Blog Post #3: Neolithic Plastered Skull

In 1953, a group of archeologists led by Kathleen Kenyon was digging in a mound in the site of Tell es-Sultan, near the modern West Bank city of Jericho, and discovered one of the most important artifacts of the Neolithic era, the Jericho skull. With today's modern technologies and forensic reconstruction technique, the skull was identified to belong to male about 40 years old and his face was also constructed:

The Jericho skull was one of the seven plastered skulls found in the site and they all were stuffed with soil to support delicate bone features and then plastered to create personal features such as noses. bones, and cheeks. However, the Jericho skull, in particular, has one eye made from a bivalve shell divided in two and the other one is a smaller, complete shell.
There are several famous theories on plastered skull such as:
 1) they are part of an ancestral cult. During the Neolithic age, as they moved from a nomadic hunting lifestyle to a more settled one, it is suggested that the skull of an ancestor is used to mark the territory of a location.
2) they are the skulls of defeated enemies, used as trophies and for the purpose of marking territory like previously.
3) They are used for a spiritual, religious purpose, the reincarnation of the dead. This is probably a way the Neolithic people reintroduce their passed loved ones to join them in everyday life. I believe this theory the most due to the credible evidence found regarding plasters during the Neolithic. Plasters were found in mortuary practices, suggesting the use of it might be for connecting or separating the living and the dead. Also, plastered skulls were found in ceremonies for protection against evil,fertility and "life force" rituals.
4) They are perhaps a homage for the dead.
5) Lastly, they are probably used for the purpose of art because the creation of such crafts would require great effort and time.
Sources:
http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=283002&partId=1
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/01/jericho-skull-neolithic-facial-reconstruction-archaeology-british-museum/
https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/features/the-jericho-skull-british-museum-facial-reconstruction-ct-scan-a7474516.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3929714/