Hovlata

Hovlata is an archaeological site within Halamish in the West Bank. It is named after the rocky hill "Givat Hovlata".

The place was first mentioned by the French traveler Victor Guérin in a description from 1864: "On a small mountain...there are the remains of a very small village that was destroyed and I was told that it is called Khirbat Hovlata". The site was later surveyed and restored, and is preserved with the help of Halamish's youth.

The site is located on a rocky hill that is not suitable for agricultural cultivation because of the large limestone rock surfaces. Quarries, residential and industrial buildings, cisterns, winepress and rock-cut tombs were found throughout the site. According to the ceramic finds and coins, the site was active from the Hasmonean period to the early Arab period, with its activity peak occurred during the Second Temple period to the early Roman period.

Site location
The site overlooks the central Roman road, leading from Antipatris (Rosh HaAyin), to Jifna, north of Ramallah. This road, known as 'Ma'ale Gofna', was used in the Roman-Byzantine period as the main road connecting Caesarea to Jerusalem and passed through the Jewish capitals of the district - Timna (Khirbet Tibnah) and Gofna (Jifna).

Heliston winepress
On the site there is a large system of rock-cut circles that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Professor Zohar Amar suggested that this is a unique press for making Heliston wine (the wine of the sun - sweet wine) in the Roman period. The production method is mentioned in Roman literature, but no archaeological site has been found that matches the description. Researchers agree that the production method refers to the making of sweet wine, a production process that is based on exposure to the sun. The origin is in the Greek word - "Heliaston" that means: cooking (passive heating) in the sun or high exposure to sunlight for a long period of time.

16 circular installations were found on large rock platforms with an average diameter of 2.3 meters, and a depth of up to about 10 centimeters. The surfaces were built with a slight slope, and at the edge of each one there is a pit or a hewn pit (up to 0.75 m in diameter, 0.4 m deep). It seems that the purpose of the pits was to collect liquids from the round surfaces.

The wine production method: the grapes are harvested a just before they are ripe, and they are dried in the strong sun inside the round facilities in the rock, being turned over three times a day for a time period of three days. After the grapes were exposed to the sun for two or three days, a small amount of sweet must dripped from them, which flowed into the collection pits. In the second stage, which began on the fourth day, these grapes were squeezed in a press, and in this process a large amount of must was obtained, which was collected in jugs.

Olive press
There is an oil press.

The site was active from the Hasmonean period to the early Arab period, with the peak of activity occurring during the Second Temple-early Roman period.

Lime kiln
There is a lime kiln.

Mikveh
A mikveh was recorded at the site in 2008. It is located in the upper part of the site and includes a small staircase leading to a small, plastered basin.

Rock-cut tombs
There are remains of a monumental tomb with a particularly spacious entrance room whose excavation was stopped, as well as Arcosolium tombs.

Tours
The tour of the Hovlata site begins next to an elaborated sign providing information about the site. A short walk leads to a fork that to left after 3 meters are the remains of a lime kiln. 50 m beyond it is the central area of the site. There are clear remains of an ancient mikveh, a weighing stone, ancient tombs with 2 sections, millstone and remains of winepress.

Not far is the "industrial area" of the settlement where there are many precise circles and small pits next to them. The researchers hypothesize that this place was a production site for Heliston wine, a sweet wine that was pressed in these circles flowed into the pits next to them and was collected there. Near this area there is a pavilion that is used as an explanation spot for tourists.