Introduction Map The Warrior's Burial The Warrior's Bow The Textiles Conservation of the Textiles The Chalcolithic Period Excavation Photos About the Objects		In the ancient past, people settled in the barren country of the Judean Desert, west of the Dead Sea. The numerous caves in the cliffs there provided refuge for settlers in times of crisis, storehouses for their valued possessions, and burial places for their dead. The dry climate of the desert preserved even organic materials, making the area a trove of hidden treasures. Many of these have been recovered, and they supply important clues to the region's history. The famous Dead Sea Scrolls, for example, stored in caves at Qumran, throw light on a religious sect living nearby some 2000 years ago. The hundreds of magnificent objects found in the so-called Cave of the Treasure reveal the artistry and technological mastery achieved much earlier, in the fourth millennium BCE (Before Common Era) Ð about 6000 years ago. This exhibition features yet another rare find from the fourth millennium BCE. Discovered in 1993, the Cave of the Warrior, in Wadi el-Makkukh, near Jericho, held a unique burial assemblage that included unusual textiles, sandals, and the oldest bow known to be preserved in the Near East. The exhibition also presents objects found in other regional burial sites of the time.