Archaeological Museum
Established in 1951 on the Citadel Hill in Amman. Displays artefacts from different archaeological sites of the country, from the Paleolithic to the Islamic Era.
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Representation of the upper part of a body with two heads.
H 46.5 cm; W 30 cm; D 19.5 cm
The Ain Ghazal statues are among the earliest known large-scale human figures. There are two groups of statues which were deposited in two different parts, with a difference of 200 years: approx. 6700 BC and 6500 BC.
Excavations at the Neolithic site of Ayn Ghazal in Amman, in 1983 and 1985, uncovered over 30 human statues in two groups. The statues were found neatly aligned inside two pits that were dug on purpose, which led the excavators to conclude that they were intentionally buried rather than merely discarded.
The statues were formed a skeleton of reed, covered with plaster. The bodies are flat, indicating that they were made on a flat surface. The heads are emphasised and the eyes are painted with bitumen, which was brought from the Dead Sea.
(From a text in the Jordan Museum and other sources)
© Photo: Haupt & Binder
Established in 1951 on the Citadel Hill in Amman. Displays artefacts from different archaeological sites of the country, from the Paleolithic to the Islamic Era.