Trash or Cache? The Textile Evidence from the Nahal ‘Omer Middens as an Indicator of Early Islamic-Period Trade Networks along Israel’s Silk Road

Middens provide an important source of data for exploring the history of ancient settlements. Excavations at the middens of Naḥal ‘Omer, an Early Islamic way-station in the ‘Arava desert, yielded a treasure-trove of textiles, such as silk and cotton, including ikats probably imported from India or South Arabia. The Early Islamic period witnessed a flourishing of artistic and cultural achievements, with textiles playing a central role in expressing creativity. The Silk Road, Mediterranean trade routes and connections with India and Central Asia facilitated the movement of textiles and inspired cross-cultural influences. This period probably witnessed a “textile revolution” that was characterized by the increase in cotton and silk cultivation. In this paper, we discuss how the treasures from the middens shed light on the production and trade of textiles along trade routes between east and west through three important textile groups: ikat, silk and zilu.