Archaeologists have uncovered the first conclusive evidence that bronze was produced locally in the Land of Israel during the Early Iron Age, rather than being recycled from older objects, the University of Haifa announced on Sunday. The discovery was made at El Ahwat, an ancient and short-lived settlement in northern Samaria, and is reshaping historians’ understanding of the region’s economy some 3,000 years ago.

“This is the first time we have conclusive proof that bronze was actually produced in the Land of Israel during the Early Iron Age, not as a recycling of existing items but as a real production process, at a site that was not a central city but a peripheral mountain settlement,” said Dr. Tzilla Eshel, the study’s author.

Laboratory tests on smelting products and residues found at El Ahwat revealed that copper and tin were alloyed on-site. The findings, published in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE, suggest the site was part of a broader regional trade network that thrived after the collapse of the great empires of the Late Bronze Age. As international trade routes broke down, local groups — including those controlling copper production in the Arava — found opportunities to develop independent industries, laying the groundwork for emerging kingdoms such as Israel, Judah, and Edom.