George L. Kelm
An olive-oil press at Tel Batash. Found in the courtyard of an Iron Age house, the press consists of a large basin flanked by two smaller vats, all installed in a plastered platform. Three square pillars, broken but still standing, form a line to the left of the platform. These pillars once supported the roof.
Timnah’s oil presses used the same fundamental design as presses found at other Iron Age sites in the region, including Tel Mique/Ekron, where more than 100 oil presses have been discovered. See reconstruction showing how these presses probably worked.