The Tower of JERICHO, built around 11,000 years ago, is one of the oldest known monumental stone structures ever constructed. Standing roughly 28 ft (8.5 m) tall with a 23 ft base, it features 5 ft thick walls and an internal staircase of 22 steps. Fascinatingly, its staircase aligns with the summer solstice sunset, suggesting ritual and astronomical significance. Construction took an estimated 11,000 labor days.
11,000-year-old Tower of JERICHO among earliest monumental stone structures
Key facts
- Ancient JERICHO possessed formidable fortifications including stone foundations, mudbrick walls, and additional fortifications built during different periods of its long history
- The Tower of JERICHO was built approximately 11,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest known monumental stone structures ever constructed by humans
- Tower rises approximately 36 ft high with a base of around 23 ft across
- Tower walls were around 5 ft thick with an internal staircase of 22 stone steps climbing to the roof
- Construction required approximately 11,000 days of labor, not including planning and quarrying
- The staircase points toward a nearby mountain and aligns with the setting sun around the summer solstice, suggesting astronomical and ritual purpose
- JERICHO is one of the oldest known places on Earth where humans constructed large communal stone defenses
Site mentioned
Sources
Tower of Jericho - Wikipediaen.wikipedia.org
The Tower of Jericho is an 8.5-metre-tall (28 ft) stone structure built in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A period around 8000 BC.
52 Tower Of Jericho Stock Photos and High-Res Imagesgettyimages.com
Tower Of Jericho Images and Stock Photos. Browse 52 tower of jericho photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more photos and images.
Tower of Jericho - Madain Project (en)madainproject.com
Built during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) period around 8000 BCE, the undressed stone tower, placed in the centre of the west side of the tell, contained ...
Casting a shadow on Neolithic Jericho - Antiquity Journalantiquity.ac.uk
The Neolithic tower of Jericho is one of the earliest stone-built monuments in the history of humankind. It was constructed some 11 000 years ago
Jericho (article) | Neolithic sites | Khan Academykhanacademy.org
Archaeologists discovered one uniquely large building dating to the period with unique series of plastered interior pits and basins as well as domed adjoining ...
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