Archaeologists are hailing the discovery of the first female to be found in the vicinity of King Solomon’s mines after uncovering the remains of a pregnant 3,200-year-old Egyptian woman in Timna Valley, located in Southern Israel. The woman’s remains were situated near an Egyptian temple close to what was once a bustling and prosperous ancient copper mine during the 14th century BCE and up until the ninth century BCE.

The remains of the pregnant Egyptian woman have been particularly surprising to archaeologists considering the extremely arid environment of the location where she was found. There have been relatively few discoveries of human remains in this area, with the last occurring in 1964, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Archaeologist Erez Ben Yosef, from Tel Aviv University, explained that aside from the rarity of finding human remains in this area, up until now there has never been a female found before, which makes the discovery of the 3,200-year-old pregnant Egyptian all the more extraordinary.

“It is very rare to find human remains in Timna, and it is the first time we found a woman. There are no water sources in Timna and it is very inhospitable, so no one ever settled there permanently.”

The pregnant 3,200-year-old Egyptian discovered in King Solomon's Mines is the first female whose remains have been found in the area. [Image by David Silverman/Getty Images]

Anthropologist Hila May, from Tel Aviv University, has said that the Egyptian woman was probably in her 20s when she died, but said that radiocarbon dating would be difficult to undertake because of the lack of collagen found in the woman’s bones. The only thing that really helped archaeologists to deduce more about the identity of the 3,200-year-old pregnant Egyptian was when they discovered a couple of glass beads encased inside her tomb.

Egyptologist Deborah Sweeney explained that these beads were the crucial find that led to the conclusion that the Egyptian female was once a dedicated follower and servant of the goddess Hathor, who was thought to have watched over and protected King Solomon’s mines and those working inside the ancient Egyptian temple at the site. It is believed that the pregnant woman had most likely visited the area to act as a singer or musician, who would have invoked the goddess in song, thereby increasing the bounty of the copper mines.

Further evidence of the 3,200-year-old pregnant Egyptian acting as a singer for Hathor comes from finding the remnants of instruments nearby and also the discovery of a special carving of a woman who was seated and playing an ancient instrument known as a sistrum.

Deborah Sweeney pondered the sad fate of the Egyptian woman, who left home seeking adventure under the protection of Hathor, ultimately never to return to her native land again.

“Unfortunately, she must have died there for some reason, and was buried close to the temple so that Hathor would protect her. It’s actually quite sad. She was probably quite adventurous to go so far away from home, which was rare for women in Egypt. But she never came back.”

Less than a century after the pregnant 3,200-year-old Egyptian singer died near King Solomon’s mines, Egypt lost control of the area to other groups that would have taken advantage of the site.

[Featured Image by Pool/Getty Images]