Abstract
Two salvage excavation seasons conducted in the center of the Ḥamanyot neighborhood in Shoham uncovered the remains of a large building, adjacent tombs, a complex winepress and several additional agricultural installations, all dating to the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods (sixth–eighth centuries CE). The building can be identified as either a large farmhouse or a monastery. Its solid walls, agricultural installations and small finds—such as fragments of glass windows, a marble chancel-screen column and a marble table leg likely from an offering table—all indicate the presence of a church at the site, supporting the interpretation that the building functioned as a monastery. The excavation of the structure and the surrounding installations contributes to our understanding of rural settlement in the area during the Byzantine period and the transition to the Early Islamic period.
Keywords
farmhouse, monastery, olive press, winepress, marble table leg, chancel-screen column, tombs
Recommended Citation
Kornfeld, Israel and Dayan, Ayelet
(2025)
"Shoham: A Byzantine-Period Farmhouse (Monastery?) / שוהם: בית אחוזה (מנזר?) מן התקופה הביזנטית,"
Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel: Vol. 1, Article 33.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.70967/3078-8528.1032
Available at:
https://publications.iaa.org.il/qadum/vol1/iss1/33
Included in
Archaeological Anthropology Commons, Classical Archaeology and Art History Commons, History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons
