The skulls were found sculpted, testifying to the development of the cult of the dead from then until today. It seems that they used to place them on benches at home, so that they would inspire the younger generation to continue the ways of their ancestors. A similar practice was also identified in Syria, Turkey, and Jordan
In the excavations currently being conducted at the Jephthahel archaeological site, near the main intersection in the Lower Galilee, three impressive and unusual skulls were discovered, from the New Stone Age (the pre-Ceramic Neolithic period B) - about 9,000-8,000 years old, which were buried in a pit near a large public building .
The excavations are being conducted as part of works initiated by the National Roads Company, carried out by the Antiquities Authority, in preparation for the construction of an interchange at the leading intersection in the north.
According to Dr. Hamudi Halaila, the director of the excavation at the site on behalf of the Antiquities Authority, "the skulls were found when they were carved (sculpted) - a phenomenon associated with the New Stone Age. The custom involved recreating the face of the dead in all its components by sculpting the skull in various materials such as special plaster. It should be noted that the restoration of the facial parts is not always done in accordance with their real position in the skull. In the skulls we found in the excavation, the nose was fully restored; The mouth was highlighted and the eyes were reconstructed by adding three oysters in each eye socket. The other parts of the face were restored with a plaster mask." The skulls were found, as mentioned, in the pit next to a large rectangular building, whose walls were built of mud bricks, and whose floor was made of thick and fine plaster.
In the building, depressions that were created in the floor and then sealed were particularly prominent. According to Dr. Halaila, "It seems that these recesses were used as graves under the floors. The burial custom then, was to place the dead under the plaster floors, inside the buildings. After some time, the local people used to dig the burial pit again, disconnect the skull from the skeleton string, and cover the skeleton. Later, they used to bury the skull in the image of the deceased, and kept it in the domain of the house. This custom is known in the literature as the "worship of the ancestors", where the decorated skull is actually the image that is preserved in the minds of the heirs, and guides them in the various decisions in their day-to-day life. Evidence from contemporary sites of the Jephthahel site, indicate that the masked skulls were placed on shelves or benches inside the building, which were built especially for this purpose. After a certain period, in which the status of the heir took root and he received his position in society, the need for the figure of the father diminished, and in another ceremony, the skulls were buried in a separate pit, within the building or near it."
The three beveled skulls found in Petachal join about 15 similar skulls found so far in Jericho, Baismon, Kfar al-Horesh, Ein Ghazal in Jordan, and a site near Damascus. According to Dr. Halaila, "The manner of burial of the skulls from Jephthahel and the shape of the basin is similar to those discovered at the Neolithic site Tel Aswad, and it seems that there was a connection between Jephthahel and the Syrian site, which is about 200 km away."
The practice of worshiping the dead and preserving the memory of the ancestors, especially leaders and people of opinion, first began in the form of the decorated skulls, and continues to this day in various ways and in diverse cultures: for example, in China, the clay-sculpted bodies of the kings were found in the period dating back to 5,000 BC; All the dead kings were placed inside a temple. Another example is the traditional dance in Japan, during which the dancers wear a make-up mask that hardly moves: this is an exact imitation of the masks that used to be sculpted there on the skulls of the dead. The phenomenon of embalming bodies in Egypt 4,000 years BC is also very well known. Even today, in certain areas of Africa (for example, in cemeteries in the Zimbabwe region), the dead are sculpted in mud: the body is buried completely under the ground, and the sculpted face remains outside the ground.
23 תגובות
to dawn,
I agree with you about IQ, everything else is a technological development of the human race and the ability to break free from restrictive religious worldviews. All in all, no technological innovation came from religion, and if man had not learned to question the scriptures and the religious establishment, then we would still be living in caves to this day.
Friend, the world has existed for a little over 5000 years.
5768 years are the number describing the creation of man (the thinker) and not the creation of the world.
In practice, historians agree that written language and religion have been around for about a similar number of years..3000-4000 BC.
Man, as we know him today was the same as his friend from 5000 years ago.
Even in a theoretical debate, his IQ was the same as the average person living today.
At least we all agree that if it is 9000 years ago they are not Jews and therefore there is no problem digging these graves!
Uncle:
you rattled
Yanon:
Do you want to know how they know? go learn something The fact that you are proud of your ignorance only shows that you are just saying that you are interested.
Michael,
I am very interested in how the scientists know that this is a painting 40,000 years ago, who knows what happened to it?! Tuck, climate, weather, a place can affect the painting if it is a cave with a lot of moisture, and moisture is something that particularly affects a painting! Don't say they were helped by chemical substances and were created from a chemical reaction that was written about, Michael heard this painting from 40,000 years ago... it's just A tour guide who wanted to interest you because their knowledge puts you to sleep Tour guides will have a talent for putting you to sleep who like me is a child in the bird who goes through experiences every trip..
Based on dating with an incorrect linear method, Prof. Moshe Troup in his book "The Origin of Life" proves how their entire dating method is a mistake that can be refuted very, very easily...
And as usual with the peacekeepers of Israel's beliefs - Shalom Beit means accept my opinion and customs. I will not give up anything.
Lader Hamudi...chen chen..you will surely find more bargains in Petah-el..
And here we are, from the heights of Olympus..sending you..a pinch of stardust..
For the Tu Bab wishes..and forgiveness..a little fairy dust from the collection of stars in the section
The virgins and the lions...and for the first one..read..read..the book-where do we come from-now
In the bookstores...read
And for that matter, the need to commemorate our existence is primal, pagan, and legitimate. Even the word
Tor-e..stems from the root of Tor..search..your sources..your roots..the memorials of your spirit
And your dynasties in all the nations..if it weren't for the customs of the nations..we would also swallow ourselves
And forget.. of course, that it wouldn't hurt the exact sciences to learn a little from books of wisdom
Israel.
Everything is interconnected.
Well.. well.. peace must be made at home, from home... oh.. and the scientist.. of course.
Therefore, if they were here before the creation of the world, then conclusion - they were not Jews.... 🙂
The world has not existed for more than five thousand seven hundred sixty-eight years
How is it possible to be 9000 years old?
Foolish archeologists and fanatics
Uncle:
Every once in a while logic is subjected to an attack by people like you who consider some book written thousands of years ago by people who were no better at anything than the rest of their contemporaries as an "authoritative source".
The dogs bark and the convoy passes (and the dogs also do not hesitate to enjoy its fruits - taking medicines based on the study of genetics that originates in evolution, using devices developed on the basis of the unqualified science that produced these numbers, and more).
Nonsense in the juice There is no qualified and serious reviewer regarding the validity of all the dating methods, it is an attempt to establish a parochial ideological approach rather than science.
lion:
Regarding the coordination between Roy and me - simply Great minds think alike 🙂
The truth is that it was not something premeditated but when Roy sent a reference of this type I decided to send another one of the same type.
Roy - I have no specific knowledge or expertise on the subject, only vague memories of things I read about various writings (from the Near East - probably Mesopotamia).
lion,
I took a course on the history of China - 'from Emperor Yao to Mao' - and it was one of the most interesting pieces of information I remember from there.
What historiography is known from 10,000 years ago? I would love to expand my horizons.
know you know I just didn't understand why you are counting on the years. I didn't catch the cultural common denominator in your responses. What is it, are you coordinated?
It is frustrating that the oldest historiography known today is from about ten thousand years ago.
Aryeh Seter:
Do you think Roy or I don't know that?
We just wanted to show him signs of a real and advanced culture.
To the first responder and his responders.
Humans just like you and me already existed about two hundred thousand years ago (and not just 9000, 16000 or 40000 years ago).
Will you say no way? You must read and study a lot to know and understand how to know this.
Well, apparently the guide who explained when I traveled there exaggerated a bit because here it says only 16,000 years
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lascaux
Yet - There is art from 40,000 years ago
In the caves of Lascaux in France there are wall paintings from 40,000 years ago
There is written evidence of a developed Chinese culture as early as 6,000 years ago. So why wouldn't there be humans 9,000 years ago?
Listen, I've heard of dinosaurs and all kinds of things.. but I don't believe that humans existed 9000 years ago, sorry but the scientists are missing something in their calculations.