Ancient wine jar ‘factory’ found in Israel

Israeli archaeologists near Tel Aviv have discovered a large, 3rd century AD workshop, which churned out jars for wine storage continuously for over 600 years.

A ‘Gaza’ or ‘Ashkelon jar’ of the sort found at the site in Gedera recently (source: WikiCommons)

Located near the town of Gedera south of Tel Aviv, the potters shop seems to have been largely dedicated to producing jars and pots for the storage and shipping of wine which was the main local industry in the Roman and Byzantine eras.

The workshop has been dated to the 3d century AD, around 1,800 years ago, and then seemingly remained in production until the 9th century AD, so spanning the later Roman to early Byzantine periods.

Archaeologist Alla Nagorsky explained that the pots produced there are known as ‘Gaza’ or ‘Ashkelon jars’, large storage vessels that were given their name due to their association with ‘Gaza wine’ – a loose term that was often applied to wines from a variety of sources but which were ultimately shipped from ports around Gaza.

The remains of an estimated 100,000 jars – likely faulty or rejected pots from the production process – were found at the site as well as four boards used for playing mancala or a game like it.

The owners of the workshop also installed a series of bath pools at some point, which would have been used by the local populace as well as travellers. Although it would have brought in additional income, it is also a sign that the scale of their pottery industry alone was bringing in considerable wealth.

In addition to the games room were the mancala boards were found, the owners of the workshop may also have allowed their workers to use the baths at the end of a long, hot day at the kilns.

Wine was hugely important to the economy of the ancient Levant and many of the pots produced at the shop would have been filled with wine at local vineyards and then laded on ships at Ashkelon and Acre and shipped as far afield as Alexandria, Constantinople, Rome and possibly even further.

The Israeli Antiquities Authority added that given the length of time the site was in use: “The continuous production of these jars probably indicates that the business was a family one, which passed from generation to generation to generation.”