Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (12.2000(2001))

CHHIM

LEBANON

under a wall separating the room from the
next-door E.IX. Initially, it would seem
that E.VIII and E.IX had formed one
square house similar to E.VII.
SUBSTRUCTURE E.IX
Only a half of this room was uncovered, yet
it contained the same floors and benches as
E.VIII.
SUBSTRUCTURE E.X
Clearing of this sector will permit tracing
the irregular rectangular outline of rooms
which appear to have constituted the last
row of houses in the village.
OIL PRESS. E. II (Figs. 5, 6)
A trial pit dug last year in the southeastern
corner of this big rectangular building
situated north of Basilica B had revealed oil
press installations in very good condition.

This year the trench was extended to 5.00
by 2.50 m. The presses turned out to be at
least two, mounted on two different levels.
The stratigraphy here indicates the presence
of three principal layers (Fig. 7):
— topsoil, gray-brown, c. 0.20 m thick;
— fill, brown, lots of small stones and wall
blocks, c. 1.50 m thick;
— occupational level — stone flagging and
lime floor.
The last mentioned level revealed the
key elements of an oil press in excellent
condition: pressing zone, container for the
oil, four stone weights, low wall separating
the installation from the rest of the
building. On one of the weights it is still
possible to recognize the metal system for
attaching ropes. North of the press
excavations brought to light a pillar,
surviving to a height of 1.60 m; it had
supported the roof.


Fig. 6. Oil press E.II. View of the southwestern corner
(Photo K. Kotlewski)

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