This volume presents the reader with a selection of installations for the production of wine and oil from Israel of the Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods. Many such installations have been found in Israel from earlier periods also but the peak in their development, in the number of installations found, in the technology used and in their variety is towards the end of the Byzantine period. Several factors combined to create this situation. This comprehensive study investigates their archaeological remains. The installations presented in this volume reveal the remarkable variety of techniques and devices found in one small section of the complicated mosaic of local technical cultures that were spread throughout the Mediterranean basin, each developing separately but influenced by and influencing the others. Even techniques such as the use of the screw developed in different ways in different regions. The extent and borders of these technical cultures are in many cases closely related to those of political entities changing in extent and character together with these. Thus the study of these ancient crafts not only reveals important aspects of ancient technology, economics and day to day life but mapping the variegated regional technical cultures contributes a new and independent delineation of ancient human geography.

On the death of Dan Urman in 2004, his colleagues set about completing his unfinished manuscripts, including this volume: Rafid on the Golan (its ruins remain in a demilitarized zone controlled by United Nations forces), one of Dan UrmanAes last archaeological projects. He succeeded in completing the chapters detailing the survey of the houses in the village, carried out during the years 1968-1970. The houses were measured, photographed, and an overall map was drawn, which included all houses, alleys, footpaths, public areas and water reservoirs. The survey team realized that Rafid was an unusual archaeological resource that preserved scores of ancient buildings still standing from foundation to the rafters, constructed of basalt. Dan Urman saw in the survey of Rafid and in the scientific material collected within its framework the highest achievement of the Golan survey: the intact buildings built of decorated basalt could, in his opinion, serve as a model of the building style prevalent in the Roman and Byzantine periods - not only on the Golan, but also on the Korazim and Issachar plateaus. Because of the long time that elapsed between the survey and the preparation of the material for publication, it was necessary to find a Golan expert, who would complete lacunae in the manuscript and present with the rich archaeological material from Rafid also the general background and new research on the Golan and the region bordering on it. Dr. Moshe Hartal from Israel Antiquities Authority, who worked in the original survey team with Dan Urman agreed to work on the manuscript and added the following chapters: The geographical setting, the architectural decorations, the Hauran-style architecture and a synthesis of the history of Rafid in the various historical periods.

Deals with all "skeletal material" finds (bone, ivory and antler) from the work of the three teams excavating at Caesarea Maritima, Israel, over recent years. The assemblage includes around 4,000 finds and fragments - a multi-period collection that serves as a solid basis for a thorough discussion and comparison with similar finds from Israel and abroad. To these items were added the bone objects displayed in the Caesarea Museum at Sdot-Yam - surface finds that include some items with no typological parallels within the main assemblage. All the finds are illustrated and catalogued.

This book presents the final report of the excavations at Yotvata, the largest oasis in the Arabah Valley, conducted by the Sonia and Marco Nadler Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University in 1974–1980 under the direction of Dr. Zeʾev Meshel. The report covers two central sites: a fortified Iron I site and an Early Islamic settlement. The Iron I remains consist of an irregular casemate wall surrounding a courtyard. The location of this site suggests that the settlement was established in order to protect the water sources and to overlook and supervise the nearby crossroads. Based on the relative proximity of the site to Timna, it may be concluded that the oasis formed the main source of water and wood for the population involved in copper production in that region. The rich finds uncovered at the Early Islamic settlement—including a large courtyard building and a nearby bathhouse, among other structures—point to habitation from the end of the seventh to the early ninth century CE. The proximity of the settlement to a sophisticated irrigation system (qanat) and the administrative/economic ostraca discovered at the site suggest that it served as the center of an agricultural estate owned by an elite Muslim family. Among the unique finds is a large assemblage of locally produced, handmade pottery, which is thoroughly studied here. The findings from the excavations at the Yotvata oasis have made a major contribution to the study of Early Islamic settlement and material culture in the greater Arabah region and beyond.