Jordan: Discovery of 9000-year-old Shrine

At a remote Neolithic site in Jordan’s eastern desert, a team of Jordanian and French archaeologists discovered a 9,000-year-old shrine.

Overview:

• The ritual complex was discovered beside large structures which are known as desert kites or mass traps. These traps were thought to have been used to gather wild gazelles for killing in a Neolithic campground.
• These traps are made up of two or more long stone walls converging toward an enclosure and are found all over the Middle East’s deserts.
• This site is unique because even being 9000 years old it is almost intact.

What was found inside the shrine?

Two carved standing stones with anthropomorphic figures, one with a representation of the desert kite as well as an altar, hearth, marine shells, and a miniature model of the gazelle trap, were found within the shrine.

What does the proximity of the site to the traps suggest?

The site’s proximity to the traps shows that the inhabitants were hunters and the traps that were laid out were at the heart of their symbolical, cultural, and economic life.

About Jordan

Jordan is a country located in Western Asia just at the crossroads of Asia, Europe, and Africa. Jordan shares its border with Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, Israel, Palestinian West Bank, and the dead sea. The capital of Jordan is Amman and it is also the largest city in the country. Bisher Al-Khasawneh is the Prime Minister and Abdullah II is the Monarch of the country.

Month: Current Affairs - February, 2022

Category: International / World Current Affairs