Question

As early as 7000 BCE, during the Neolithic or New Stone Age, people of Jericho (modern-day Palestine) refashioned skulls. What was likely the purpose of this practice?

A) Aesthetic decoration

B) Cultural identity

C) Medical treatment

D) Ritualistic or religious significance

Answer 1

The refashioning of skulls in Neolithic Jericho likely had a ritualistic or religious significance, representing ancestor veneration or memorials for the dead, although the exact purpose is speculative due to lack of written records.

Step-by-step explanation:

The practice of refashioning skulls in Jericho around 7000 BCE, during the Neolithic or New Stone Age, likely served a ritualistic or religious significance. These plastered skulls, found at various sites in the Levant including Jericho, were crafted by covering human skulls with plaster, inserting shells for eyes, and sometimes using paint to imitate facial features like hair and mustaches. They are believed to represent the veneration of ancestors or function as tangible memories of deceased family members. Given the absence of written records from this period, the precise meaning remains speculative, but the consistent burial pattern beneath house floors and the care taken in their creation suggest their cultural and spiritual importance to the communities of that time.