Posted on 05/10/2015 1:27:57 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
Remains from three prehistoric periods were found in the dig. The oldest have been dated to about 7,000 years ago. during the Pottery Neolithic period. Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority also found a fired ceramic clay figurine of a full-figured woman.
The discovery brings the number of sites at which similar figures from the period have been found to nine, mostly around Sha'ar Hagolan. Of the 163 such figurines found so far, two were found elsewhere -- one in Lod and the other at Horvat Ptora, a site near Kiryat Gat and the one found now as said, in Revadim, near Gedera.
These figures are mostly attributed to what is known as the Yarmukian culture that flourished mostly in northern Israel about 7,500 years ago. This is a different culture than has been found in digs close to Beit Hilkia, such as at Revadim, known as "Jericho 9."
The differences between the cultures are best seen in the pottery they made. If in the past, archaeologists thought Jericho 9 replaced the Yarmukian culture, the more accepted theory today is that the two cultures existed at the same time, but in different areas: the Yarmukian in the north and Jericho 9 in the south.
The discovery of the figurines -- clearly Yarmukian -- accompanied by the other two found in the region raises the question of the relationship between the two cultures...
The archaeologists are now planning to conduct chemical tests of the statue to determine the source of the clay -- whether it is from the north or south of Israel.
(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...
Mother Goddess clay Yarmukian Culture figurine found at the kibbutz Sha'ar Hagolan, south of the sea of Galilee. Photo by Wikimedia Commons
The statue, in the form of a fertility goddess. Photo by Israel Antiques Authority / Isaac Mermelstein
Thank for the ping. And all the rest of the pings.
Interesting that in our “enlightened” 21st century, the PTB doesn’t celebrate “fertility”, but rather, the lack thereof.
Wonder what Helen Thomas' name was back then...
Mother Goddess not very attractive in my opinion.
Ummm...I scooped that out of my catbox this AM. I understand the one above, but do I need a PHD for this?
Just when I thought I had her washed out of my brain.
Bill Clinton wants her phone number.
It is my theory that this was a contraceptive device.
Good point.
Probably the hat.
While I understand that various features of pottery may be one of many characteristics useful in helping distinguish different periods and cultures, I think that archeologists put far more weight on this than it merits.
Do we really think that a craftsman who spends much of a lifetime making pottery of only making them in only one style? Not once in an entire lifetime do they get curious about making the pot a little broader at the base or with a different kind of handle? Don’t they ever hear in talks with other craftsmen that 50 miles to the north they put a big swirl on the side, or that a hundred years ago they used to flatten out one section? Really?
Fashion played less role than it does now, where everything else is at best second place — basically, the “if it ain’t broke” rule. The fact that pottery styles are so narrowly restricted in time says to me that the workshop that produced each type was run by the same type-A person for much of its successful run. Like other clay-based products (bricks for example), supply of the raw material would run out at a given spot, making a new style catch on. Variations within a style probably indicate to some extent which employee made it. I think there have been attempts to match fingerprints in the clay. Obviously wider use of thermoluminescence would be nice, hopefully refinements to that method will lead to more testing. Meanwhile the use of unremarkable pottery shards in strata (Egypt, for example) would seem like a good idea.
I have a feline that you will.
My pleasure. I got a little busy with it.
LOL, it certainly works for me.
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