The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) has just announced a rare archaeological discovery: three perfectly preserved ancient lamp wicks, dating back approximately 4,000 years, unearthed during the construction of a new residential area in the city of Yehud, in central Israel.
According to the IAA, these are the oldest lamp wicks ever discovered in the world . This discovery is considered particularly rare because normally, lamp wicks - made from plant fibers or fabrics, either burn out during use or decompose in the soil, especially in areas with humid Mediterranean climates.
Even when such fragments of material are discovered, they are difficult to identify as lamp wicks unless found alongside oil lamps, as their shape is indistinguishable from ordinary scraps of cloth.
Although lamp wicks were common in the ancient world, according to IAA researchers Dr. Naama Sukenik and Dr. Yonah Maor, this is "a unique discovery that we didn't think could have survived in the humid climate of the Mediterranean."
The two researchers emphasized that: "These wicks are among the very few surviving artifacts from the same period that we know of in the world."
These three lamp wicks were found in oil lamps placed in tombs in the Newe Efrayim area, dating from 2,500 to 2,000 BC.
Researchers say that placing oil lamps in graves was a common practice during that period.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/cac-nha-khao-co-israel-tim-thay-bac-den-4000-nam-tuoi-con-nguyen-ven-post1059131.vnp
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