Check out the following Smithsonian Magazine article for a discussion on how an archaeological dig at the ancient copper mines in Timnah has helped shed light on the historical accuracy of the Old Testament.   In this lengthy article, the argument is made that the scholars who contend that a certain alleged civilization (e.g., a united Israel in the 10^th century) could not have existed are making those claims on the basis of the lack of permanent dwellings from the time.  However, this excavation in Edom shows very advanced copper mining from the 10^th century BC, with no permanent homes, presumably because the people still lived in tents even though they were a sophisticated civilization. The archaeologist in question suggests that great civilizations (including potentially Edom and Solomon’s Israel) could have existed without our realizing it, because the archaeologists have been assuming incorrectly that if there are no permanent houses, there was no great civilization.  Again, check out the article for a fascinating discussion.