Column from a cultic temple, cluster of rare axes found in archaeological excavation west of Jerusalem.
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Eshtaol: structure with column. IAA photo
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An extensive archaeological excavation at Eshtaol, conducted by the
Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) prior to widening Highway 38, is
producing amazing finds that provide a broad picture covering thousands
of years of development of human society.
Settlement remains were unearthed at the site, the earliest of which
dates to the beginning of the eighth millennium BCE and the latest to
the end of the fourth millennium BCE.
The dig at Eshtaol, about 15 km (10 miles) west of Jerusalem, is
being underwritten by the Netivei Israel Company. The ancient city of
Eshtaol is mentioned several times in the Bible, in the books of Joshua
and Judges.
The finds revealed at the site range from the period when man first
started to domesticate plants and animals, instead of searching for them
in the wild, to the period when beginnings of proper urban planning can
be seen.
The oldest artifacts that were exposed at the site are ascribed to
the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period (10,000 years ago). According to Dr.
Amir Golani, Dr. Ya‘akov Vardi, Binyamin Storchan and Dr. Ron Be’eri,
excavation directors on behalf of the IAA, “This is the first time that
such an ancient structure has been discovered in the Judean Shephelah
area [between the Judean mountains and the coastal plain – ed.]. The
building, almost all of which was unearthed, underwent a number of
construction and repair phases that allude to its importance."
An IAA press release further quotes the team as saying, "It should be
emphasized that whoever built the house did something that was totally
innovative because up until this period man migrated from place to place
in search of food. Here we have evidence of man’s transition to
permanent dwellings and that in fact is the beginning of the
domestication of animals and plants; instead of searching out wild
sheep, ancient man started raising them near the house”.
A cluster of nine flint and limestone axes that were discovered lying
side by side was found near this prehistoric building. “It is apparent
that the axes, some of which were used as tools and some as cultic
objects, were highly valued by their owners. Just as today we are unable
to get along without a cellular telephone and a computer, they too
attributed great importance to their tools. Based on how it was arranged
at the time of its discovery it seems that the cluster of axes was
abandoned by its owner for some unknown reason," the experts said.
An important and rare find from the end of the Chalcolithic period
(second half of the fifth millennium BCE) was discovered in the area
adjacent to the dig. During the course of the excavation, 6,000-year-old
buildings were exposed and a stone column (called a standing stone or
mazzevā) was discovered alongside one of them.
The standing stone is 1.30 meters high and weighs several hundred
kilograms. According to the excavation directors, “The standing stone
was smoothed and worked on all six of its sides, and was erected with
one of its sides facing east. This unique find alludes to the presence
of a cultic temple at the site”. The archaeologists said, “In the past,
numerous manifestations have been found of the cultic practice that
existed in the Chalcolithic period; however, from the research we know
of only a few temples at ‘En Gedi and at Teleilat Ghassul in
Transjordan”.
“We uncovered a multitude of unique finds during the excavation”,
says Dr. Amir Golani, one of the excavation directors on behalf of the
IAA.
“The large excavation affords us a broad picture of the progression
and development of the society in the settlement throughout the ages.
Thus we can clearly see that in the Early Bronze Age, 5,000 years ago,
the rural society made the transition to an urban society.
"We can see distinctly a settlement that gradually became planned,
which included alleys and buildings that were extremely impressive from
the standpoint of their size and the manner of their construction. We
can clearly trace the urban planning and see the guiding hand of the
settlement’s leadership that chose to regulate the construction in the
crowded regions in the center of the settlement and allowed less
planning along its periphery.
"It is fascinating to see how in such an ancient period a planned
settlement was established in which there is orderly construction, and
trace the development of the society which became increasingly
hierarchical”.
The Israel Antiquities Authority and Netivei Israel will open the
impressive excavation to the visiting public for free this coming
Wednesday, November 27, 2013, between the hours of 14:00 and 16:00.
Visitors must register in advance by telephone at 02-99122366 /
052-4284408 or by email to adulam@israntique.org.il
israelnationalnews.com
Link 2:
10,000-year-old house uncovered outside Jerusalem
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3/3. The standing stone (mazzevā) which is worked on all of its sides,
serving as evidence of cultic activity in the Chalcolithic period.
(photo credit: Zinobi Moskowitz, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities
Authority) |
Actualización 26-11-13.
Descubren una casa de 10.000 años de antigüedad en Israel
Un grupo de arqueólogos ha hallado una casa de 10.000 años de antigüedad y un tempo de culto de unos 6.000 años al este de Jerusalén, en Israel.
Según el diario 'The Times of Israel', la construcción es la casa más antigua que se ha encontrado jamás en la zona y pertenece a un período conocido como neolítico precerámico.
Además, "evidencia la transición del hombre a viviendas permanentes", aseguraron investigadores en un comunicado. Y es que el artículo afirma que el edificio más antiguo corresponde a la época en la que comenzó la domesticación de plantas y animales.
El descubrimiento permitirá a los expertos estudiar cómo la sociedad en esa región del mundo pasó a ser paulatinamente más jerárquica, afirmó el arqueólogo Amir Golani, que trabajó durante las excavaciones llevadas a cabo cerca de la ciudad de Bet Shemesh.
"La persona que construyó la casa hizo algo totalmente innovador porque hasta este período [los grupos humanos] migraban de un lugar a otro en busca de alimento. Aquí tenemos una prueba de la transición del hombre a viviendas permanentes […]: en lugar de buscar ovejas salvajes, el hombre antiguo comenzó a criarlas cerca de casa", declararon los investigadores.
La casa no fue el único hallazgo realizado en el lugar. Los arqueólogos también encontraron en esa zona edificios de finales de la Edad del Cobre, es decir, de hace unos 6.000 años. Descubrieron además una columna de piedra hexagonal de 1,3 metros de alto que posiblemente perteneció a un templo de culto.
Cerca de la antigua casa, las excavadoras hallaron una colección de nueve hachas de sílex y caliza. "Al igual que hoy en día no podemos vivir sin un teléfono celular y una computadora, ellos también dieron gran importancia a sus herramientas", recoge el rotativo.
Actualización 26-11-13.
10,000-year-old house unearthed in Israel - video report
Actualización 28-11-13.
Vídeo.
Halladas antiguas ruinas arqueológicas en Israel