A Roman-Era Chalk Quarry and Chalk-Vessel Workshop at cEinot Amitai in the Lower Galilee: A Preliminary Report

This is a preliminary report on the results of three seasons of excavation (2016-2018) carried out at cEinot Amitai, located in the Lower Galilee on the western slopes of the Har Yonah neighbourhood in Nof HaGalil. The excavations uncovered remains of a Roman-era chalk quarry which provided the raw material for an on-site workshop that produced chalk vessels. The interior of the cave contained a predominantly gravel fill comprised of ancient chippings produced as a by-product of both quarrying and sione-vessel production which took place within the cave. The fill contained close to 500 fragments of cores and vessels discarded in various stages of manufacture. The results of the present excavations provide the opportunity for novel insights into manufacturing techniques, vessel typology, and chronology. The discovery of large-scale chalk-vessel production at this site, almost certainly for local consumption, supports the understanding that a significant market demand for chalk vessels characterized the Galilee in a manner similar to the Judean heartland.