The Ancients

The Skulls of Jericho

February 15, 2026

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  • The plastered skulls of Jericho date to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) period, approximately 10,000 years ago, representing a complex belief system in early farming communities across the Levant and Anatolia. 
  • The creation of these skulls involved detailed plaster reconstruction over human remains, utilizing materials like shells for eyes and bitumen for decoration, with evidence suggesting varied techniques and potential repair work over time. 
  • The purpose of the plastered skulls remains a mystery, with leading theories including ancestor worship, headhunting trophies, or a way for communities to manage grief and maintain social cohesion during a period of transition to settled life. 
  • The creation of the plastered skulls shows an evolution in Neolithic art, suggesting experimentation with creating 3D representations of faces, potentially leading to abstract figures like the Ayn Gasal statues. 
  • The discussion concludes by emphasizing the significance of the plastered skulls of Jericho as artifacts representing early human beliefs about memory, identity, and the dead across the Levant. 
  • The host encourages listeners to watch the video version of "The Skulls of Jericho" on The Ancients YouTube channel to see visuals of the discussed artifacts. 

Segments

Discovery of Jericho Skulls
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: The first plastered skulls were discovered in 1953 by Kathleen Kenyon during the final week of excavations at Jericho.
  • Summary: The discovery occurred in the last week of the 1953 excavation season at Jericho, prompting an unprecedented effort to carefully extract the artifacts from the trench walls. Kathleen Kenyon and a small team uncovered a cache of seven plaster-coated skulls buried together in one pit. These initial finds marked the first time such extraordinary prehistoric artifacts had ever been documented.
Dating and Context of Skulls
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(00:04:42)
  • Key Takeaway: The plastered skulls date back approximately 10,000 years to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) period, marking a shift from hunter-gatherer to settled agricultural communities.
  • Summary: These artifacts originate from the PPNB period, roughly 8,500 BCE to 6,500 BCE, coinciding with the dawn of agriculture in the Near East. During this time, communities like Jericho grew into proto-towns housing thousands of people, moving from circular to rectangular architecture. The skulls appear in this context of newly settled, denser societies.
Physical Description of Skulls
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(00:13:12)
  • Key Takeaway: The Jericho skull at the British Museum is characterized by a smooth plaster coating lacking a mouth, shell fragments for eyes, and internal packing with dirt.
  • Summary: The famous Jericho skull is mostly covered in plaster from the eyebrows down, with shells used for the eyes; one eye retains only half a shell, and the interior is packed with dirt. The skull is missing its mandible, and CT scans have revealed evidence of prior injury, including a broken nose, suggesting the plaster preserved the individual’s history. The object was constructed to sit on a base, giving it an upward gaze.
Plaster Skull Construction Process
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(00:16:17)
  • Key Takeaway: Construction methods varied, involving packing the skull with dirt or reeds before building up facial features like cheeks and noses with plaster, sometimes allowing for the faces to be removed or interchanged.
  • Summary: The process involved preparing the skull, sometimes packing the interior with dirt for support or using a buffer layer of reeds before applying lime plaster to sculpt features. Evidence from ‘Ain Ghazal suggests some plaster faces could be removed, implying potential interchangeability or repair. Details like ears, eyebrows, and even painted decoration were added to complete the likeness.
Pupil Detail and Ritual Theories
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(00:26:46)
  • Key Takeaway: The vertical black lines observed in the pupils of some Jericho skulls suggest an intentional animalistic feature, possibly linking back to earlier ritualistic human-animal interplay seen at sites like Göbekli Tepe.
  • Summary: The vertical pupils observed in some skulls, like the Jericho skull, are theorized to mimic predators such as foxes or birds of prey, contrasting with the circular pupils of humans. This detail may reflect a translation of older, communal ritual traditions involving animal-human relationships into the new, more insular PPNB domestic settings. The Ashmolean skull’s horizontal pupils suggest a sheep-like appearance, possibly indicating sleepiness or symbolic meaning.
Demographics and Geographic Spread
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(00:31:51)
  • Key Takeaway: The skulls found across the Levant, including Jericho, are not exclusively male, comprising a mix of males, females, and juveniles, suggesting the practice was not limited by sex or age.
  • Summary: Contrary to initial assumptions that they represented only male ancestors, analysis shows a mix of sexes and even juveniles among the plastered remains. The tradition spread beyond Jericho to sites like ‘Ain Ghazal (Jordan), Tel Ramad (Syria), and even as far north as Çatalhöyük (Turkey), though the Turkish examples date slightly later. Contexts for burial vary widely, from foundation deposits in cemeteries to being buried under house floors.
Major Theories on Skull Function
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(00:45:48)
  • Key Takeaway: The primary theories for the skulls’ function include ancestor worship to dictate social life, headhunting trophies, or a mechanism for processing grief through continuing bonds with the deceased.
  • Summary: Ancestor worship theory suggests the skulls served as anonymous figures uniting the new sedentary society, potentially controlling social behavior. Headhunting is considered due to the cultural power ascribed to the human head, though this conflicts with skulls found buried rather than displayed. The continuing bonds theory posits the practice was emotional, allowing people to keep loved ones close, despite the multi-year decomposition time required before plastering.
Artistic Experimentation Overlap
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(00:56:47)
  • Key Takeaway: The creation of plastered skulls shows an overlap with the Ayn Gasal statues, suggesting experimentation in creating 3D human representations.
  • Summary: People were experimenting artistically, evidenced by the overlap between the Jericho skulls and the Ayn Gasal statues. This experimentation involved attempting to create a 3D face, potentially moving toward creating a 3D person without the base of a skull. This represents an ability to think abstractly and create something new from nothing.
Concluding Thoughts and Thanks
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(00:57:27)
  • Key Takeaway: The artifacts discussed represent a significant story about human identity and the widespread desire to create commemorative objects across the Levant.
  • Summary: The artifacts are described as a fantastic set, tracing back to the Neolithic period and early farming communities. The discussion covered the various theories surrounding why these plastered skulls were created. The guest, Raven Todd DaSilva, expressed enjoyment in discussing the skulls.
Episode Wrap-up and Promotion
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(00:57:52)
  • Key Takeaway: A video version of “The Skulls of Jericho” featuring visuals of the artifacts is available on The Ancients YouTube channel.
  • Summary: Listeners are encouraged to watch the video version of the podcast on the new Ancients YouTube channel to see images of the skulls discussed. Listeners are asked to follow the show on Spotify or other platforms and leave a rating to support the podcast. Sign-up information for History Hit documentaries is also provided.
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