjacent to it, a big clay jar was found in situ, which served as a receptacle into which the oil flowed. Nearby, a winepress with a mosaic floor was discovered. On one side of the floor was a round cistern, built of stones and cement. On the other side of the floor were two small collecting vats, both paved with mosaics. The installations were dated to the Byzantine period. The 1950 excavation was conducted following the discovery of a burial cave during construction work of a shelter on the western slope of the ancient site. A rock-hewn arcosolium tomb, which was filled with soil, was exposed. A corridor leading to a cave was exposed, in which a roll-stone was found. In the soil that filled the cave were found many skeletons. Also found was the burial of a baby in a jar, the fragments of which were discovered in the corridor. The cave was dated to the Bronze Age.
Keywords
cave, Bronze Age, olive-press, Byzantine period, arcosolium tomb, installations
Excavator
Jacob Kaplan
License Number
5/1949, 11/1950
Excavation Date
1-1-1949
Recommended Citation
Kaplan J. , 1949. Bene Beraq, El-Waqf 5/1949, 11/1950 (A. Dayan ed.). In Favissa: Past Archaeological Excavation Reports. https://publications.iaa.org.il/favissa/1
Included in
Classical Archaeology and Art History Commons, Other History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons
