As early as 3,000 years ago, man destroyed the regional vegetation for the benefit of the copper industry and caused fatal damage to the environment
If we thought that the main damages to the environment by mankind only began in the last centuries - here is a surprising finding: researchers from Tel Aviv University collected coal remains that were used to fire furnaces for the production of copper in the Timna Valley in the 11th-9th centuries BC, and examined them under the microscope in the laboratory. They found that the composition of the coals changed over time: initially they contained mainly acacia trees and harness trees that grew in the area and were used as excellent fuel, but gradually the quality of the coals deteriorated, and they contained poor fuel and wood brought from afar. "From the findings, we conclude that the ancient copper industry in Timana was not sustainable. It was characterized by overexploitation of local trees, until it finally consumed them completely and as a result it itself ceased to exist. Copper production at the site was resumed only about a thousand years later, and the damage caused to the environment was not restored until today," say the researchers.
Why did so many trees need to be burned?
The research was conducted by the doctoral student Mark Kavanagh, Prof. Erez Ben-Yosef, the director of the archaeological excavations in the Timna Valley, and Dr. Dafna Langut, the director of the laboratory for archaeobotanics, all From the Department of Archeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures by Jacob M. Alkov in the Lester and Sally Antin Faculty of Humanities. The article was published in the prestigious journal Scientific Reports from Nature.
"Many findings in the Timna Valley testify to a huge copper industry that existed here for about 250 years, between the 11th and 9th centuries AD. In addition to thousands of copper mining sites, about 10 industrial sites were also found in the area where the copper was extracted from the stone in hot furnaces. The general public knows the subject under the title 'King Solomon's Mines', although the mines themselves are not mentioned in the Bible. However, today we know that Shia The production of copper indeed coincides with the reigns of David and Solomon," explains Prof. Erez Ben-Yosef.
"The Bible says that David conquered Timna, aka the land of Edom, and appointed commissioners there, and that his son Shlomo used a huge amount of copper in the construction of the temple. We can only assume that David was interested in the remote desert region because of the treasures of copper, a metal of great importance at the time, which was used, among other things, to make bronze. The copper industry in Timana was operated by the residents of the red zone who specialized in the field, and the copper from Timana is exported to distant countries, including Egypt, Lebanon, and even Greece. The new research shows that the industry was not sustainable, evidence that corresponds to the reality of the enslavement of the Reds in this period to an external government, perhaps the one in Jerusalem," he adds.
"In the 11th century BC, the remains of the fire contained mainly two plants that are known as excellent combustion materials: 40% acacia trees and 40% desert heather. About 100 years later, around the middle of the 10th century B.C., we noticed a change in the composition of the coals. The factories began to use lower quality fuel, such as various desert bushes and date trees. Later, they even imported other trees from a long distance."
Decrease in the quality of combustion materials
The researchers explain that the copper industry in Timana was very sophisticated for its time, and that those involved in the craft were skilled metalsmiths, who gained status and respect. The copper was extracted from the stones by melting in clay furnaces at a temperature of 1,200 degrees Celsius, and to reach these high temperatures charcoal was required. The production process took about 8 hours and then the furnace was smashed, and the copper was pulled out from the bottom. The coal required for the process was created even earlier, in a dedicated industry that was conducted at sites called coal mines. The trees cut down in the area were brought here, and the charcoal was extracted from them in a long process of slow combustion without oxygen.
"The copper industry in Timna was first discovered about 200 years ago, and from then until today every researcher who came to the place asked the obvious question: What was the fuel that fired the furnaces? The site is in the heart of the desert, and there is very little vegetation in the area. To finally solve the riddle, we collected remains of coal from the furnaces and we tested in the laboratory what they are made of," explains Mark Kavanagh.
The coal remains, which were well preserved thanks to the dry desert climate, were found in piles of industrial waste at two large production sites in the Timna Valley, and were brought to the laboratory for archaeobotanics at Tel Aviv University under the direction of Dr. Dafna Langut, where plant remains found in archaeological excavations are examined. "In the current study, we examined over -1,000 coal samples using an electron microscope. The anatomical structure of the tree is preserved even when it is carbonized and through the eye of the microscope you can identify the trees down to the species level. The samples were dated according to the layer in which they were found in the waste piles, and some were even sent for dating using carbon 14," explains Dr. Langut.
The researchers found significant changes in the composition of the coals along the timeline. "The base of the waste pile, which is associated with a layer dating back to the 11th century BC, contained mainly two plants that are known as excellent combustion materials: 40% acacia trees and 40% desert heather, and mainly heather roots. It is interesting to note that even in the Bible, the coals of the Hirtum bush and its roots are mentioned as the first combustion material (Psalms 100 verse 10)", says Mark Kavanagh and continues "About 100 years later, around the middle of the XNUMXth century BC, we detected a change in the composition of the coals. The factories began to use lower quality fuel, such as various desert bushes and date trees. Later, they even imported other trees from a long distance, such as a juniper that grows in the northern Ramat Adom, which is past the Jordan, about XNUMX km away, as well as those from the Land of Israel, which also moved from a distance of dozens of kilometers and more.
"Our research shows that already 3,000 years ago, in the Timna valley, man caused severe and unprecedented environmental destruction in our region, the signs of which are still evident today"
Resources ran out - the factory was closed
The researchers estimate that the gradual change in the composition of the coals was due to overexploitation which led to the elimination of the natural resources, in this case the high-quality fuel materials including the acacia trees and harnesses. "According to the amount of industrial waste found at the production sites, it is possible to calculate the amount of trees that were required to extract the copper. So, for example, the production site known as 'Slave Hill', which was only one of several sites that operated at the same time, required no less than 400 acacia trees each year and -1,800 Rotem bushes. With the decrease in the source of the fine wood, a shortage of raw materials was created, which was reflected in the changing composition of The coals. In the end, it became clear that the solution of transporting firewood from a distance was not economically efficient, and the mines and production sites were closed during the 9th century BC. The copper industry in the Timna region was only renewed about 1,000 years later, by the Nabatim," says Prof. Ben-Yosef.
"Our research shows that as early as 3,000 years ago, in the Timna Valley, man caused severe and unprecedented environmental destruction in our region, the signs of which are still evident today. The region suffered from the over-exploitation of resources, and the plowing system was especially damaged. These are central plants in the ecological environment of the southern Arava, which supported the species Many others, accumulated water, and also stabilized the ground around them. Their disappearance created a domino effect of damage environmental, and caused irreversible damage to the entire region. 3,000 years have passed since then, and the environment has not recovered from the crisis. Thus, for example, certain species such as the heron have become very rare in the region, while others have disappeared permanently," concludes Dr. Langut.
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