Plastered Skulls of the Neolithic peoples
Plastered skulls have been found in 10 archaeological sites in the Levant (Eastern Mediterranean) region. There are around eighty skulls according to the article by Florine Marchand, "The Modelling Skulls in the Ancient Near-East" . This was the only article out of the eight that I read in which the researcher took evidence form each site and broke down differences and similarities, as well as ages and sex. It is a 38 page read, but well worth your time!
Out of the eighty skulls, some cannot be conclusively identified as either men or women, but interestingly, many age groups are included in these skulls. If this is ancestor worship, as some believe, quite a few children and young adults are found in the skulls, ranging from ages 7-25. Very few of the skulls are from individuals that are over 40 years of age.
Also, how the skulls were displayed or buried ranges greatly, even at the same sites. Some were buried, others displayed on a pedestal, and quite a few were in groupings of three or more individuals. One thing that was similar to these sites is they seemed to be within where people spent their time. Many burial sites are found under where they would sleep.
The effort to make the skulls also suggests a deep importance to the culture. Some skulls were packed inside with a coarser plaster, as were those found in Jericho, and then a finer plaster over-coating. What is similar to all is the attention to making the skulls lifelike. Hair, shells with slits to denote a pupil, even eyelashes and mustaches adorn the skulls. Some used green paint as in the Jericho skulls or black stone for the eyes. All seemed to be painted a red or reddish brown in an attempt to give them flesh like appearances. This link 9,500 year old facial reconstruction will take you to a National Geographic article by Kristin Romey where they were finally able to reconstruct what one of the Jericho men would have looked like.
In an article published June 28, 2017 by Science Advances, they have found skull fragments at Göbekli Tepe that were carved. Suggesting a different type of skull worship. Since this site was not a habitation site, I am putting my own interpretation on the findings. To view the article by Gresky, Halem and Clare, view this link Modified human crania from Göbekli Tepe provide evidence for a new form of Neolithic skull cult
Today we can interpret Neolithic peoples used the skulls as guides, help in mourning, or even victories over enemies. Those interpretations may be well off the mark, as we are adding our cultural values with no understanding of their civilization. Whatever interpretations we may put on these skulls, it is clear that Neolithic peoples had a close tie to their dead. They would not have expended so much time in decorating such remains otherwise.
Out of the eighty skulls, some cannot be conclusively identified as either men or women, but interestingly, many age groups are included in these skulls. If this is ancestor worship, as some believe, quite a few children and young adults are found in the skulls, ranging from ages 7-25. Very few of the skulls are from individuals that are over 40 years of age.
Also, how the skulls were displayed or buried ranges greatly, even at the same sites. Some were buried, others displayed on a pedestal, and quite a few were in groupings of three or more individuals. One thing that was similar to these sites is they seemed to be within where people spent their time. Many burial sites are found under where they would sleep.
The effort to make the skulls also suggests a deep importance to the culture. Some skulls were packed inside with a coarser plaster, as were those found in Jericho, and then a finer plaster over-coating. What is similar to all is the attention to making the skulls lifelike. Hair, shells with slits to denote a pupil, even eyelashes and mustaches adorn the skulls. Some used green paint as in the Jericho skulls or black stone for the eyes. All seemed to be painted a red or reddish brown in an attempt to give them flesh like appearances. This link 9,500 year old facial reconstruction will take you to a National Geographic article by Kristin Romey where they were finally able to reconstruct what one of the Jericho men would have looked like.
In an article published June 28, 2017 by Science Advances, they have found skull fragments at Göbekli Tepe that were carved. Suggesting a different type of skull worship. Since this site was not a habitation site, I am putting my own interpretation on the findings. To view the article by Gresky, Halem and Clare, view this link Modified human crania from Göbekli Tepe provide evidence for a new form of Neolithic skull cult
Today we can interpret Neolithic peoples used the skulls as guides, help in mourning, or even victories over enemies. Those interpretations may be well off the mark, as we are adding our cultural values with no understanding of their civilization. Whatever interpretations we may put on these skulls, it is clear that Neolithic peoples had a close tie to their dead. They would not have expended so much time in decorating such remains otherwise.
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