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- Hidden for centuries: IAA unveils 6,000 year old ivory artifact
Hidden for centuries: IAA unveils 6,000 year old ivory artifact
The first of its kind discovery further attests to the commerce which took place with ancient Egypt already from the Chalcolithic period
![Ivory vessel, dating to 6,000 years ago, next to large basalt bowls in which it was found hidden.](https://cdn.i24news.tv/uploads/f9/b9/35/db/a2/49/a9/8a/7f/75/15/be/bb/79/83/23/f9b935dba249a98a7f7515bebb798323.jpeg?width=1000)
A rare ivory vessel was discovered in archaeological excavations near Beer Sheba, amounting to a first of such a discovery, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on Tuesday.
Dated to the Chalcolithic era, the "juglet" was described by researchers as evidence of commerce that existed with Egypt 6,000 years ago, and is the first ivory vessel from this period to have been found in Israel.
![Davida Dagan, Israel Antiquities Authority](https://cdn.i24news.tv/uploads/14/68/68/e7/63/b1/45/b1/64/85/af/d4/bb/fc/2a/fd/146868e763b145b16485afd4bbfc2afd.jpeg?width=750)
Discovered in 2020, hidden within large basalt bowls, the vessel had been found in fragments and brought to the laboratories of the IAA, where it was reassembled in a complex preservation process.
The excavation conducted at Khirbet Raqiq, near Beer Sheba, had uncovered an ancient settlement with underground spaces carved into the limestone. Toward the end of the dig, Emil Aladjem from the IAA was busy with final measurements when he noticed the edge of a bronze utensil.
![Davida Dagan, Israel Antiquities Authority](https://cdn.i24news.tv/uploads/77/77/a9/ee/a7/3b/b8/8a/e8/bb/6f/17/52/2c/ed/7d/7777a9eea73bb88ae8bb6f17522ced7d.jpeg?width=750)
As a result of this, the excavation was expanded and three large impressive bowls were uncovered. When the top bowl was removed, it turned out to be covering another bowl full of earth, inside of which were the fragments of ivory - a valuable and rare material.
"The configuration of the bowl rims makes it clear that the vessel, which was broken already in antiquity, was carefully embedded in concealment which probably attests to the importance attributed to it," Dr. Yanir Milevski, former IAA Prehistoric department head, explained in a statement.
"The vessels were intentionally buried with forethought. It is accepted in research that the embedding or concealments of figurines and broken vessels is done as part of ritual and religious activities. The size of the uncovered vessel is about 20 cm, and it is stunningly exceptional in its design," the researcher added.
![Davida Dagan, Israel Antiquities Authority](https://cdn.i24news.tv/uploads/47/d3/0e/23/23/26/5d/c6/34/9d/c2/93/e7/c9/92/ea/47d30e2323265dc6349dc293e7c992ea.jpeg?width=750)
In order to assist in determining more data from the ivory, such as the elephant's gender, origin and even diet, further tests will be conducted by Dr. Harel Shochet from the University of Haifa and Dr. Liorah Horvitz from the Hebrew University.
The rare ivory vessel will be displayed for the first time on Thursday in Jerusalem, as part of a conference held by the Israel Prehistoric Society at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Archaeological Park, where new discoveries from prehistoric excavations conducted in recent years in will be presented.
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