HAIFA, Israel — New archaeological research at Tel Shikmona is providing a detailed look at how an industrial center controlled by the ancient Kingdom of Israel operated more than 2,700 years ago.
Researchers from the University of Haifa examined production areas dating to approximately 790–740 BCE, a period that includes the reign of King Jeroboam II and significant industrial activity at the site.
Tel Shikmona, located along the Mediterranean coast near modern-day Haifa, is considered the largest known Iron Age purple-dye production center in the Mediterranean. Previous excavations uncovered more than 170 objects associated with the production and use of the valuable dye.
New microscopic analysis, however, shows that workers used the site's production areas for much more than dye making. Researchers identified evidence of olive pressing, animal keeping, textile-related work, and purple-dye production occurring within the same industrial complex.
The evidence allowed researchers to reconstruct a possible seasonal cycle. Olive pressing appears to have taken place during autumn, animals were kept in some spaces during winter, and textile-related work occurred during spring. Purple-dye production was also incorporated into the site's activities, although researchers have not determined its precise seasonal timing.
Layers of animal dung covered with ash suggest workers deliberately cleaned and prepared the production areas as they transitioned between different activities.
Researchers say the findings point to careful organization of labor, resources, and industrial space under the Kingdom of Israel, allowing the facility to remain productive throughout much of the year.
For Whole Bible believers, the discovery provides another glimpse into everyday life during the biblical Kingdom of Israel. Archaeology is revealing not only monumental structures and warfare, but also how people worked, produced goods, managed resources, and organized economic life in the land described throughout Scripture.
Reference:
haifa/en/2026/10/05/not-just-purple-how-the-uses-of-the-production-spaces-at-tel-shiqmona-changed/
