Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) archaeologists announced today the discovery of remains of a Neolithic settlement, mainly occupied between 8,000 and 4,000 BC, at an archaeological site near the present-day town of Eshtaol, Judean Shephelah.
This image shows a 10,000-year-old house unearthed near the town of Eshtaol, Judean Shephelah. Image credit: Dr Ya’akov Vardi / Israel Antiquities Authority.
“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,” said excavation co-director Dr Amir Golani and archaeologists from the IAA.
“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.”
Excavations at the site have yielded a surprising discovery – remains of a building dating back at least 10,000 years.
“This is the first time that such an ancient structure has been discovered in the Judean Shephelah,” the IAA archaeologists said.
“The building underwent a number of construction and repair phases that allude to its importance. 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.”
The IAA team also unearthed a 6,000-year-old temple (Chalcolithic period) and a stone column, called a standing stone or mazzeva. The stone is about 1.3 m high and weighs several hundred kg.
A 6,000-year-old building and the mazzeva. Image credit: Assaf Peretz / Israel Antiquities Authority.
“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 scientists 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.”
Nine flint and limestone axes were found lying side by side near the 10,000-year-old 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,” the IAA team said.
“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.”
