jan 1, 1000 BC - Smelting & Bronzemaking

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Beyond smelting: New insights on Iron Age (10th c. BCE) metalworkers community from excavations at a gatehouse and associated livestock pens in Timna, Israel
Beyond smelting: New insights on Iron Age (10th c. BCE) metalworkers community from excavations at a gatehouse and associated livestock pens in Timna, Israel by ErezBen-Yosef, DafnaLanggut, LidarSapir-Hen

This paper presents results of excavations at an Iron Age (~ 10th c. BCE) gatehouse and associated livestock pens in one of the largest copper smelting camps in Timna Valley – Site 34 (“Slaves' Hill”). The extraordinary preservation of organic materials allowed for in depth investigations of animal bones as well as seeds and pollen found in dung piles. The results demonstrate that the gatehouse area was used for keeping donkeys (or mules), which were the common draught animal at the time, together with other livestock (probably goats). The donkeys were fed with grape pomace and hay (rather than straw) that originated from the Mediterranean regions, > 100 km to the northeast (Edom) and 200 km to the north (Philistia/Judea). This food reflects special treatment and care, in accordance with the key role of the donkeys in the success of copper production and trade in a logistically challenging region. Furthermore, the excavations revealed a deliberate piling of the dung against the inner face of the site's wall, most probably in order to use it as fuel in the copper smelting process (the initial heating of the furnaces). In addition, the excavations yielded insights on the metalworkers themselves, including their rich diet (as reflected by animal bones and seeds) and activities at the gatehouse area. The latter includes secondary metallurgical processes such as refining/melting in crucibles and probably casting of ingots. Lastly, the results of this study shed new light on the Iron Age society engaged in copper production in Timna (probably early Edom), further stressing its complexity and centralized organization, as well as its involvement in inter-regional trade. The gatehouse and walls also indicate substantial investment in deterrence and defense, reflecting a period of instability and military threat in 10th c. BCE Timna.

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Bronze Production in Central Israel—Evidence of David’s Kingdom?
The earliest evidence of bronze production in Israel with links to Edom’s surge in copper production
By George Haddad and Micah van Halteren

At el-Ahwat, 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) southwest of Megiddo, researchers found the earliest example of bronzemaking in the land of Israel—dating to around 1000 b.c.e., the time of the biblical King David.

The study examined seven copper and bronze spills as well as a slag fragment. “The analysis of the copper and bronze spills, along with the slag samples, indicates that bronze was produced at el-Ahwat during Iron Age i,” the authors wrote. Thus, this is “the first site in the region to yield unequivocal evidence for the primary production of bronze through alloying copper with tin.”

El-Ahwat now joins and contributes to a broader landscape of metallurgical activity. The fact that this site didn’t just recycle bronze but alloyed copper with tin to produce bronze reveals a high level of expertise and a centralized system capable of securing and providing the raw materials needed for production.

The Bible clearly describes a united, centralized monarchy in the region of ancient Israel producing and utilizing an enormous amount of bronze—so much so, that it was innumerable: “And Solomon did not weigh all the articles, because there were so many; the weight of the bronze was not determined” (1 Kings 7:47; New King James Version).

Linking the copper found at el-Ahwat with the mines at Faynan and Timna is especially intriguing. Comparative studies between the mines have shown that around 1000 b.c.e. both locations experienced identical changes in copper production.

The Bible describes this as the time the united Israelite monarchy came to power and exerted control over Edom (2 Samuel 8:14).

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