A ritual complex predicted to be 9000 years of age has just been discovered in Jordan. A joint Jordanian and French archaeologist team discovered it in the eastern desert of the country.
The shrine was found in a Neolithic campsite near large structures known as “desert kites,” or mass traps that are believed to have been used to confine wild gazelles for slaughter. According to Jordanian archaeologist Wael Abu-Azziza, who is a co-director of the project, the site was exceptionally well-preserved, given its age. Everything was nearly intact. Inside the shrine stood a pair of carved stones bearing anthropomorphic figures as well as an altar, hearth, marine shells, and miniature model of the gazelle trap.
Image: Jordanian Tourism Ministry/South Eastern Badia Archaeological Project