The sugar industry flourished as a major activity in medieval Palestine. Cultivation of sugar cane in the Jordan Valley and coastal regions predates its use in sugar production. The process of cultivating sugar cane and producing sugar requires abundant water for irrigation and operational needs of the mills. Early sources indicate the spread of sugar cane cultivation in the Jordan Valley and the Palestinian coast. Yaqut al-Hamawi praised the quality of sugar produced in Jericho in 1225, and the traveler Borshad visited it while it was in operation in 1283.

Two seasons of excavation and restoration work were conducted at the site between 2000-2001 by the Palestinian Antiquities Department under the scientific supervision of Dr. Hamdan Taha and field supervision of Mr. Wael Hamamra. The excavations revealed remains of an integrated industrial facility for sugar production, located northwest of the city of Jericho, 500 meters west of Tell al-Sultan. The site is a unique industrial facility used in sugar manufacturing during the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods. The site is mentioned in many historical sources from the medieval era.

The Sugar Mills site consists of three main components: the water system, the press, and the agricultural lands. The remains of the industrial facilities at the site include the waterwheel, courtyard, storage rooms, press, pressing room, clarification basin, hearth, kitchen, and storage rooms. The mill was operated by water brought to it from the springs of Nuway'ma and Diyar, through specially constructed channels for this purpose.

The archaeological findings indicate various activities related to sugar production, including pottery vessels, especially clay molds used in sugar production known as "abaliq," clay sieves, metal objects, coins, and Arabic inscriptions. Coins from the Ayyubid period were also discovered.