An excavation team has uncovered 3000-year-old textiles in Israel's Arava Valley, dating back to the era of Kings David and Solomon.The archaeologists from Tel Aviv University found the ancient organic materials preserved within the Timna copper mines, a site which some believe was once linked to King Solomon. These fabrics are the first textiles discovered from the era, and provide new insight on the fashions of the Holy Land. Along with fabric, the team found seeds, leather, and other rare artefacts.
The artefacts discovered at the Timna copper mines also offer clues about the early Edomites, a semi-nomadic people who are thought to have operated the mines.This is the first time researchers have had the opportunity to observe textiles from this period, and the fabrics are physical evidence of a complex society.The pieces are tiny, some just 5 x 5 centimetres, but show differences in colour, weaving, and ornamentation techniques.Elaborate fabrics may have been worn by copper craftsmen, who held a highly respected position in society.
'No textiles have ever been found at excavation sites like Jerusalem, Megiddo and Hazor, so this provides a unique window into an entire aspect of life from which we've never had physical evidence before,' said Dr. Erez Ben-Yosef, who led the study. 'We found fragments of textiles that originated from bags, clothing, tents, ropes and cords. The wide variety of fabrics also provides new and important information about the Edomites, who, according to the Bible, warred with the Kingdom of Israel. We found simply woven, elaborately decorated fabrics worn by the upper echelon of their stratified society. Luxury grade fabric adorned the highly skilled, highly respected craftsmen managing the copper furnaces. They were responsible for smelting the copper, which was a very complicated process.'
The research explains that copper was the most valuable resource of the time, and required many levels of expertise to produce. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3462631/The-fashions-holy-land-Archaeologists-fabrics-reign-Solomon-David-preserved-copper-mine.html#ixzz41Bgfb7sz