A Hellenistic-Period Farmhouse at Aderet in the Judean Shephelah

The excavation at Aderet, located south of Ha-Ella Valley, revealed a farmhouse with an olive-oil press, which operated under the administrative control of Idumea during the Hellenistic period. Based on the numismatic evidence and the pottery assemblage, the Aderet farmhouse was dated to the second half of the third century BCE, possibly extending into the beginning of the second century BCE. The firmly dated regional ceramic assemblage of the third century BCE expands our knowledge of Hellenistic rural society. The chronology of the Aderet farmhouse is considered in light of Yogev’s suggestion to identify a late Iron Age occupation phase at the site based on its architectural plan and the presence of large quantities of Iron Age pottery. Also, the dating and typology of the oil press uncovered at the site are discussed in detail below.