Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) have uncovered a rare, 1,200-year-old red-painted clay jug at Horvat ‘Anim in Yatir Forest. The jug, believed to have been used for liquid storage, features intricate camel decorations, shedding light on the economic and cultural significance of camels during the Abbasid period (9th–10th centuries CE).
The discovery, made while working to make the site more accessible to the public in an initiative by the Jewish National Fund-KKL, is being presented today (Thursday, March 27) at the 20th Annual Southern Research Conference of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
“The depiction of two camels on the jug highlights their crucial role in land transportation and trade during this era,” explain researchers Oren Shmueli, Dr. Davida Eisenberg-Degen, and Dr. Anat Cohen-Weinberger of the IAA, along with Dr. Katia Cytryn from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The decorated jug was discovered in a cave that had been converted into a dwelling during renewed archaeological excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority. Originally, the cave served as an impressive underground olive press for oil production. The excavations were part of a project to develop the site for visitors, initiated by the Jewish National Fund. The olive press, along with an ancient synagogue from the Byzantine period previously discovered at the site, has undergone extensive conservation work by experts from the Conservation Department of the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Forty years after its initial discovery by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Avshalom Institute, an ancient synagogue in ‘Anim has been extensively restored by conservation experts from the Israel Antiquities Authority, revealing significant insights into the past. Excavations at the site uncovered impressive mosaic floor remains, indicating the site’s historical significance and the importance it held for the local community. According to Oren Shmueli of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “Around 1,500 years ago, the Yatir region was part of the ‘Daroma,’ where Jewish and Christian communities lived in close proximity. The synagogue discovered in ‘Anim clearly functioned as the religious center for the Jewish people residing there.”
The olive press, built in a cave deep underground and approximately 1,300 years old (from the Early Islamic period), was fully excavated last year. The excavation revealed two massive stones that were part of the press mechanism. While it was in use, a wooden screw was installed between them, which was used to press olives and extract oil that was collected in a central stone basin within the press.
“The uniqueness of the olive press in Yatir Forest lies in its well-organized and advanced construction for its time. Essentially, it was an ancient factory equipped with a sophisticated and expensive machine for its era,” said Shmueli.
The special ceramic jug that was discovered was used for storing liquids. It was decorated with geometric patterns painted in red and featured illustrations of a caravan of animals, including a camel and possibly even an ostrich—the so-called “winged camel”—or a donkey. “In the Early Islamic period, camels served as the primary mode of transportation,” Shmueli explains. “The fact that camels appear in the jug’s illustrations highlights their significance at the time. Camels transported goods across the empire and were essential to the economy. In the Roman and Byzantine periods, goods were typically transported by sea via ships or by land using carts, but in the Islamic period, the camel took precedence as the dominant land transport—replacing the Roman ship with the ‘ship of the desert.’”
