https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/neolithic-settlement-0012311
The huge settlement from the Neolithic period that was discovered in the archaeological excavations at the Motza intersection near Jerusalem.
Source: Eyal Marco / Israel Antiquities Authority
The Israel Antiquities Authority has announced a discovery that could change the history of the Middle East . Archaeologists have unearthed a highly developed site that is approximately 9000 years old. The find is revealing a sophisticated society and its transition from one based on hunting to agriculture. This discovery is providing new insights into the origin of urban living and civilization in the Levant.
This remarkable site was unearthed during a major infrastructure project some 3 miles (5 kilometers) west of Jerusalem, near the town of Motza. During the construction of some tunnels and a new road junction, workers came across the Stone Age settlement . A group of archaeologists working for the IAA and led by Dr. Hamoudi Khalaily and Dr. Jacob Vardi, have been working at the location for 18 months.
Huge Stone Age Settlement
Despite the construction work, the remains of the settlement is in very good condition. The site measures about a third of a mile (½ kilometer) in length. It is believed that at one time between 2,000-3,000 people lived at the settlement. To find such a large site is extraordinary and in the Stone Age , it would have been regarded as a metropolis.
Dr. Hamoudi Khalaily (left) and Dr. Jacob Vardi, directors of the excavations at the Neolithic site.
(Yaniv Berman, Israel Antiquities Authority )
The settlement was located in a fertile valley that has been almost continuously inhabited for 20,000 years. It was previously believed that there had been no major settlements in this part of the Levant in the Neolithic. The discovery of the site now means that settlements similar to those further north and east of the Jordan River once existed in Judea, part of modern Israel.
There is a great deal of evidence that the settlement was planned. It contains residential buildings , public buildings, and places of worship and there is even an alleyway. Also, there is evidence that the people who lived there were expert builders. The Times of Israel reports that “plaster was sometimes used for creating floors and for sealing various facilities”.
During the excavations “thousands of arrowheads, axes, sickle blades, and knives” were found, reports the Times of Israel . This would show that the Neolithic site was also a manufacturing site. Some of the items produced, such as the arrowheads indicate that hunting remained important for the people who lived there up to 9,000 years ago.
The spearhead discovered at the Neolithic settlement. (Yaniv Berman, Israel Antiquities Authority )
It appears that they only gradually abandoned hunting for food. The huge number of arrowheads may also indicate that the inhabitants engaged in local conflicts.
The Transition from Hunting to Farming
Implements such as the sickle blade would indicate that the settlement gradually became to depend on farming over time. This was a process that took several hundred years. There have been storerooms found with legume seeds, and it seems that lentils, in particular, were grown by the inhabitants.
Based on the number of sheep bones, it appears that they engaged in animal husbandry . The adoption of farming and the domestication of animals led to the rapid growth of the settlement from “maybe one hectare it grew to 30 or 40 hectares”, Vardi stated, according to the Jerusalem Post .
The team also found some jewelry, including stones bracelets, beads, mother-of-pearl medallions, and a child’s copper wrist band . The archaeologists have also unearthed goods which indicate that the settlement engaged in long-distance trade .
Based on the number of sheep bones, it appears that they engaged in animal husbandry . The adoption of farming and the domestication of animals led to the rapid growth of the settlement from “maybe one hectare it grew to 30 or 40 hectares”, Vardi stated, according to the Jerusalem Post .
The team also found some jewelry, including stones bracelets, beads, mother-of-pearl medallions, and a child’s copper wrist band . The archaeologists have also unearthed goods which indicate that the settlement engaged in long-distance trade .
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