Years-old

"I interviewed a lot of people there, including a woman, who, at that time, was the oldest living 'nu shu' writer. She was 96-years-old when I met her, very tiny, very frail," she said. "Her skin was like tissue paper. She had bound feet."

Archeologists said there is evidence that an even earlier settlement, estimated to be about 7,000-years-old, exists below the buildings of En Esur.

The artifacts include a clay vessel believed to be 3,500-years-old, as well as burial shrouds and gold jewelry.