Archaeologists from the Tel Hai College, the Antiquities Authority and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have discovered in Galilee the oldest specimen of rock carvings on a dolmen found in the Middle East since archaeological research.
He was accidentally noticed by Professor Gonen Sharon from Tel Hai College, who arrived at the field located next to kibbutz Shamir, where there are about 400 dolmens. All of them date back to the Middle Bronze Age - they are more than 4 thousand years old.
The scientist decided to examine the largest of the monuments. Looking under the rock, which serves as a ceiling, he saw lines carved into the stone on its underside. About 15 of these lines form an arch-like pattern.
“Before that, not a single dolmen with an embossed pattern was found in the entire Middle East. Its meaning is still a mystery to us,”says Uri Berger, a spokesman for the Antiquities Authority.
A three-dimensional model of the monument was built with the help of the latest equipment used by specialists from the Hebrew University. This made it possible to identify incisions that were not visible to the naked eye.
It should be noted that the inner space of the dolmen is six square meters, and the mass of the overlap rock is about 50 tons. The structure is surrounded by a horseshoe-shaped stone shaft. The shaft weighs 400 tons and its radius is about 20 meters. Four smaller dolmens were found in this shaft.
The Middle Bronze Age is the subject of controversy among scholars. Some note that during this period, there are practically no large cities and monumental buildings that would indicate a strong centralized power.
From the point of view of others, a sign of the existence of such power is dolmens, the construction of which required considerable effort and organization of labor. At the same time, the purpose for which the structures were built remains unclear.
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“The giant dolmen in Shamir testifies to a developed society. Its construction required long-term efforts of a large number of people. At this time, they had to be organized, provided with food and shelter. And such building skills cannot be found among nomads,”says Professor Gonen Sharon.
The term "dolmen" means "stone table", which reflects their most common design - two walls and a horizontal ceiling. Monuments of almost the same design are found throughout Eurasia - from Ireland to Korea.
Gonen Sharon and Uri Berger
Photo: Shmuel Magal. Courtesy of the Antiquities Authority
4000 year old dolmen
Photo: Gonen Sharon, Tel Hai College. Courtesy of the Antiquities Authority
Inside view of the dolmen
Photo: Shmuel Magal. Courtesy of the Antiquities Authority
3D model of drawings
Photo: Computerized Archeology Laboratory at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Courtesy of the Antiquities Authority
Colored balls found inside the dolmen
Photo: Shmuel Magal. Courtesy of the Antiquities Authority