1,400-year-old winepress found in Israel

A 1,400-year-old antique wine press was discovered in central Israel, said Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) on Monday.
  
This old installation, which is used to produce wine during sixth and seventh century, was found near Kibbutz Hafetz-Haim, south of Tel-Aviv. IAA Archaeologists believed that this is one of the largest wine presses ever revealed in the country, Xinhua reported.
  
"The size of the wine press attests to the fact that the quantity of wine that was produced in it was exceptionally large, and was not meant for local consumption.," said excavation director Uzi Ad.
  
"Instead, the wine was intended for export to Egypt, a major export market at the time, or to Europe," added Uzi.
  
The wine press, which measures 6.5 by 16.5 meters, was originally measured 15.0 by 16.5 meters, but partly damaged during an infrastructure construction there, according to the IAA.
  
Archaeologists noticed that the collecting vats of the wine press were octagonal, instead of the usual shape of circle or square. "It seems that they were built in this manner for primarily aesthetic reasons," said Uzi, adding "this is a complex wine press that reflects a very high level of technology for this period."