Ashalim is one of four metallurgical sites investigated by Ezra Ben-Yosef in his 2008 study of the Arabah Valley (the others being ‘Ein Yahav, Giv’at Hazeva, and Khirbat Hamra Ifdan).
His attempt to place the four copper production sites in a chrono-cultural context using archaeomagnetic dating was noted for its metallurgical significance.
The Arabah Valley is located in Jordan and Israel west of Mount Sodom, 40 kilometers northwest of the Faynan copper-ore district.
[1] Ben-Yosef's study's main goal was to place four copper production sites of the Arabah Valley in their chrono-cultural context.
The information gathered through archaeomagnetic dating provides insight into this region's copper production and trade system, suggesting that all the sites belong to the same chronological phase.