Image Details

© HERITAGE COMMISSION AND MARTA LUCIANI, QURAYYAH ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROJECT

CONNECTED CULTURE. More than a dozen individuals were buried in this circular grave at the summit of Qurayyah’s plateau. Dating from the Early Bronze Age, this grave for wealthy elites contained precious artifacts, including painted pottery and jewelry pieces crafted from valuable materials (below), such as mother-of-pearl, ivory, and lapis lazuli. Since similar pottery is known from Early Bronze Age cities in the southern Levant (e.g., Jerusalem, Jericho, Megiddo), and the precious materials were not available locally, these grave goods point to Qurayyah’s early trade connections.