JERICHO
(a summery of Stone vessels and tools found at the site)
Tools, Stone Vessels, and other Objects
Stone Vessels:
-There were large and medium size platters found from each period, however they were more commenly found in Pre-pottery Neolithic A (PPNA).
-Rounded Bowls or bowls with angular walls are also commen in all periods.
-Flat bottomed bowls are found in PPNA and reoccur in the Pottery Neolithic (PNA).
-Small roughly made bowls or mortars are commen to all periods but in greater numbers in the Pre-pottery Neolithic B (PPNB).
- Alabaster is found for the fist time in the Middle Bronze phase. (MB) (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Mesolithic Vessels
-Two Limestone Mortars were found on the site. Both vessels had "Flat, smoothed upper surfaces" (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Proto Neolithic
-There were 23 vessels found in the PNA level. (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA)-
One hundred and seventy-one items were found in the PPNA level.
-The shape of these vessels were irregular.
-They were constructed by the pecking or punching method (the removal of material by means of a bluntly pointed hammer or punch), and were finished by grinding and polishing. The grinding or polishing of the vessel could have possibly been done with "convex sections polishing stones" (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983).
Pre-Pottery Neolithic A/B
-Five Vessels were found in the PPNA and PPNB levels.
-Four of these were made from Limestone, the others were not recorded. (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pre-Pottery Neolithic B
-Two hundred and ten items were found in the PPNB level.
-Many types that were found in PPNA were not found in PPNB.
-Three new types of vessels occure: Large platters with heavy bases; thin platters with upturned rims; and small roughly made bowls and mortars. (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pottery Neolithic (PNA)
-Thirty nine vessels were found at this level.
-Some of these vessels were divided into groups.
Group 1: Platters- There were seven examples found for this category. They have a distinct lug handle that is unlike anything found in earlier periods. Four of these vessels are llimestone, two are of sandstone and the other is of Basalt.
Group 2: Saucers- There were four examples found for this category. These are Small, round, shallow dishes, and could possibly be called small mortars rather than saucers. two were made of limestone the others were unrecorded.
Group 3: Bowls- There were Seven examples of Bowls. One of these bowls has small, angular lug handles. Three of these vessels are of limestone, one is of basalt, the others were unrecorded.
Group 4: Mortars- There are ten examples of Mortars found at this level. These vessels are small, heavy-walled vessels with upright or rounded walls and flat exterior bases. Three of these vessels were made of limestone, one was of basalt, and the others were unrecorded.
Group 5: Sockets- There were four examples of these vessels. They are hollows ground into slabs or blocks of limestone. (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Proto-Urban
(the termonology for this section{proto-urban} is not widely accepted by archaeologists and it indicates a "transition" between pottery neolithic and the Middle bronze. We know this as the Calcolithic period.)
-There were seven fragments of vessels found in this level. The shapes of these vessels seems to indicate a similarity between this period and the Pottery Neolithic. (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Early Bronze
-There are seventy-one items found in this level. They are divided into Type Series.
Type series:
A. Two examples, both were made of limestone.
C. Two examples. Bowls with rounded walls. One of limestone the other unrecorded.
D. Four items found. Bowls with straight, "Splayed sides" (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983). Two were made of Basalt the others were of limestone.
H. There were thirty-two examples. Mortars. Twenty two were of limestone, the rest are unrecorded.
J. There are two examples. "Cup-marked stones." (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983) One is made of Basalt the other is made from limestone.
K. There are six examples in this Type Series. These are Slabs, some oare oval or have rounded ends, and the surface is slightly concave. Two are made of sandstone, one is made of limestone the others are unrecorded.
M. There are ten Examples. One is made of Limestone, the others are unrecorded.
Sp. There are four examples. One a Rim-sherd bowl, another is a three-handled mortar, another one is an oval limestone bowl and the final is a cylinder.
X. Nine Examples. (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Middle Bronze
-Fifty nine vessels were found in this level. They are grouped into a similar Type series such as that used for Early bronze.
-these vessels were formed bye pecking and grinding as well as chiseling.
Type Series:
A. Two vessels found. Lime stone platters.
C. Four items found. Limestone bowls with incurving walls.
D. Five items were found. "Bowls with straight or slightly splayed walls." (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983) Four of these items were limestone and the other was not recorded.
H1. Thirteen Items were found. Irregularly shaped blocks with rounded depressions in them. Seven of these were made of limestone, one was of Basalt, the others were not recorded.
H2. Eleven items found. These were small mortars. Seven of them were made of limestone, two were made of Basalt, one was made of trachyte and one was not recorded.
M. Eleven Items. "Sockets ground into irregular or roughly squared-off blocks." (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983). Four of these were made of limestone ad the rest were not recorded.
N. Six items were found. One of which was a juglet.
X. Seven Items found. All unclassifiable.
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Late Bronze
-fragments of two vessels. (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Iron Age
Ten Items were found in this level. (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pestles
- Heavy Pestles are found in all periods but there is an increase in numbers in PPNA.
- There were small dome-shaped pestles found in the Early Bronze (EB) and they continue through to the Iron age. Similar tools were found in PPNA.(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Proto-Neolithic
- Nine of these items were found at this level. Four of these are made of limestone, three are of basalt, and the others was not recorded.
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pre-Pottery Neolithic A
- There were two hundred and fifty two pestles found in this level.
Type Series
A1. There are seventeen examples of this in PPNA. "Bluntly Pointed butts, grinding surfaces approximately flat."(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983) Fourteen of these items are basalt, one s of limestone, and the other two were unrecorded.
AX. There were six examples. Two of these were of basalt, one was of limestone, another of sandstone, and the others were unrecorded.
B1. There are eleven examples of this. "Profiles in the shape of a truncated cone, with the tops rounded or domed, grinding surfaces approximately flat."(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983) Five of these items were made of basalt, four were made of limestone, and the material of the other two was unrecorded.
B2. There are seven examples of these items for this period. They are similar to those of B1 in profile and shape. All of them are made of Basalt.
B3. Seven examples. "Similar in profile shape to Type B1, but with flat grinding surfaces at an oblique angle to the verticle axis."(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
BX. There are thirteen examples. They are fragments of Pestles. Ten of them are made of Basalt, two are of limestone, and the other was unrecorded.
C1. Ten examples. These items are Cylindrical in profile. Eight of these are made of basalt, one is of limestone, one was unrecorded.
C2. There are eleven examples of this, they are similar in profile to that of C1, but these have rounded grinding surfaces. Six of these items are of basalt, three are of limestone, one is of conglomerate, and one the final was unrecorded.
CX. There are thirteen examples for this Series. They are Fragments. Six of them were made of basalt, three were made of limestone, and four were unrecorded.
D1. There were nineteen examples for this series. "The profiles are a slender, blunt-topped, bullet shape, or a slender barrel shape."(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983) The grinding surface for these items were flat. Fifteen of these were made of basalt, one was made of conglomerate, and the other three were not recorded.
D2. There are thirteen examples. Similar to D1, exept that they have rounded grinding surfaces. Six of these were made of basalt, five were made of limestone, and two were unrecorded.
DX. There were ten examples, all fragments. Five of these are made of basalt, one of limestone, one of standston and the others not recorded.
E1. Eleven examples of this item. "Barrel-shaped profile, with flattened grinding surfaces."(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983) Nine of them were made of basalt, and two were unrecorded.
E2. There are twelve examples of this. They are similar in profile to E1, but have rounded grinding surfaces. Seven were made of basalt, three were made of limestone, and two were unrecorded.
EX. There are two examples for this, all were fragments. One was made of limestone and the other was unrecorded.
F. There are thirty three examples in this series. "Elongated, water-worn pebbles showing sighns of grinding surfaces."(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983) Three of these were made of basalt, ten were made of limestone, two were sandstone, one of flint and the other seventeen were unrecorded.
G. There were six examples in this category. "Small, sub-conical pestles with flat or rounded grinding surfaces."(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983) Two of them were made of basalt, one was of limestone, and the others were unrecorded.
H. There were three examples for this category. "Small, slender barrel-shaped profiles with flat or rounded grinding surfaces."(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983) All were made of limestone.
Sp. There were seven examples. All are of basalt.
X. Fourty-one examples. These could not be assigned to any type. Eighteen of them were made of basalt, twelve were of limestone, one was of sandstone, and the other eleven were unrecorded.
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pre-Pottery Neolithic A/B
-Four were recorded. One is of Basalt the material of the others was unrecorded.
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pre-pottery Neolithic B
- Sixty-one pestles were found in the PPNB levels.
-The pestles are quite small in length and diameter. This level is similar to the items that were found in the PPNA levels, similar methods of manufacture and same materials were used in creating the pestles. The ranges of items places into Types was also close to that found in PPNA.
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pottery Neolithic
- Nine pestles were found at this level. None of the items seem to be deliberatly shaped. Two of the items were made of limestone, two are of basalt, and the others were not recorded.
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Proto-Urban (Calcolithic, EB1 A-C)
- four pestles were recorded from this level.
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Early Bronze
- There were ten pestles found in this level. Five of these made of basalt, one is of limestone, and the other materials were not recorded.
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Middle Bronze
- There were twenty seven pestles found at this level.
Type Series:
B. Fourteen were found at this level. They are heavy pestles, their profiles are similar to those of earlier periods. Eight of them are made of basalt, one is of limestone, and the other five were not recorded.
G. Eight were found. Thes Pestles were domed and had rounded working faces. All are made of Basalt. (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
F. There are three pestles in this level. "Water-rolled pebbles with abrasions on one or both ends."(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983) One of the pestles was made of limestone and the other two were not recorded.
X. Two Pestles were found, all unclassifiable fragments.
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Axes
-"Celt-like, symetrical stone axes are almost entirely confined to the PPNA, although there is a possibility that they first occured in the Proto Neolithic."(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
-Half holed axes found on site are dated to the PNA (pottery Neolithic).
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pre-pottery Neolithic A
-There were twenty-eight axes or fragments found on site.
- The butt ends of the axes were similar to those of the Pestles.
-Tools seem to have been made with a punch or pick.
- Twelve were made of basalt, eight were made of quartzite, 2 or trahyte, one was of limestone and the other five was not recorded.
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pre-pottery neolithic B.
- A single complete axe and a fragment were found at this level. Both axes resemble those found in PPNA.
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pottery Neolithic
- Three objects that resembled axes were found in this level. Two of these appear to be fragments off of a half holed axe.
- "Both have bi-conal piercings."(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
- The third Fragment seems to have come from a "celt like" axe.
- One of the axes was made of basalt, one was of quartzite and the other was unrecorded.
Early Bronze
- There was a single basalt axe found at this level. The axe is small and triangular in shape.(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Middle Bronze
- there were two axes found at this level. Both resemble axes found from the PPNA.(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Polishing stones
Proto-Neolithic
- Nine pebbles were found at this level. None seem to have been deliberatly shaped. Two of them were made of limestone, and the rest was unrecorded.(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pre-pottery Neolithic A
- There were One hundred and seventy-four polishing stones found at this level.
Type Series:
A1. Thirty two Polishing stones found. "Round in plan and straight-sided or slightly cheese-shaped in section."(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983) Most of the stones are made of coursely grained rock: Sandstone, basalt or crystalline limestone.
A2. There are five examples in this section. They are similar to A1 but are worn unevenly.
A3. There are three examples in this level. They also are similar to A1, but the faces have been worn down evenly.
A4. There are four examples. Similar in size to those of A1, but are like a rectangle with rounded ends.
B. There are fourty-two polishing stones of this type. They are spherical and have been polished. They are made of a hard, fine-grained rock.
C. There are Five examples. "Similar to type B in size and material but formed on irregular fragments of rock."(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
D1. There are fifteen examples. "Round to elliptical in plan and cheese-shaped to rectangular in section. Flattened, polished areas on both upper and lower facets."(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983) All of them are made of a fine, hard limstone.
D2. There are nine. Similar to D1, but they have a flat polished facet on only one face.
D3. There are ninteen examples. All are similar in size and shape to those of D1, but only have one flattened, polished face.
D4. There are eight examples. They also are similar to those of D1, but are polished on both face.
D5. There are nineteen. Similar to D4.
X. There are thirteen examples of these. They are unclassifiable.
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pre-pottery Neolithic A/B
- there are seven stones found between PPNA AND PPNB.
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pre-Pottery Neolithic B
- There were One hundred and Sixty-two stones found at this level (PPNB).
Type Series:
A1. There are two examples. These polishing stones are round and slightly cheese shaped. The materials used for these are the same as those found in PPNA.
B1. There are sixty nine. These stones are spherical/oval in shape and have some surface polish.
B2. There are twelve examples. They are similar to B1 but are longer in dimension.
D1. There are twenty nine examples. They are similar to D1 of PPNA.
D2. There are twenty examples of these. These are similar to those of D2 in PPNA.
D4. There are six examples of these. These are similar to D4 from PPNA.
X. There are twenty four fragments that are unclassifiable.
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pottery Neolithic
- There are twenty four examples from this level. Half of these are pebbles from streams that are polished in areas. The others are made to have very flat, smooth surfaces.
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Proto-Urban ( Calcolithic, EB1 A-B)
-There were four stones found at this level. Their Identification is uncertain.(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Early Bronze
- There were twelve polishing stones found at this level. These also seem to be from streams and are polished in areas.(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Middle Bronze
- There were twelve polishing stones found at this level. Six of which were similar to type B of some of the previous periods, three are similar to type D of other periods and the last three are unlike any from other periods.(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Grooved Stones
- Mainly from the PPNA, but one was found in the Proto-Neolithic. There were also a few found in the PPNB and Early bronze levels that differed in size and shape from any of those ever found in the PPNA.(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Hammerstones and Battered Nodules
- Poor indicators of periods.
Proto-Neolithic
- One hammerstone was found at this level. "It was formed from a flint nodule, roughly cuboid, and is of a type common in later levels."(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pre-Pottery Neolithic A
- There were twenty-one nodules of flint found at this level. "The shapes are roughly spherical to cuboid, with rounded edges and corners."(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pre-Pottery Neolithic B
- There were fourty stones found at this level. They are common in size shape and in the degree of battering and abrasion.(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pottery Neolithic
- There were ten hammerstones found at this level. These hammerstones are spherical and sometimes in an irregular shape. Six of them are made of flint, one is made of sandstone, and the rest are not specified.(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Early Bronze
- There were six hammer stones found at this level. Four of the stones were battered and were similar to other stones found from previous levels. (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Middle Bronze
- There were thwenty three stones found in the middle bronze levels. Twenty one of them were made of flint, and the others were not recorded.(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Wedges and hoe-shaped tools.
- "These are exclusive to the PPNA."(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Palettes
- "A few paletts of characteristic shape were found in the EB or MB, althought flat or almost flat ground slabs which might have been palettes occurred in earlier periods and are recorded under 'Vessels'."(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Hones
- There were a few artifacts from the MB which could possible have been hones.(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Querns
- Trough like vessels.
- Are almost exclusive to PPNB.
Pre-Pottery Neolithic B
-Thirty six trough querns were found in this level. "They are formed in large heavy blocks of abrasive rock--basalt, sandstone, conglomerate, and hard limestone."(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Pottery Neolithic
- Three fragments were found in the PN level. (Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Proto-Urban ( Calcolithic, EB1 A-B)
- There were three querns were found in this level.
Early Bronze
-Thre were twelve saddle querns found in this level.
- "All are of the 'sadle' type:slabs of abrasive rock with working surfaces flat or slightly concave along their length and flat or slightly convex across their width."(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
- Four were made of basalt, two were made of sandstone, three of trachyte, one of limestone, and the others were not recorded.
Middle Bronze
- There were sixty-eight querns or fragments found at this level.
- All were of the saddle type.
- Many have flat bases rather than rounded.
- Five are made of limestone, three were made of sandstone, eight were made of basalt, eight of trachyte, one was made of conglomerate, and the rest were unrecorded.(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Late Bronze
- There were two querns found in the Late bronze level.
(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Iron Age
- There were two querns found in this level. Both were saddle querns.(Kenyon, Hollond, 1983)
Back to Main page