Archaeologists have discovered evidence of an ancient cult in northern Israel in addition to a wine press dating back roughly 5,000 years — one of the oldest ever uncovered in the country, according to the the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The wine press, which is likewise the earliest relic of wine production in Israel, was found during an excavation at the archaeological site Tel Megiddo, said the agency, which noted that the work was conducted ahead of the planned construction of a highway through the same area.
Officials said the wine press, which was carved from stone, was evidence that a Canaanite cult existed at the site thousands of the years ago. The Canaanites were ancient indigenous people who inhabited the area known as Canaan, which was located in “the Levant” along the eastern Mediterranean Sea, from Greece to western Europe, according to EBSCO. They were a group of mixed ethnicities although the Hebrew Bible distinguishes them from Israelites and teaches that Israelites arrived later than they did.
Assaf Peretz / Israel Antiquities Authority
Dr. Amir Golani and Barak Tzin, excavation directors for the Israel Antiquities Authority, said the wine press discovery was unprecedented.
“Until now, indirect evidence indicated that wine could have been produced 5,000 years ago, but we did not have conclusive proof of this – a ‘smoking gun’ that would clearly show when this happened in our area,” they said in a statement. “This wine press finally provides new and clear evidence that early wine production actually took place here.”
In addition to the wine press, archaeologists found a model of a small temple and one set of ceremonial utensils, which were approximately 3,300 years old. Those were among a wider collection of items found during excavations in the region, which covered about three-fourths of a mile and “uncovered many finds from different periods,” the authority said. Their discoveries spanned the early bronze age, which ran from about 3300 to 3000 B.C.E., and the late bronze age, which ran from about 1550 to 1400 B.C.E.
There was more evidence of early Canaanite populations in the area, the authority said. They included residential buildings uncovered around the wine press, ritual vessels and pottery imported from Cyprus, which are thought to illuminate some of the ancient peoples’ ritual ceremonies and cultures.
The new discoveries were put on display Thursday at the annual conference on innovations and research in Israeli excavations, which was organized by the Israel Antiquities Authority an the School of Archaeology and Maritime Civilizations at the University of Haifa.