Oldest Large-Scale Slab in the Levant

Illustration

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
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published on 18 February 2019
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This is a stone slab incised with a repeated array of concentric irregular squares. A line of 3 slabs bearing this decoration was found in a wall inside "Structure 2" at Wadi al-Hammeh 27. They were supported by a backing of rubble, with their decorated sides facing southeast. The slabs had been exposed to fire, which caused the limestone to crack and fracture. The three slabs constitute a sculpted piece of about 1.55 meter in length. This is the central slab; the other two end slabs are at the Dar as-Saraya Museum in Irbis (Jordan) and the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. Other than being the earliest known large-scale sculpted piece in the Levant, this is one of the best examples of non-figurative Natufian art. Natufian period, around 12000 BCE. From Wadi al-Hammeh 27, Northern Jordan Valley, Jordan. The Jordan Museu, Amman, Jordan).

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About the Author

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
Associate Professor of Neurology and lover of the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. I'm very interested in Mesopotamian history and always try to take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the world.

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APA Style

Amin, O. S. M. (2019, February 18). Oldest Large-Scale Slab in the Levant. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/10050/oldest-large-scale-slab-in-the-levant/

Chicago Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Oldest Large-Scale Slab in the Levant." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified February 18, 2019. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/10050/oldest-large-scale-slab-in-the-levant/.

MLA Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Oldest Large-Scale Slab in the Levant." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 18 Feb 2019. Web. 21 Feb 2025.

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