Posted on 11/17/2012 1:11:55 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority have unearthed an ancient well dating to the Neolithic period some 8,500 years ago in the Jezreel Valley.
"The impressive well that was revealed was connected to an ancient farming settlement and it seems the inhabitants used it for their subsistence and living. The upper part of the well was built of stones and its lower part was hewn in the bedrock. Two capstones, which narrowed the opening, were set in place at the top of the well. It is about 8 m deep and its upper part measures about 1.3 m in diameter," said Dr Yotam Tepper, excavation director from the Israel Antiquities Authority.
"...The finds include, among other things, deeply denticulated sickle blades knapped from flint which were used for harvesting, as well as arrow heads and stone implements. The excavation of the accumulations in the well shaft yielded animal bones, organic finds and charcoal which will enable future studies about the domestication of plants and animals, and also allow researchers to determine the exact age of the well by means of advanced methods of absolute dating," the archaeologist said.
...The team also unearthed skeletal remains of a woman about 19 years old and an older man at the bottom of the well. The archaeologists cannot explain why these individuals were found deep inside the well...
"The two oldest wells in the world were previously exposed in Cyprus and they indicated the beginning of the domestication phenomenon: it seems that ancient man tried to devise ways of protecting his drinking water from potential contamination by the animals he raised, and therefore he enclosed the water in places that were not accessible to them," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at sci-news.com ...
An archaeologist from the Israel Antiquities Authority inside the well. Upper right: flint implements, found in the well. Lower right: skull remains found in the well (Yotam Tepper / Clara Amit / Israel Antiquities Authority)
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GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach | |
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GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach | |
To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. |
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The old guy and the young woman were probably killed and tossed in the well by people intending to drive out the settlement in this area. Nothing like decaying bodies to turn you off from drinking the water.
Yup. Poison the well.
Probably had the audacity to speak up about a massacre at Benghazi or something...
You just don't get that by stuffing an Aurochs in there!
“...The team also unearthed skeletal remains of a woman about 19 years old and an older man at the bottom of the well. The archaeologists cannot explain why these individuals were found deep inside the well...”
8,500 years ago, Wednesday afternoon:
“Here now my dear, How did you fall into the well? Nevermind just reach up and grab my haaaaaannnnnddddd!!!!!!”
You have that right, mans favorite sport, after banging the local talent, is to kill ones neighbor
it would be interesting to learn what portion of the approx 24 foot deep well was cut through the bedrock, as opposed to that portion that was lined with stone; and if only it could be learned HOW - 6,500 years ago - they cut through the bed rock portion of the well
Watson: "Well, what do you think Holmes?"
Holmes "Murder, Watson. Murder most odious and foul."
Two victims of Hamas in it.
I'm not a scientist, but I am betting it's because they sank instead of hovering in mid-air near the top.
However, they could have been added, say a few hundred years later, when the well was dry, just saying.
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