Archaeologists learned of this location, called the Motza site , for decades. However, now that the government plans to build a new highway entrance and new roundabouts, the Israel Antiquities Authority sent a team to carry out a large-scale excavation of the Neolithic settlement.
The humans who lived on this site during the Neolithic (the last period of the Stone Age) were part of a structured group. Many of them were probably farmers who had stored hundreds of thousands of seeds - including lentils, chickpeas and beans - in storage facilities.
These ancient peoples also raised domestic goats, as shown by animal remains found at the site, and traded with neighboring regions, such as what is now Turkey, Jordan and the areas around the Red Sea.
“ This is the first time that such a large-scale settlement from the Neolithic period - 9,000 years ago - has been discovered in Israel, ”said Hamoudi Khalaily and Jacob Vardi, archaeologists and excavation directors at the site, who work with the Authority to the antiquities of Israel. ”At least 2000-3000 residents lived on the site “.
During the Neolithic , hunter-gatherer groups began to cultivate and create permanent settlements. So, it was no surprise when they found large buildings with rooms where the Neolithics once lived, public facilities and places for rituals .
Alleys ran between the buildings, demonstrating the fact that the settlement had an advanced structure. Some buildings even had plaster floors .
The team also discovered human burials under and around the houses. Some of the burials also contained funeral goods, probably offerings that could be given to help the dead in the afterlife. Some of these grave goods came from far away - including obsidian beads from Anatolia (modern day Turkey) and shells from the Mediterranean and Red Seas - which indicate that the people of this site traded with neighboring regions.
The excavation also unearthed numerous stone and mother-of-pearl bracelets that, given their small size, were likely worn by children or teenagers, Vardi said. He added that a burial showed these bracelets were worn on the upper arm.
The site also has thousands of stone arrowheads for hunting, axes for cutting down trees and scythes and knives. Radiocarbon dating of the seeds found at the site indicates that people lived there between 9,000 and 8,800 years ago, Vardi said. In addition to growing crops and raising goats, these people kept cows and pigs; they also hunted game, such as gazelles, deer, wolves and foxes, as shown by the remains of animals found on site.
“Based on the data we have and the fauna, we have a good idea that the people on the site were farmers and were specialists in what they did,” Vardi said.
After the end of the Neolithic period, people continued to live there. It's clear why this place was so desirable, Vardi said , as it is close to a large spring and several smaller springs that provide fresh water.
The site is now 5 km from Jerusalem, on the banks of the Sorek stream.
The entire Motza website measures approximately 0.1 square miles (30 to 40 hectares).
The researchers plan to publish several articles and make the site visitable, as well as sending some of the artifacts to museums for public viewing, said Vardi .
Published in Live Science
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