Source: Yahoo! News
DAMASCUS (AFP) - Archaeologists said they have discovered an 11-millennium-old building with on the banks of the Euphrates River in northern
Syria.
"A remarkable discovery has just been uncovered of a large circular building dating back to 8,800 BC near (the locality of) Ja'de," the head of the French archaeologal team that made the find told AFP.
The building, much larger than normal houses, "had a collective use, probably for all of the village or a group," Eric Coqueugniot said.
"A part of this community building takes the shape of the head of a bull and retains painted decorations, the oldest known in the Middle East," he said.
"The multi-coloured geometrical paintings" that decorate the building would be displayed at the museum of Aleppo, in northern Syria, he added.
"Many hunting weapons, domestic tools ... were discovered at this level. The majority of these tools are made of flint and very few are of obsidian (volcanic stone)," he said.
Coqueugniot heads the team of the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), France's largest scientific establishment, which has led the excavation work at the site for the past 15 years.
1 comment:
I saw a photo of one of the paintings described as "geometrical". They strike me as a record/calendar of sorts. Has this been considered? Each "box" could represent weather/hunting conditions, etc. RED being a successful hunt/kill day, GREEN a successful gathering/collection of food/medicinal plants day, WHITE might be, perhaps, rest/meditative/offering days, etc.
A reply from the researchers would be appreciated. Any more photos of these?
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