TEL AVIV – An ancient farmhouse dating back 2,700 years has been unearthed in Israel on the same site as a Byzantine monastery, the Daily Mail reported. The monastery is considerably younger than the farmstead, which is thought to have been built just after the Assyrian conquest of Israel that led Israel’s tribes to be scattered throughout the empire. Amit Shadman, who led the excavation, notes that the site consists of 24 rooms surrounding a central courtyard. The farmhouse measures 98 feet by 164 feet and has walls that reach 6.5 feet in height. Its original purpose and the identity of its builders are not known. Shadman cited the discovery of rock-hewn oil presses used in the production of olive oil. The excavations further revealed a silo in the courtyard meant to protect grain. “It seems carbohydrates were as popular then as now, and the growing and processing of grain were fairly widespread in the rural-agricultural region,” said Shadman. Discoveries in a field in the area included several millstones that would have been used to grind grain into flour. Two silver coins from the fourth century BC that bear the images of the goddess Athena and the Athenian owl were