Reconstructed Olive Press

View of a reconstructed Olive Press at Katzrin (in the Golan Heights).  This type of press was used from Roman times up until recently.

The massive horizontal wooden beam is embedded in the wall at the far end—upper left quadrant of the picture.  Just this side of it is the place where the baskets with olive mash were stacked one upon another—none are in place in this reconstruction.  The two very large stones have been hung from the horizontal beam and they are winched up so that they hang from the beam.  Thus pressure is applied to the baskets and olive oil is squeezed out of the mash that they contained.