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One of the landmarks of Avdat is the remains of a winepress from the Byzantine period. There are several “compartments” around the press where farmers would place their grapes, waiting for their turn at the press.
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When their time came, they would pour their grapes into the vat and tread on them to extract the juice. The juice drained through a hole into a vat below. Nothing went to waste in those days. The peels and pits were crushed on a screw press; fertilizer was made from the peels and dye was made from the pits.
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Five wine vats have been unearthed in Avdat to date. The dry, desert heat was excellent for ripening grapes. The finished products were stored in underground caves, wine cellars of sorts. Since Moslems prohibited the use of wine, Nabatean wine production ceased after the Moslem conquest of Israel.
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