ABSTRACT
This article documents an oil press discovered in the southern part of the Crusader town of Arsur (Area E), dating to the twelfth century CE. To date, no olive press from the Crusader period, excavated in systematic-scientific excavations, has been published in full. The article also discusses the olive oil industry in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem based on the available archaeological findings published thus far. It includes our current understanding of the development of olive oil production technology in the Holy Land and the role of the Crusader interlude as bridging the period between large-scaled and sophisticated Byzantine oil presses with those of late Ottoman (pre-modern) industry, which were smaller and simpler.
Copyright © 2013 by The Pennsylvania State University. All rights reserved.
2013
The Pennsylvania State University
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