A 3,000-year-old "collection" of "fashion" was unearthed at the site of the mines of Solomon the Prophet.

Archaeologists said the objects were found during excavations by a Tel Aviv University excavation team led by Dr. Eriz Ben-Yosef in the Timna copper mines, Tepe Arava. The finds are the first textile discoveries from this period, and include fabrics of various colors, designs, and backgrounds.

"Textiles have never been excavated from this period in places like Jerusalem, Megiddo, Hazor, and what has been found now gives us a unique opportunity to see a view of life at a time that we have not had access to before," Ben-Yosef said. "We have obtained a sample of fabrics from bags, clothes, tents, ropes, and strings in this discovery."

The university announced in a press release that the pieces of fabric, sometimes measuring 5 centimeters by 5 centimeters, come in various colors, textures, and decorations.
Dr. Orit Shamir, a senior researcher at the Israel Antiquities Authority, which is managing studies on the fabric, said that some of the fabrics resemble fabrics that were only produced during the Roman era.

The Timna Valley, now a national park, was a mine during the reign of Solomon and had dozens of metal smelting facilities.

Fragments of a kiln, clothing, cloth, rope, and a number of food particles were found in the 2013 excavations, which were made public on Wednesday. The objects date back to the 10th century BC, when, according to the Bible, King Solomon reigned over ancient Israel.

Also from this period, the seven-fruit tree, consisting of two grains and seven fruits, was found to grow only in the Land of Israel. This discovery has been determined and confirmed by radiocarbon dating.

Ben-Yosef said the mines were said to have been run by Edomite tribes, and the discoveries have provided a glimpse into the tribe's complex social life.

According to Ben-Yosef, the variety of fabrics also provides important new information about the Edomites, who, according to the Bible, waged war against the kingdom of Israel. We have found fabrics with simple weaves and intricate designs that were worn by the upper classes. Luxurious fabrics worn by skilled and respected weavers and artisans who ran the copper furnaces. They were the operators of the smelting furnaces, which was a very difficult and complex process.

The university said in a press release that the artifacts found at the site show that copper mines were the "Silicon Valley" of their time. Copper was used to make tools and war equipment and was one of the most valuable resources of ancient societies. The miners of ancient Timna were likely slaves or prisoners. But the operation of smelting the ore and turning it into metal required great skill and very delicate adjustments.

"Owning copper mines meant great power, just as oil does today," added Ben Youssef. "If someone had the knowledge and skill to extract copper, they were considered a valuable and respected person in the sophisticated technology of the time. They might even have been considered magical or superhuman, and had a social status and rank accordingly."

The university explained in its explanation that "based on this, food, water, and cloth had to be transported from distant locations to the desert, into the valley, and into the copper mines and facilities."

The latest discoveries, which were textiles, much of which were produced in locations far from Timna and in specialized weaving workshops, provide a glimpse into the trade practices and economy of the region at the time.

"In the excavations, we found fabrics that were not locally produced. They were most likely brought to the site from the Jordan Valley or northern Israel. Many of these fabrics are made of sheep's wool, which has not been found in excavations from this period. This shows how advanced and sophisticated the textile industry, as well as trade, was," said Vanessa Workman, a graduate student at Tel Aviv University.