Tali Erickson-Gini
Dr. Tali Erickson-Gini is an expert on the archaeology of the Negev and particularly the archaeology of the Nabataeans, with a special emphasis on knowledge of the ceramic record of the Negev and southern Jordan from the Early Bronze Age to the modern British Mandate period. For over 35 years, she has actively participated in and also directed excavations and surveys throughout the Negev, including the sites of Elusa, Mampsis, Oboda, Shivta, Nessana and En Hazeva. She is the editor and contributor of monographs on the excavations of Rudolph Cohen along the Incense Road (1978-1988) and excavations in the Nabataean-Roman site of En Hazeva in the Arava Valley.
Presenter at
Bible & Archaeology Fest XXIX, November 7th and 8th, 2026
The Incense Road Before the Nabataeans
Who hasn’t heard of Petra, one of the wonders of the ancient world? Petra was the beating heart of the Nabataeans, an Arab people from northern Arabia who became fabulously wealthy from transporting and merchandising incense resins, frankincense and myrrh, which they brought from southern Arabia to Egypt and the Mediterranean basin between the late 4th century BCE and the early 3rd century CE. However, the Nabataeans were not the first to engage in the long-distance trade of aromatics across the deserts of Arabia.
In 2021, a chance discovery in the Negev Highlands by a young archaeologist, Martin D. Pasternak, shed light on an earlier chapter of history that took place in the Iron Age II and Achaemenid Persian periods between the 8th/7th centuries and the 5th centuries BCE. An unusual tomb structure, 7 x 7 m. in size was discovered at the site of an ancient crossroads. The tomb was filled with nearly 60 individuals, many of them young women between ages 14-20, and a plethora of finds. Many alabaster vessels and artifacts produced in southern Arabia that were used for grinding and burning incense for the burials were uncovered, along with incense burners, all of which were purposely broken. Parts of a copper-alloy scale and stone weights attest to ancient traders at the site. Seven other individuals and similar artifacts were discovered in a smaller structure next to the tomb. The two tombs contained finds brought from many places: the western Mediterranean, Egypt, southern Europe and southern Arabia as well as ancient Judah and Transjordan. Historically, in the period in which the tombs were in use, the road system in the Negev, Sinai and northern Arabia was controlled by the Qedarites, known from the Hebrew scriptures and Assyrian records.
In this presentation, I will present the finds and our current knowledge about them, while they are still being studied by experts. I think that you will find this special window on the material culture of ancient history in the Near East fascinating and unforgettable.
