Archaeologists in Israel’s Negev Desert have unearthed miniature figurines—including carved heads of African figures made from black wood—within 1,500-year-old burial sites of women and children, according to a report published in the Israel Antiquities Authority’s Atiqot journal.
The research was conducted at the Tel Malhata archaeological site in the Negev’s Arad Valley by researchers with the IAA and the University of Cologne in Germany.
"The figurines show that a Christian community lived in the south of the country about 1,500 years ago, possibly with some of its members coming from Africa”, say the researchers. “Carved from bone, and from ebony wood – a rare raw material originating from southern India and Sri Lanka –the figurines were designed in the form of women and men bearing prominent African facial features, and with a hole for the purpose of wearing them around the neck. It seems their purpose was not only decorative, but also as intimate personal items carrying with them a story of identity, tradition, and memory.”
Artifacts found prove Israel is a melting pot
These figurines were placed in the tomb alongside women and children and were very well-preserved. Researchers said there was a high likelihood that the figures represented ancestors and may have reflected generations of tradition — possibly after adopting Christianity. These discoveries provide further context for the people who lived in the area 1,500 years ago and the cultural diversity of the region.
Burial offerings were also found, including glassware, stone and alabaster jewelry, and bronze bracelets. The tombs are reflective of a traditional Christian burial from the 6th to 7th centuries CE. “It is likely that a woman and a child who were buried side-by-side, and in whose graves two of the figurines were discovered, belonged to the same family – and perhaps they were even mother and son,” the researchers said.
According to Eli Escusido, Director of the IAA, “The finds from Tel Malḥata are moving not only from an archaeological perspective, but also on a human level. 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.”