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Keyword: caveofskulls

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  • Scraps of Red Fabric Found in Judean Desert Identified

    08/03/2024 6:17:22 AM PDT · by SunkenCiv · 20 replies
    Archaeology Magazine ^ | July 29, 2024 | unattributed / editors
    Newsweek reports that two wool textile fragments discovered in Israel’s Cave of Skulls in 2016 had been dyed bright red with dye made from Kermes vermilio, a species of scale insect. The fabric has been dated to 3,800 years ago, making it the oldest known use of scale insects for dyeing textiles.“Identifying the dye in the ancient textile was achieved using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)—a device commonly employed in biology and chemistry laboratories to separate and identify substances in minute quantities,” said Na’ama Sukenik of the Israel Antiquities Authority.A large quantity of the insects would be needed to produce a...
  • Antiquity thieves caught at Cave of Skulls searching for Dead Sea artefacts

    12/09/2014 5:00:40 PM PST · by SunkenCiv · 9 replies
    Past Horizons ^ | December 7, 2014 | unattributed
    Members of the Arad Rescue Unit, undergoing early morning routine training, noticed suspicious activity in the northern cliff of Nahal Ze'elim, in the region of the Leopard's Ascent (Judean Desert). After alerting the authorities a group of antiquity thieves searching for Dead Sea scrolls and other potentially valuable artefacts, were caught red-handed. The "The Cave of the Skulls", which is located in the side of a cliff, can only be reached on foot via a narrow goat path on top of rock fall, that passes upright bedrock walls and is extremely precarious. The robbers, who had used climbing gear to...