The scale of ancient mining and smelting in this area was immense. In the immediate vicinity of Khirbet Faynan, there are over 250 copper mines and adits and in excess of 250 000 tons of ancient copper slag remain at the surface within the 12 km area of the copper ore district which still contains an estimated 19.8 million metric tons of copper (Jordanian Natural Resources Authority, 2003— www.nra.gov.jo).These mines and adits include one of the largest known mine galleries in the Roman Empire ‘Um el Amad’ (Arabic: The Mother of Pillars; a reference to the rock pillars left in place to support the roof of the excavated cavern).Typically they have been observed to have poor ventilation. in a region where for much of the year the climate of the area is very hot and
Whilst legend maintains that the Khirbet Faynan was one of King Solomon’s mines , detailed geoarchaeological studies have unequivocally demonstrated that this area was one of the most important centres for the mining and smelting of metalliferous ores in the old world during prehistoric and classical times and used by the Roman Empire as a penal centre where special classes of criminals, such as Christians were sent, effectively to be worked to death .Slaves working in imperial mines such as those at Faynan, which had a regular supply of workers, appear to have experienced particularly bad working conditions, to have been bound in chains, beaten and forced to work night and day until death.