Unearthed in Israel’s Negev: Mysterious 1,500-Year-Old African Figurines Challenge History’s Secrets
At the time, according to the IAA, Tel Malḥata was a “major crossroads.” It linked the Red Sea with Judea and Jerusalem and the Mediterranean to the Arabian Peninsula and Asia. During the Roman-Byzantine period, merchants from Arabia, India, and Africa would have passed through. Christian Ethiopians may have followed this tide of humanity to southern Israel.
Svetlana Talis/Israel Antiquities AuthorityPlates found during the excavation, which were possibly used for a meal related to the burial 1,500 years ago.
Though questions remain, the figurines are an example of how people moved through the ancient world alongside their beliefs and traditions.
“The finds from Tel Malḥata are moving not only from an archaeological perspective, but also on a human level,” Eli Escusido, the director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, remarked. “They serve as a reminder that the Land of Israel has always been a crossroads of cultures and peoples — individuals arrived here, integrated into the local population, and yet still carried with them traditions and beliefs from distant lands.”
After reading about the African figurines found at the Tel Malhata archaeological site in Israel, discover the story of the Berbers, the original inhabitants of North Africa. Or, see how the African king Mansa Musa became the richest person in human history.
Post Comment