JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020. DISCOVER 45Usually, archaeologists just dig portions
of a site, in order to leave remains for future
researchers. But because Motza was des-
tined for development, the team sought to
excavate its entirety, resulting in a nearly
complete picture of life in the New York
City of the Neolithic. In excavation layers
closer to the surface, the team found far
fewer buildings and artifacts, suggesting
the settlement peaked and then dwindled.
Analysis of the finds will continue for
years, potentially explaining what caused
the mega-site to boom and fade. Barzilai
hypothesizes population growth outpaced
resources and social organization. “Maybe
it was pushed to the limit,” he says.
The Motza mega-site (left) is about 3 miles
from Jerusalem. Stabilized by white sandbags,
excavation squares contain stone walls and plaster
floors, which reveal the ancient town’s architecture
and roads. Urban planning and variable-sized
homes suggest the presence of formal leaders
and social strata.
Archaeologists recovered thousands of flint
tools crafted by early farmers, such as sickles
to harvest crops and arrowheads (above) for
hunting and warfare.
Archaeologists (top) unearthed about 300 human burials under plaster
floors, in courtyards and between walls. Skeletons (above) were curled on
their sides, knees tightly tucked, suggesting the bodies had been bound.
Some were missing heads. The skulls may have been removed and covered
in plaster, as was the custom at other sites in the region.