Excavations in the Timna Valley of the Israeli Negev have unearthed a highly organized copper mining and smelting camp dating to the 10th century BCE. The site features advanced furnace technology that allowed for the production of high-purity copper on an industrial scale.
The social organization of the site, including specialized workshops and central administrative buildings, suggests it was controlled by a powerful regional entity, possibly linked to the biblical Kingdom of Edom. The discovery of high-status food remains, such as Mediterranean fish, indicates the miners were part of an elite labor class.