Archaeologists have unearthed a "magic wand" with two realistic human faces carved into it near a cemetery where about 30 headless people were buried in southern Syria.
Experts believe that the stick, possibly created around 9,000 years ago, was used as part of an ancient burial ritual to summon supernatural beings. However, experts admit that they cannot yet name the exact purpose of their find.
"The find is very unusual and truly unique," said study co-author Frank Bramer, an archaeologist at the French National Center for Scientific Research.
The wand, which was probably used in a long-forgotten funeral ritual, is one of the few naturalistic depictions of human faces that have come down to us since then, the scientist told LiveScience.
The stick was discovered during excavations at a site in southern Syria called Tel Kurassa, where an artificial hill formed from debris over the millennia. Other evidence from the site suggests that the ancient inhabitants were among the first farmers in the world to consume spelled (a type of wheat), barley, peas, and lentils. In addition, local residents were engaged in cattle breeding or hunting.
“The wand is clearly associated with funeral rituals, but what those rituals are is impossible to say,” Bramer said.
As the authors write, the images of faces may have been associated with the desire to create a material representation of the person, the authors write. It is also unclear why someone dug up the skulls and placed them within the residential area of the village.
However, it should be noted that similar finds were found by archaeologists in other places, for example, in Jericho. Their age roughly coincides with the Syrian burials. One hypothesis suggests that this practice is a form of ancestor worship in which human faces appear to have facilitated the summoning of supernatural beings. Archaeologists also admit that the faces on the stick were images of defeated enemies.
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