Abstract
Excavation of organic material from the trash mounds of Nahal ‘Omer, an Early Islamic village located along trade
routes in the hyper-arid environment of Wadi Arabah in the Negev Desert of southern Israel, revealed a diverse
economy based on both local agriculture and long-distance trade. The extraordinary character of the middens is
defined by the dense accumulation of exceptionally preserved organic remains, including numerous textiles (cotton,
linen, wool, and silk), an abundance of locally sourced date palm products, and other everyday items. Combined
with archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological analyses, the finds illuminate both the subsistence economy of the
village and its far-reaching trade connections. The diversity of locally produced items and imported finds lays new
ground for tracing trans-regional interconnectedness and complex transportation networks, as well as technological
exchanges between different economic and cultural spheres along the Early Islamic trade routes
routes in the hyper-arid environment of Wadi Arabah in the Negev Desert of southern Israel, revealed a diverse
economy based on both local agriculture and long-distance trade. The extraordinary character of the middens is
defined by the dense accumulation of exceptionally preserved organic remains, including numerous textiles (cotton,
linen, wool, and silk), an abundance of locally sourced date palm products, and other everyday items. Combined
with archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological analyses, the finds illuminate both the subsistence economy of the
village and its far-reaching trade connections. The diversity of locally produced items and imported finds lays new
ground for tracing trans-regional interconnectedness and complex transportation networks, as well as technological
exchanges between different economic and cultural spheres along the Early Islamic trade routes
| Original language | American English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-24 |
| Journal | CARMEL: Studies in Archaeological Sciences and Conservation |
| Volume | 3 |
| State | Published - 2024 |