The place where the grapes are crushed is known as the winepress (or "gat" in Hebrew). Normally, this was a limestone basin carved from the rock. They were usually square, although they might sometimes be spherical. Grapes were transported in baskets and set on the floor of the winepress, and the pressing was mainly done by men. Women were responsible for cleaning up the press after the grapes had been pressed. There were two main methods of making wine: stomping and treading. In both cases, the goal is to extract as much juice from the grape skins as possible. Stomping involves crushing the grapes with your feet and toes and then rubbing them against a stone surface, which allows the skin to release its juices. Treading requires only one step more, so that both skins and seeds can be extracted from the fruit. Wine producers often use machines called winemakers' presses to perform these tasks today. Wine was the drink of choice for ancient people, and it played an important role in their culture. It was used as a medicine, an ingredient in rituals, and even consumed straight from the jug. Although water was generally available, people drank wine because they found it tasted good and made them feel better. It has been estimated that about 95% of the people of the time were chronically infected with some form of bacteria that causes illness today, so drinking wine was very useful! In addition to being used as a medicine, wine was also used as currency.