Olive Press at Hazor

Image of a reconstructed eighth century B.C. olive press at Hazor. I assume that the stone weights and the stone basin, that the baskets are resting on, were found in the excavation of this house. The pole, ropes, and baskets are of course modern.

The black basalt basin beyond and to the left of the press was probably where the olives were first crushed. The crushed olives were put in reed woven baskets and placed on top of the press be. Then pressure was applied to the crushed olives by the beam from the end of which stone weights were suspended. The oil was collected in vessels or vats sunk into the courtyard floor.