Archaeologists uncovered a 2,500-year-old burial site in the Negev Highlands, shedding light on ancient trade routes that connected cultures from Yemen, Phoenicia, Egypt, and beyond, the Israel Antiquities Authority said.

The site, south of Beer-Sheva, contains dozens of tombs believed to belong to individuals from caravans that passed through the region, highlights the Negev’s role as an international crossroads during the 7th to 5th centuries BCE.