An archaeological dig in the Israeli Negev’s Arad Valley has uncovered 1,500-year-old graves of women and children.
Within the graves were the heads of African figures carved from rare black wood.
Researchers on the project said, "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"
They continued, "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."
The figures were well preserved, and the researchers have speculated that they may represent the ancestors of the deceased, noting that pre-Christian tribal customs and beliefs likely still persisted despite the adoption of Christianity.
In the days before Islam, the region was still a part of the by-then Christian Roman Empire. It was also something of a commercial crossroads, with merchants from Arabia, India, Africa and Europe all passing through. The finding is an indication of the kind of cultural diversity that existed in the region and the Roman Empire more broadly 1,500 years ago.
As well as figurines, a significant amount of glassware and jewellery made from stone, alabaster and bronze was found. The tombs suggest that those interred were given the traditional Christian funerary rites of the time.
A woman was found buried with a child, likely from the same family and quite possibly mother and son.
Eli Escusido, Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority, described the finds as “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," he said.
