Tel Shikmona is an archaeological site near Haifa. From the late Bronze Age through the Byzantine period, it served at various times as a fortified industrial site, including under the control of the Kingdom of Israel.
The site was known for its production of pottery vessels and dyes. According to JNS, a new study revealed that the site was home to those industries and much more—which is what makes it so unique. Findings reveal that the workspaces were used throughout the year for pressing olives, keeping animals, textile work, and scarlet dye production.
The findings provide new insight into how the kingdom managed labor and economic resources. Workers appear to have reused the same spaces for different forms of production throughout the year, maximizing the use of existing facilities and resources.
The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE, examined microscopic remains preserved in two workspaces dating to approximately 790–740 BCE, during the reign of King Jeroboam II and the peak of industrial activity at the site.
Tel Shikmona operated as a small fortified production center under the Kingdom of Israel and is considered the largest known Iron Age scarlet-production site in the Mediterranean. Earlier excavations uncovered more than 170 artifacts associated with scarlet production, most stained with the dye, as well as dozens of large pottery vessels used to produce and apply dyes.
The new research indicates that the facilities served broader purposes throughout the year. One workspace was used at different times for pressing olives, keeping animals and textile-related activity. The second contained extensive evidence of scarlet production, as well as traces of olive processing.
Researchers found an olive-crushing stone, textile loom weights, and pottery vessels, supporting the theory that the spaces served multiple purposes. The findings also suggest a seasonal cycle, with olive pressing taking place in autumn, animal husbandry in winter, and textile-related work in spring. Ash found at the site is theorized to have been used to disinfect the spaces and reduce odors after the animals were moved out for the season.
Excavation director Dr. Golan Shlavy says this method of research demonstrates that the presence of one major installation at an archaeological site does not necessarily mean it served only one purpose. The findings also show how ancient Israelites adapted their production activities according to the seasons.