What is a 2,500-year-old burial site doing in a previously unknown location in the Negev Highlands? Researchers from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) recently uncovered this remarkable tomb complex near Tlalim Junction, suggesting it tells the story of ancient trade caravans passing through the region—possibly even from as far away as Yemen.
“The unique concentration of flint artifacts found at the site is unparalleled in Israel, and the only known sources are Yemen and Oman,” says Dr. Jacob Vardi, an expert on flint tools at the IAA. “Some of these artifacts show traces of red ochre, a substance used in ancient cultures to symbolize blood and for decoration. The presence of ochre on arrowheads suggests they may have had religious or cultic significance.”
Dr. Martin David Pasternak, excavation director on behalf of the IAA, and senior researcher Dr. Tali Erickson-Gini describe the discovery as groundbreaking, pointing to extensive cultural exchanges between southern and northern Arabia, Phoenicia, Egypt, and southern Europe.
In two excavated tombs dated between the 7th and 5th centuries BCE, archaeologists uncovered a wealth of artifacts: copper and silver jewelry, alabaster vessels used for incense preparation, hundreds of colorful stone beads, rare shells, an amulet in the shape of the Egyptian god Bes, and alabaster containers likely used to transport incense resins from southern Arabia. The diversity of these finds suggests the site was not only a burial ground for trade caravans but also a location of ritual and cultural significance.
The presence of dozens of burials raises two possibilities. One theory is that generations of traders used the site as a burial ground. Alternatively, the tombs could represent a mass burial of individuals from a caravan that suffered an attack.
“The tombs are not located near any known settlements, fortresses, or other sites that might explain their existence, making their presence a mystery,” say the researchers. “However, they sit at a key crossroads of trade routes through the Negev Highlands to the Arava. This suggests a connection to merchants from southern Arabia, known for their long-distance trade in goods like frankincense and myrrh. These journeys would have taken months, exposing travelers to harsh climate conditions, bandits, and other dangers.”
“This is one of the most intriguing sites we have ever encountered,” add Dr. Pasternak and Dr. Erickson-Gini. “The structures and artifacts reveal that the Negev was more than just a corridor for international trade—it was a vibrant meeting place of merchants and cultures.”
The presence of specific artifacts suggests that many of the deceased may have been women. Historical texts from the Minaeans, a South Arabian trading people from the first millennium BCE, describe the purchase of women from regions such as Gaza, Egypt, Greece, Moab, and Edom. An inscription from Yemen even lists 30 women bought in Gaza. Further evidence includes an amulet of the Egyptian god Bes, known as a protector of women and children, hinting at possible connections to human trafficking within these trade networks.
