Death at the Crossroads: Secrets of the Negev Tombs

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In the heart of the Negev Desert, at a major ancient crossroads, two unassuming structures were used as tombs during the first millennium BCE. Several dozen burials were discovered along with a variety of intriguing grave goods. In addition to providing a rare glimpse into the lucrative Arabian trade, these tombs also shed light on the movement of goods and people over long distances and even raise the possibility that some individuals were trafficked.

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Endnotes

1. In this early period, long-distance caravans operated on a seasonal basis, thus eliminating the need for permanent waystations. During later periods, however, forts and waystations were established throughout the Sinai and Negev to facilitate and protect trade through the region. See Tali Erickson-Gini and Yigal Israel, “Excavating the Nabataean Incense Road,” Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies 1.1 (2013), pp. 24–53.

2. We are grateful to the many researchers supporting the publication and study of the finds, including Jacob Vardi, Yossi Nagar, Hendrick Bron, Lidar Sapir-Hen, Davida Eisenberg-Degen, Dafna Gazit, Emil Aladjem, Ido Koch, Amir Golani, Svetlana Tali, Shlomo Lubarski, Alex Freiberg, Anastasia Shapiro, Daniella Bar-Yosef Mayer, and Raz Kletter.

3. See Robert Wenning, “The Nabataeans in History,” in Konstantinos D. Politis, ed., The World of the Nabataeans (Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 2007), pp. 25–44.

4. Israel Eph‘al, eminent historian of the ancient Arabs, and David F. Graf, a specialist in the history and archaeology of ancient Arabia, offered the same conclusion regarding the tomb discovery.

5. Although other interpretations of the female remains are possible, we believe human trafficking best explains the available evidence.