Tower Of Jericho The First Ancient Skyscraper
Since its discovery by archaeologists in 1962, the 28 foot tall stone tower that found on the corner of Jericho town has become a riddle for scientists. Currently, 11,000 years after the tower was built, archaeologists at Tel Jericho's ancient site revealed new facts about the world's first ancient skyscraper building. The advanced computer-based research by doctoral student Roy Liran and Dr. Ran Barkai from the Department of Archeology Jacob M. Alkow Tel Aviv University and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures at the Faculty of Humanities Lester and Sally uncovered who built the 28-foot tower.
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| Tower of Jericho |
The researchers noted that it was the first tall buildings by the human before the transition to agriculture and food production in the area. Liran and Dr. Barker are now so convinced that the tower which took ten years to build is an indication of the power struggle at the beginning of the Neolithic period and a special person or community has exploited the ancient fear of Jericho residents to persuade them to immediately build the tower. The discovery of new research about the ancient tower is also published in the journal Antiquity.
"There is something that is connected to the position of the tower at the corner of Jericho village and the shadows that surround the site when the sun sets on the longest day of the year,” said Liran and Dr.barkai in the journal. “Reconstruction of the sunset reveals to us that the shadow of the hill at sunset on the longest day of the year falls right on the tower of Jericho, covering the tower and covering the whole village.
“For this reason, we suspect that the tower is used as an earthly element which connects the inhabitants of the site with the hills around them and with the heavenly elements where the sun sets. This is a time when hierarchy and leadership are beginning to be built," said Dr. Barkai as quoted from the Jerusalem Post. "We believe this tower is one of the mechanisms to motivate people in a communal lifestyle."
Another Theory
Some researchers have claimed that the tower and walls consist of fortified systems and defenses against floods. Another also claims that towers and walls as geographical markers define the territory of the early inhabitants of Jericho and a symbol of the wealth and power of the ancient village. In a 2008 article, researchers from Tel Aviv University stated that the walls of the tower and Jericho should be seen as cosmological markers connecting the ancient village of Jericho with nearby Qarantal Mountain and the sunset on a day that extends the year. That's their new hypothesis.
This idea is based on the fact that the staircase of the tower was built at the right angle for setting the sun on the longest day of the year behind the highest peak facing Jericho, Mount Qarantal. They believe that it is the first skyscraper of mankind and also the world's first public building.