5,000-Year-Old Winepress Unearthed in Israel Sheds Light on Ancient Canaanite Rituals

Archaeologists working in northern Israel have uncovered what may be the country’s oldest winepress, along with a miniature Canaanite shrine and a votive ram figurine. The discoveries were made during salvage excavations conducted before the rerouting of a hazardous section of Highway 66, between Megiddo Intersection and Yokne’am. The excavation was led by Amir Golani and Barak Tzin from the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The team found a winepress carved directly into bedrock, estimated to be about 5,000 years old. This installation was located within a residential area rather than in agricultural fields, which is unusual for ancient wine production sites. The winepress consists of a treading floor that slopes down to a collecting vat. Surrounding the press are stone-based houses with mudbrick walls, indicating that this was a central feature of the community. According to Golani, this is direct evidence that wine was produced locally at Megiddo during the Early Bronze Age, not just consumed there.

Nearby, archaeologists discovered ritual vessels dating to the Late Bronze Age, about 1,700 years after the winepress was built. These included a small juglet shaped like a ram, a cup, and two clay bowls. The juglet has an opening on its back for pouring liquid in and another at the mouth for pouring it out. The cup appears to have been used as a funnel and was found wedged into the juglet. These items were deliberately buried together in a pit, suggesting they were used in religious ceremonies or offerings.

The team also found a clay model of a small shrine. Unlike other more elaborate examples from the region, this model is simple and roughly made. Archaeologists believe it may have been created by ordinary people rather than religious elites. Its placement in the pit with other vessels suggests it was part of a ritual act of consecration.

The discoveries indicate that Megiddo was not only an important settlement but also served as a regional center for religious activity during the Early and Late Bronze Ages. The presence of both communal wine production facilities and private devotional objects points to a long-standing connection between daily life and religious practice in this area.

According to the Israel Antiquities Authority, these finds are unprecedented in Israel and provide new insights into how Canaanite society combined domestic life with urbanization and religious rituals. The evidence from Megiddo adds to ongoing research about the origins of alcohol production in the region. While beer-making in what is now Israel dates back about 13,000 years to the Natufian culture, deliberate grape winemaking appears later in places like Neolithic Georgia around 6000 BC.

The artifacts from Megiddo will undergo further study to better understand their role in ancient society and their significance for the history of winemaking and religious practice in the Levant.