2024-04-10 15:11:20
Israeli archaeologists have discovered a 6,000-year-old ivory vessel, the first of its kind found in the region, the Israel Antiquities Authority said, as quoted by Israel’s TPS news agency.
A small pitcher known as an amphorisk, made of ivory, is evidence of the strong interaction between Israel and Egypt millennia ago. It was discovered in pieces during excavations in 2020 by the Israel Antiquities Authority at Horbat Rakik, near Beer Sheva. The vessel is being restored in the Antiquities Office laboratories to be reassembled.
“The vessel has a diameter of 20 centimeters. It is magnificent and exceptional in its design,” said Yanir Milevski, former head of the prehistoric department of the service. “The small handles at the sides are symmetrically arranged, with two handles embedded in the neck of the vessel and the other two vertically below them at its base.”
According to Milewski, “vessels were deliberately placed in a specific way, with careful consideration. It is generally accepted in scientific circles that the leaving and burying of figurines and broken vessels is part of cultic ceremonial activities.” “From the way the bowls are arranged, the ivory vessel, which was broken in ancient times, was clearly buried in a deliberate way – which seems to testify to the importance that was attributed to it,” he explained.
The composition of the ivory vessel raises intriguing questions about its manufacture, scientists said. “The vessel is well made and makes the most of the original tusk, which was then the most valuable material. If it was created here, it reveals the high standard of artisans who lived here, who knew how to work ivory, and they also knew the anatomy of elephants,” says Milewski.
Horbat Rakik’s location between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea has made it a key crossroads for trade routes and cultural exchange throughout history. Excavations in the 1980s uncovered artifacts and structures dating back to the Chalcolithic, Iron, and Byzantine ages.
Scientists wonder whether the pitcher was imported in a finished form or was made on site, which shows the skill of ancient craftsmen to work with ivory, BTA reported.
Further analysis of the ivory’s biomolecular data aims to determine its source. By examining the elephant’s diet, researchers hope to trace the vessel’s origins and reveal more about ancient trade routes and cultural interactions.
The vessel will be presented to the public for the first time the day after tomorrow at the annual conference of the Israel Prehistoric Society in Jerusalem.