{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.030595813204508857, 'fraction_numerical': 0.017176596886741814, 'mean_word_length': 4.664133738601824, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Hydraulic and Fishing Installations at Tel Tanninim

Excavations in 1996-97 at the coastal site of Tel Tanninim (Tell al-Milat), situated at the outflow of Nahal Tanninim "Crocodiles River," about 5 km north of Caesarea Maritima in central Israel, unearthed several hydraulic and fishing installations dated to the Byzantine and Early Umayyad eras. The mound is identified with the Krokodeilon polis of the Hellenistic era (Strabo 16.2.27; Pliny, Natural History 5.17.75). But in the Byzantine period, the site may be identified with Migdal Malha, which according to the Jerusalem Talmud (Demai 2:1, 22c) was one of the northern boundary points for the territory of Caesarea. In Crusader sources, the site was evidently called Turris Salinarum "Saltworks Tower"(Beyer 1936:178), the Latin name being an exact translation of the Talmudic toponym. If the identification is substantiated, it would suggest that a primary industry at Tel Tanninim during and after the Byzantine era was the production of sea salt, probably from coastal pans located along the coast north of the river, in the area now covered by the fishponds of Kibbutz Ma'agan Mikhael. The excavations produced evidence for the existence of both sea water and freshwater fishing industries at this site. In Area B, the terminus of a Byzantine aqueduct, tapping into the high-level aqueduct of Caesarea, provided fresh water in a 13 cm ceramic pipeline to several structures: a substantial reservoir (15 x 7.5 x 3 m), an adjacent fountain with a plain white mosaic floor, and a well built fishpond (piscina; 5.5 x 4.5 x 1.5 m) used to store surplus fish and breed them. The piscina had 16 complete Gaza amphorae embedded lengthwise in a mortar casing along its four walls. A staircase led to its floor, which had a large settling basin sunk into its center. This type of artificial breeding pond (Ayalon 1979:175), utilizing fresh water, was most likely used to raise St. Peter's fish (Tilapia Galileae). Another ceramic pipeline, running westward from Area B, supplied water to additional buildings. One of these was probably the seaside bath complex uncovered in Area D. Only its entrance chamber, with a brief red mosaic floor inscription and the hypocaust of the bath have thus far been excavated. The bath structure was separated by a wall from a fishpond on the shore, situated at the exact spot where Nahal Tanninim currently flows into the sea. Associated with this well preserved and rock-cut piscina (8.5 x 6.5 x 0.75 m) were remains of several small rock-cut basins, and the base of a larger tank (1.5 x 1.5 m) with thick plastering and an intact mosaic floor of plain white stones. The basins and tank were located slightly above the fish-pond. The brackish water in the pond was ideally suited for a specific type of mariculture (see Varro, Rerum Rusticarum 3.17), namely, the growth of certain species of saline-tolerant fish. But other maritime uses, such as the production of royal purple from murex shellfish found in this area, could have been accommodated in this facility. The river and the sea water, both of which were required for the dye production, were readily available, and so was the running water presumably supplying the bath. Indeed, the seaside pool could also be operated as part of the bath complex, which is probably of Early Byzantine date. It is difficult toestablish the date of the piscina and basins due to the absence of stratified remains on the shore. But the hydraulic plaster and mosaic in the square tank are of Late Byzantine date. These installations at Tel Tanninim vividly illustrate the efficient and diverse utilization of the multiple water sources at this site for both commercial and recreational ctivities.