Rare Artifacts in Timna Mine Provide New Insight on the Edomites

A team of archaeologists has discovered a collection of textiles of diverse dye colors and designs about 3,000 years old in an Edomite tin mine in Israel. Textiles this old are rare because they are made of organic materials and usually disintegrate long before modern times.

“The ancient copper mines in Timna are located deep in Israel's Arava Valley and are believed by some to be the site of King Solomon's mines,” says a press release from the American Friends of Tel Aviv University. “The arid conditions of the mines have seen the remarkable preservation of 3,000-year-old organic materials, including seeds, leather and fabric, and other extremely rare artifacts that provide a unique window into the culture and practices of this period.

Fabric sample discovered by archaeologists in the ancient Timna mines. (Tel Aviv University)

Dr. Erez Ben-Yosef of Tel Aviv University is the head of the team excavating the Timna mines. The Edomites are believed to have operated the mines. They were a semi-nomadic who had a complex society and warred with the kingdom of Israel.