NEWE EFRAIM, ISRAEL—The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced that archaeologists uncovered rare 4,000-year-old wicks that are among the oldest known examples that have been found anywhere in the world. The discovery came as a team was excavating a set of Bronze Age tombs at the site of Newe Efraim near Yehud. Among the burial offerings, which also included pottery, jewelry, and metal weapons, were three clay oil lamps that still contained wicks inside. These objects rarely survive, not only because they were made from natural material that decays easily, but because by design they are intended to be lit and burnt, eventually disappearing. “This is a unique discovery that we did not expect could ever be found in the moist Mediterranean climate,” said IAA researchers Naama Sukenik and Yonah Maor. “Although wicks were a common product for lighting in the ancient world, the fact that they are made of organic fibers makes it difficult to discover them in an archaeological dig.” Laboratory analysis indicated that the wicks were made from reused linen textiles that were cut into long strips and twisted together. They then underwent a type of “fossilization” process over time that accounts for their preservation for thousands of years. Read the original scholarly article about this research in 'Atiqot. To read about recent redating of a cache of Bronze Age objects uncovered at the site of Megiddo in northern Israel, go to "Secrets of a Silver Hoard."
