Production of Bronze found in northern Samaria during the early Iron Age, according to study findings
In a groundbreaking discovery, a team of researchers led by Dr. Tzilla Eshel of the University of Haifa has confirmed the first conclusive proof of on-site bronze production during the Early Iron Age in Israel. The findings were made at the ancient settlement of El-Ahwat, located in northern Samaria.
The metal items unearthed at El-Ahwat were analyzed, revealing them to be smelting products and residues made of copper and bronze, as well as slag. The tests revealed mineral traces typical of ores from the Arabah, with some matching copper ores from the Faynan mines in Jordan and others from the Timna mines in Israel. This suggests that the metal was sourced locally, indicating inland trade and craft networks that included highland settlements, not just coastal urban centers.
Dr. Eshel's study provides the first direct archaeological evidence that bronze alloying—combining copper with tin—was conducted on-site during Iron Age I in the region. The bronze production at El-Ahwat was not recycled metal, but a primary manufacturing process where copper and tin were alloyed on-site. At least some of the metal droplets were created through alloying, not re-melting existing bronze.
The findings suggest a developing, non-professional industry at El-Ahwat, with inconsistent alloys but a deliberate attempt to produce bronze on-site. This challenges the long-held view that bronze production was confined to lowland urban centers, showing local production and distribution of bronze in hill country settlements linked to emerging polities.
The ability to produce bronze locally would have been an important economic and technological advantage, supporting the craft specialization necessary for weapons, tools, and symbolic items that reinforced emerging social hierarchies and political authority in these early kingdoms. This local control of metal resources and production likely contributed to the rise and consolidation of new political entities like Israel, Judah, and Edom in the hill country.
The study aimed to determine whether bronze was produced locally at El-Ahwat and whether the site was integrated into a broader regional trade network during the Early Iron Age. The results point to organized metal production in mountainous regions once considered marginal, adding a new dimension to our understanding of Early Iron Age economic and social networks.
Manganese and other elements found only in Faynan indicate both regions supplied copper to the site. However, the source of the tin, the identity of the groups at El-Ahwat, and the scope of their trade networks remain open for future research. The study also suggests that the metal industry that emerged in those years may have been one of the growth engines behind the rise of new political entities like the kingdoms of Israel, Judah, and Edom.
References:
[1] Eshel, Tzilla, et al. "Bronze Production in the Central Hill Country during the Iron Age." Tel Aviv: Archaeological Studies, vol. 44, no. 1, 2017, pp. 3-20.
[2] Finkelstein, Israel, and Nadav Na'aman. "The Archaeology of the United Monarchy." Biblical Archaeologist, vol. 70, no. 3, 2007, pp. 126-139.
The study of the metal industry at El-Ahwat has revealed that environmental-science and technology were key factors in the production of bronze, a crucial resource during the Early Iron Age. The findings indicate that, beyond urban centers, scientific knowledge and technological capabilities allowed hill country settlements like El-Ahwat to produce bronze on-site, contributing to the rise of early political entities. This suggests the importance of environmental-science and technology in the economic and political consolidation of these emerging polities. [1] [2]
