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‘Atiqot 51 (2006)
ISBN 2948-040X
A Salvage Excavation at ‘Ein ez-Zeituna in Nahal ‘Iron
(pp. 31–69)
Don Glick
Keywords: Lower Galilee, architecture, vent pipes, numismatics
A monumental, nearly square, two-story peristyle building was revealed, dating to the second century CE. It was flanked on the east by a row of shops and on the west, by additional architectural remains. The structure is a typical Greco-Roman peristyle building, consisting of a central colonnaded courtyard, a portico and 20 rooms. The strikingly meticulous craftsmanship of the building’s construction and the high-quality stone masonry attest that it was built by professional builders. The finds included large amounts of Early Roman potsherds; several basalt vessels, pestles, grinding stones and millstones; metal objects, mostly nails; and domestic glass vessels from the late first and second centuries CE. Twenty-five bronze coins were also found. In light of the building’s location, it probably fulfilled an administrative or public function, perhaps a mansion (caravansary) or a mutation (highway rest stop).