The Neolithic period was drastically different from the previous Mesolithic and Paleolithic periods. It was a revolutionary new age when “human beings began to domesticate plants and animals and to settle in fixed abodes” (Page 23). Because of this new way of life, the Neolithic communities had a new style of architecture and art. The Neolithic age gave way to long-term communities built of stone and mud brick. Jericho is a great example of an early Neolithic city. By 7500 BCE, Jericho was built up with the first known permanent stone fortification and towers. A large rock-cut ditch or moat and an approximately 5 foot thick and 13 feet tall stone wall surrounded the town. Set in the wall is a massive 30 foot tall tower with a base diameter of 33 feet, this was most likely to aid in defense against neighboring groups. Jericho, with its population of over 2000 people, showed the clear change from nomadic life to settled populations. Around 7000 BCE, the inhabitants of Jericho changed. The new community was made up of farmers who built connecting, rectangular mud brick houses on stone foundations. These houses are the first exhibiting plastered and painted walls and floors. This is a huge technological advancement as plaster requires and man-made chemical addition. This shows that the people …show more content…
One of the most prominent changes was the ritualistic artwork for the dead. The skeletal remains found during excavation revealed headless bodies. The skulls were removed, covered in plaster, and then shaped to resemble the former person. The heads even had fancy shells and minerals inlaid as eyes and painted hair. These sculptures are incredibly life-like compared to the human representations of the Paleolithic period. One particular skull (figure 1-14, page 25) even had a painted mustache. It is thought that these skulls were used in a ritualistic or even ancestral worship