ASHKELON, ISRAEL—A 2,100-year-old wine press and a nearby building were discovered at the site of an elementary school construction project on the Mediterranean coast of southern Israel. The Jewish News Service reports that the press, which was covered with a thick layer of plaster mixed with seashells, is thought to have been part of a larger farm. The square-shaped press had a flat surface where grapes were stomped into juice. The juice would flow into a pit where the skins were filtered out, and then it was piped into a collection vat. The nearby building may have provided a place to store wine vessels and accommodations for the workers. The press will be preserved as part of the new school. For more on archaeology in Israel, go to “Mask Metamorphosis.”
