The wine presses

There are few examples of wine presses built in the Iberian period in the sites of Contestania.

The only one found to date is at the site of L'Alt de Benimaquía, Denia, and its chronology goes from the end of the 7th century to the middle of the 6th century BC. In flats 1, 2, 4 and 5 there were presses that can be considered the antecedents of those at La Illeta. They are characterised by having two basins or pressing platform and basin located at different heights, lined with clay mortar.

Department 4 of L'Alt de Benimaquía with the two basins

Reconstruction of department 4 of L'Alt de Benimaquía

In the rest of the peninsula we can find some examples of wine presses:

In the Edetano territory, in Department 15 of the Tossal de Sant Miquel, Lliria, a pressing platform has been documented with a basin located at a lower level which has also been interpreted as a wine press. In this case the plaster is also made of clay.

Plan of block 7 of the Tossal de Sant Miquel with flat 15, according to Dies Cusi.

In the municipality of Requena, in Solana de las Pilillas in the territory of Kelin, there are a series of structures carved into the rock consisting of two basins located at different heights.

Two of the Solana de las Pilillas basin complexes, Requena

In the region of Turdetania, at the sites of Castillo de Dña Blanca and Las Cumbres, Puerto de Sta. María, Cádiz during the 4th century BC, there are other examples with a strong Punic component. They are wine presses built but with a different layout. On this occasion there are three basins, and they are lined with lime mortar, like those at La Illeta.

Piletas del poblado de las Cumbres, Puerto de Sta. María, Cádiz

The wine presses of La Illeta share the number of basins with those of Contesta and Edetano, but are similar to those of Turdetano in their lime mortar linings.

Upper and lower basins of the wine press of the Casa del Cura of the Illeta dels Banyets

Lower basin of the winepress in sector G of the Illeta dels Banyets.

Among the organic matter recovered from the Iberian strata of the Illeta dels Banyets, the high number of grape bone specimens stands out.

Vitis vinifera recovered from Iberian levels at Illeta dels Banyets

The upper basin of the wine press in the priest's house was supplied with grapes through a window that led to a courtyard. This solution was found in Roman times near Pompeii, in the villa of the Agricoltura di Pisanella fund.