Zoological identification of animal clay figurines from the early neolithic site of Es-Sifiya in Wadi al-Mujib, Jordan

Abstract EN

Es-Sifiya is one of the mega Neolithic settlements in Jordan, with architectural remains extending over an area of 12hectares.

Five seasons of excavations were conducted at the site, revealing substantial architecture with stone walls and burnished plastered floors coated with red ochre, human burials and enormous number of finds: ground stone, chipped stone, bone tools, personal ornaments and clay figurines.

The clay figurines were found during the fourth season of excavation at Es-Sifiya.

All these figurines are attributed to the LPPNB (6500-6000 B.C.) and represent human, animal and geometric depictions.

The aim of this paper is to make primary analyzed information available on the unusually large and complex assemblage of the animal figurines.

The rich variety of animal species represented by the figurines points to the faunal life of Wadi AlMujib in general and Es-Sifiya in particular.

The artist who created the figurines indicated few features, however, they were sufficiently characteristic to define different animal species.

The assemblage of figurines also points to the diversity of the wild life and domestic life of Wadi Al-Mujib.

The assemblage is the largest collection of such artistic work to be discovered in a single Neolithic site in Jordan.