JERUSALEM, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Israeli archaeologists have successfully restored a 6,000-year-old ivory jar unearthed near the southern city of Beer Sheva, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Tuesday.
The small jar, also known as amphoriskos, was discovered in an excavation in 2020. It suggests ancient trade links between the early inhabitants of today's Israel and neighboring regions, including Egypt, during the Chalcolithic Period (4,500-3,500 BC).
The excavation in 2020 initially revealed three large basalt bowls. Further exploration led to the discovery of fragments of the ivory container within one of the earth-filled bowls.
The IAA said its deliberate burial arrangement signifies that it was used in cultic ceremonial activities.
Measuring 20 centimeters in diameter, the jar features symmetrically placed side handles, suggesting sophisticated craftsmanship.
Researchers are now conducting biomolecular analyses to trace the ivory's origins, determining whether it was brought to Israel as a finished product or if it was crafted locally from raw material. ■
