2016-06-16 03:10:04 • ID: 1299
Yarmukian Sickles from Megiddo
These are Some Flint sickles from Megiddo (Early pottery Neolithic resp. Yarmukian).
The Yarmukian, known from some 20 sites in the southern Levant is famous for its “Coffeee beans eyes” clay figurines. The Yarmukians were the first in this part of the world who used pottery. They built up limited semi- subterannian rounded huts at some sites, but at Sha’ar Hagolan, re-excavated after the 1990ies, rectangular residental structures were found , including a courtyard house.
The excavations uncovered a central street about 3 m wide, paved with pebbles set in mud, and a narrow winding alley 1 m wide. These are among the earliest streets built by man and structures that can be interpreted as “public buildings”.
Beside different arrowpoints, denticulated flint sickleblades are the hallmarks of the Yarmukian complex in Israel. These items have course denticulation on the working edges, commonly produced by pressure flaking and can be sub classified into:
- Items with a denticulated working edge, the other side being plain
- Items with a denticulated working edge, the other side with apropt retouche
- Items with two denticulated working edges
Suggested Reading: Museum at Sha’ar Hagolan : http://www.myc.org.il/english.html Lithics at Sha’ar Hagolan : http://harvard.academia.edu/ZinoviMatskevich/Papers
Resources and images in full resolution:
- Image: yarmuk-sickle-aggsbach.jpg
- Extern Link: www.academia.edu…Matskevich_Z._2011._The_lithic_assemblage_of_Sha_ar_Hagolan_PPN_PN_continuity_In_Healey_E._Campbell_S._and_Maeda_O._Eds._The_State_of_the_Stone_Terminologies_Continuities_and_Context_in_Near_Eastern_Lithics._SENEPSE_13._Berlin_ex_oriente._Pp._227-241
- Extern Link: www.mfa.gov.il…shaar%20hagolan%20-%20a%20neolithic%20village.aspx