More than sixty plaster skulls have been found at six sites around the area of the Levant, usually dated to around 7,000 to 6,000 BC, but some go back as far as 8,000 BC. ( British Museum ) Plastered Skulls in the Levant On the right: The facial reconstruction of the Jericho Skull. On the left: The Neolithic Jericho Skull in the British Museum collection. Evidence suggests that the skulls were then displayed or stored with other plaster skulls. The subtle modelling used to create the life-like flesh is impressive in itself, keep in mind that this was achieved by combining plaster and iron oxide to give a skin-like color, but even more so given the very early date of these artifacts. They included details such as eyebrows or chins molded in plaster, shells were used for eyes, and it is believed that hairstyles and facial hair were then painted onto the plastered skulls. In some cases, Strange Remains explains that the skulls of their dead were removed and covered with plaster in order to create very life-like faces, or death masks, complete with shells inset for eyes and paint to imitate hair and moustaches. The flesh and jawbones were removed from the skulls in order to model the plaster over the bone and the physical traits of the faces seem specific to individuals, suggesting that these decorated skulls were portraits of the deceased. In Jericho, as well as placing the deceased under the floors of homes, the people also engaged in another unique mortuary practice. The Neolithic period is important because it is when we first find good evidence for religious and cultural practices, particularly those relating to burial customs.
(Tamar Hayardeni / CC BY-SA 3.0 ) The Plastered Skulls of Jericho: Portraits of the Deceased? The site of Jericho, known as Tel es-Sultan, in Palestine. How a Woman Toppled the Legend of the Walls of Jericho: The Legacy of Kathleen Kenyonīy around 9,600 BC, the droughts and cold had come to an end, making it possible for Natufian groups to extend the duration of their stay, eventually leading to the first year round habitation and permanent settlement. A new culture based on agriculture and sedentary dwelling then emerged, characterized by small circular houses built of clay and stray bricks, cultivation of cereals, and burials of the dead within the floors of buildings.
The Ancient City of Jericho: The Oldest City in the World.However, during the Younger Dryas period of cold and drought, permanent habitation of any one location was not possible. Located within the Fertile Crescent, Jericho was a popular camping ground for Natufian hunter-gatherer groups. Putting the Plastered Skulls of Jericho in ContextĪrchaeologists have unearthed the remains of more than twenty successive settlements in Jericho, the first of which dates back to around 10,000 BC, making it one of the oldest inhabited cities on the planet.
Jericho (also called Tell es-Sultan ) is a city with an incredibly rich history located in the Palestinian West Bank, near the Jordan River, some 55 kilometers (34 mi) from Jerusalem. Besides being dubbed the oldest city in the world, and its inclusion in the Bible, it was also home to some very bizarre mortuary practices.
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