AMMAN — Zeidan Kafafi, an archaeologist, member of the Board
of Trustees of the Jordan Museum, and one of the directors of the
Ain Ghazal excavation project, emphasized the importance of highlighting the site where
the sculptures were discovered and preparing it for tourism purposes,
suggesting the creation of a museum, a park, and other tourist attractions.
اضافة اعلان
Kafafi called for preserving the site through the
establishment of suitable exhibition halls, and including it on the tourist map
of Amman. He emphasized the need for the Department of Antiquities in Jordan to
collaborate with the private sector to prepare the site, Hala News reported.
This was in response to Google's celebration of the 40th
anniversary of the discovery of the
Ain Ghazal statues, reflecting public
interest.
History of the site
He explained that the site was discovered during road
expansions in 1979, and archaeological excavations began there in 1982,
conducted by a joint Jordanian American archaeological mission from the
Department of Antiquities, Yarmouk University, the American Center of Oriental
Research in Amman, the
University of San Diego, and the Desert Research Center
at the University of Arizona.
“The site was inhabited continuously for approximately 2500 years, between 7250-5000 BCE, reaching its peak size around 6500-6000 BCE”
The excavations continued for 20 seasons, with the last two
seasons in 2011 and 2012, revealing that the site was inhabited continuously
for approximately 2500 years, between 7250-5000 BCE, reaching its peak size
around 6500-6000 BCE.
Details of the sculptures
Kafafi stated that the sculptures, consisting of 32 full
statues, one half-statue, and a statue head, were discovered in two batches in
1983 and 1985. They were sent to the
British Museum in London and the
Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., respectively, for restoration
based on agreements with the Jordanian Department of Antiquities.
He said that these sculptures are unique in the world due to
their manufacturing process, which involves constructing a human structure from
reeds and then coating it with a layer of plaster.
The precision of their manufacture is reflected in the
facial features such as eyes, nose, mouth, and the addition of kohl made from
bitumen for the eye pupils. The complete statues, whether male or female, are
approximately one meter tall, while the half-statues are about 40cm high.
These statues are currently exhibited in several local
museums, including the Jordan Museum, the
National Museum of Jordan in Jabal Al-Qala'a, and the Jordan Heritage Museum at Yarmouk University.
Internationally, they are displayed at the Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi, the
Louvre Museum in Paris, and the British Museum in London.
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