A rare and impressive 1,200-year-old red-painted jar used for liquid storage, featuring camel decorations, was discovered during excavations led by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) at the Khorvat Anin site in the Yatir Forest.
"The fact that the creators chose to depict camels on the jar indicates their great importance during the Abbasid period in the 9th-10th century. Camels were a central means of land transport for the transfer of goods, and therefore vital to the economy at the time," explained the authors of the article, Oren Shmueli, Dr. Davida Dagan, and Dr. Anat Cohen-Weinberger from the IAA, and Dr. Katia Citrin from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The special jar discovered was used for liquid storage. It is adorned with geometric patterns painted in red, including depictions of a caravan of animals, including camels and possibly an ostrich or "winged camel" or donkey. "During the early Islamic period, camels were the main means of transportation," explains Shmueli.
"The fact that camel depictions appear on the jar shows their great importance at that time. Camels transported goods across the entire empire and, therefore, were vital to the economy. During the Roman and Byzantine periods, it was common to transport goods by ships at sea and carts on land. However, during the Islamic period, camels took precedence as the primary means of land transportation—'the desert ship' replaced the Roman ship."
The colorful jar was discovered during renewed archaeological excavations led by the IAA in a cave that had been converted into living quarters, which originally served as a large underground olive oil press. The excavations were part of an effort to develop the site for visitors, initiated by the Jewish National Fund. The olive press, along with an ancient Byzantine synagogue structure previously uncovered at the site, underwent extensive conservation work by the IAA’s Conservation Administration experts.
Judah stones
The synagogue building was discovered 40 years ago during excavations by the IAA and the Abshalom Institute. Among other findings, impressive mosaic floor remains were uncovered, shedding light on the area's rich history and the importance placed on it by the community.
"About 1,500 years ago, the Yatir region was part of a larger area known as 'Droma', where Jewish communities lived alongside Christian communities," explains Oren Shmueli of the IAA. "There is no doubt that the synagogue discovered at Khorvat Anin served as the religious center for the Jewish population living there."
The olive oil press, built in a cave in the depths of the earth and dating to around 1,300 years ago (the early Islamic period), was fully excavated last year. Among the discoveries were two large stones that formed part of the massive pressing system, known as "Judah Stones." Between them, an ancient wooden screw was installed to crush the olives and extract oil. The oil would flow into a stone basin in the center of the press. "The uniqueness of the olive press at Yatir is that it was constructed in an organized and advanced manner for its time. In fact, it was an ancient factory, with sophisticated and expensive machinery for its period," said Shmueli
The article will be published on Thursday as part of the 20th South Research Conference of the IAA, held at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and will be open to the public free of charge.