Rare prehistoric rock blocks were discovered on Highway 38 in Israel

Israeli archaeologists have discovered a rare piece of limestone, estimated at 9,000 years old, that could be used by ancient land residents in the Stone Age to burn. This discovery was discovered in part of the IAA excavation conducted before expanding Highway 38, a road leading from Route 1 to Beit Shemesh at the foot of Judean Mountain.

Anna Eirich-Rose, a prehistoric expert and excavator manager, said he believed the stone was from the Neolithic period, used in settlement and began to cultivate soil. belt of ancient residents.

Eirich-Rose explained: "The former inhabitants of this land created a thick plank made of limestone containing two perforated holes with a chiseled pipe. Some people believe this is a game board. Ancient play, but according to researchers at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, these boards were used to light fire and this mechanism was done by quickly rotating a piece of wood in a duct, like a drill. The kinetic energy then turned into heat and when it came into contact with a flammable substance placed in the holes, it would light a ".

According to Eirich-Rose, this rock is a " interesting and rare and very special archaeological artifact" because only about ten similar stones in this period were found. This shows the ability of humans to create advanced fire in this era when fire was created by applying a temperature that changed into fire on limestone.

Previously, the use of fire became more common about 10,000 years ago during the Neolithic period, as evidenced by the excavations involving the use of fire in the area in the form of ash and coal that have existed since centuries. raw stone early (about 800,000 years ago). For example, seeds and flint have been found in the past in places related to the history of Jacob Bridge's daughters on the Jordan River previously discovered.