The ancient Romans had a special soft spot for Garo (Latin garum ), a sauce prepared with fermented fish viscera that was used to season or accompany a large number of meals, although it was also used in medicine and cosmetics.
Some remains of factories of this preparation have been found throughout the ancient Roman world, the last recently announced by the Israeli Antiquities Authority:on the outskirts of the city of Ashkelon fermentation vats used for its preparation were discovered, about 2,000 years old.
This is a rare find in our region and very few facilities of this type have been found in the Eastern Mediterranean. Ancient sources even refer to the production of Jewish garum. The discovery of this type of installation in Ashkelon demonstrates that the Roman tastes that spread throughout the empire were not limited to clothing, but also included eating habits , explained archaeologist Tali Erickson-Gini.
Long before pasta and pizza, the ancient Roman diet relied heavily on fish sauce. Historical sources refer to the production of special fish sauce, which was used as a basic condiment for food in Roman and Byzantine times throughout the Mediterranean basin. They report that the strong odors that accompany it during its production require it to be away from urban areas, and this was found to be the case as the facility was discovered approximately 2 kilometers from ancient Ashkelon , he explained.
In the place where garum's factory was found It was built in the 5th century AD. a monastery Three wine presses and a complex of ovens were discovered alongside the remains of a richly decorated 5th-century church. According to the IAA researchers, the export of wine was probably the main income of the monastery.
The site, which served as an industrial area for various periods, was again abandoned sometime after the Islamic conquest of the region in the 7th century AD. and later nomadic families, probably residing in tents, dismantled the structures and sold the various parts for building material elsewhere Erickson-Gini said.
Ashkelon is located 56 kilometers south of Tel Aviv, on the shores of the Mediterranean and near the Negev desert.