Stunning Discovery Is Made By Archaeologists In Palestine That Redefines Civilization As We Know It
What do you know about modern civilization? Most people thank their education system, some believe it’s a work in progress, but not many know that ‘modern’ civilization existed over 7,000 years ago. Archaeology is truly a challenging profession because archeologists are constantly racing against time to uncover secrets and solve mysteries buried in time and so the stunning discovery in Palestine will change the way you view modern civilization. Israel is a land full of mystery, a place known for its stupendous artifacts and hidden secrets buried by the hands of time.
Because artifacts are discovered regularly, a law has been put in place to protect them from being destroyed by construction. Therefore, before construction begins, a group of archeologists must excavate the chosen site in order to procure invaluable artifacts, that would have otherwise been destroyed. Back in 1950, a group of archeologists in Israel discovered the ancient city of En Esur, but no one knew just significant their stunning discovery really was.
It was only in October 2019 that everyone’s jaws hit the floor when the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), who are solely responsible for studies, excavations and cataloging historical artifacts in Israel, revealed what a massive discovery the city of En Esur was. Founded in 1948, the IAA’s main objective is to carry out extensive archeological surveys across Israel. However not everything they do is taken for granted, in fact, some of their work is surrounded by sheer controversy.
For instance, in 1974, a sixth-century mosaic was removed by the organization from Gaza City in an attempt to preserve it, but many consider this to be an illegal move. Then they acquired the famous Dead Scrolls in 1967 after they were first recovered from caves in the 1940s. Although Israel claims ownership of the Dead Scrolls, some people believe the acquisition was more like thievery instead. But not everything they do is controversial.
For example, in 2019 about 15,000 amateur archaeologists under IAA took part in a massive dig in an ancient settlement of Usha in northern Israel. In October 2019 they excavated a 1,400-year-old iron hammer and nails that they believed dated back to the Byzantine era. Coming back to En Esur, that’s located in today’s Southern Levant, archeologists believe life began millions of years ago, in fact, a majority of ancient hominin bones have been discovered here. En Esur covers around 160 acres, that’s around ten times the size of Jericho, and was home to nearly 6,000 people in the past.
During the Early Bronze Age, En Esur was so beautifully planned that its people used silos to store foods, paved their streets with plaster and stones, constructed a number of public buildings and an 80-feet long temple from heavy stones, build a thick wall to protect themselves from invaders, and had a dedicated burial spot – everything a modern community needs today for basic survival. What’s more, people from En Esur were conservative traders and had connections as far as Egypt and Jordan Valley.
En Esur’s ‘modern’ way of living baffled archeologists and they rightly termed it the Early Bronze Age New York. What we consider modern today existed over 7,000 years ago! Unfortunately, the excavation site of En Esur would soon have to be handed over to the construction companies for them to begin construction, meaning all the research conducted by archaeologists may be destroyed. From the looks of it, archaeologists will have to study what they have excavated so far.
