On Permanent Exhibit

Figurine Head from the Neolithic Period 1980-5164 All rights reserved by courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority. The figurine head is made from limestone and is a part of a complete figurine whose estimated height was 20 to 25 centimeters. The shallow lines of its face were made by a combination of filing and scraping. Its small nose is contrasted by two large eyebrows above a pair of bulging eyes which hint at a slight slant. It has no sign of a mouth and its head is pointed. Delicate carving work characterize this figurine head.

Statue Head 1980-5186 All rights reserved by courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority. Head of a man carved from basalt with crimped hair depicted in great detail, sunken cheeks, and a full mouth. The nose is damaged, apparently on purpose. The sculpture attests to the artistry of the sculptor. Similar statues made from limestone are known to appear as gravestones in the Bet Shean Valley. The head was discovered accidentally while clearing stones from the fields of Kibbutz Ein Dor.

Burial Coffin 1960-5 All rights reserved by courtesy of Israel Antiquities Authority. The only burial coffin of its kind in Israel was discovered in Kfar Yehoshua in 1954. The coffin was constructed from two clay storage jars, in and around which were found accompanying objects; and on one finger of the skeleton was a gold ring. An anthropologic test revealed the deceased to be a male, aged 40. The pottery which was found in the grave help put the date of burial in the beginning of the Israelite Period, the eleventh and twelfth century, B.C.E. This form of burial is known from the Hittite Kingdom in central Turkey.

The Archaeological Exhibit