'World's first skyscraper sought to intimidate masses'

Jerusalem Post ^ | Tuesday, February 15, 2011 | Arieh O'Sullivan / The Media Line

[SunkenCiv]

Long before its Biblical walls came tumbling down, Jericho's residents were being enticed to give up hunting and gathering and start farming for a living. They settled in this oasis next to the Jordan River and built a mysterious 8.5-meter (28-foot) stone tower on the edge of town.

When discovered by archaeologists in 1952, it was dated at over 11,000 years old, making it the first and oldest public building even found. But its purpose and the motivation for erecting it has been debated ever since.

Now, using computer technology, Israeli archaeologists are saying it was built to mark the summer solstice and as a symbol that would entice people to abandon their nomadic ways and settle down...

The stone tower is about nine meters in diameter at its base and conical in shape. Built out of concentric rows of the stones, it also contains an enclosed stairway. Archeologists say it wasn't used as a tomb.

Barkai and fellow archaeologist Roy Liran used computers to reconstruct sunsets and found that when the tower was built the nearby mountains cast a shadow on it as the sun set on the longest day of the year. The shadow fell exactly on the structure and then spread out to cover the entire village.

[SunkenCiv]

Photo by: Travelujah

[SunkenCiv]

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[null and void]

The world’s first minaret. </al jezeera>

[SunkenCiv]

:’D

[Rebelbase]

I googled "tower of jericho" and found this, but I don't think it's the one referenced in the article:

[JoeProBono]

Home Insurance Building in Chicago : Considered to be the first skyscraper in the world due to the building's unique architecture and unique weight bearing frame, the Home Insurance Building was built in 1885 in Chicago, Illinois and demolished in 1931

[martin_fierro]

'World's first skyscraper sought to intimidate masses'

BEHOLD THE TOWER OF BABBLE

[Louis Foxwell]

nice

[smokingfrog]

[CalvaryJohn]

I saw that tower on a tour in 2000. We actually witnessed a few rocks fall from the inside wall. Naked Archaeology!

[trisham]

Well done.

It's almost funny, but sometimes the truth isn't all that upbeat.

[Silentgypsy]

For some reason, “I am Ozymandias,” comes to mind.

[colorado tanker]

Israeli archaeologists are saying it was built to mark the summer solstice and as a symbol that would entice people to abandon their nomadic ways and settle down

More likely the purpose was to keep those folks who had not abandoned their nomadic ways from coming to town and stealing their stuff.

[OB1kNOb]

Tower of Babel must not be considered since remnants of it haven't been found.

[SunkenCiv]

I agree. Need to see the enemy coming from a long way off, and be able to be seen by friendlies, who can see the warning signal.

[SunkenCiv]

Nice! Here's Escher's:

[SunkenCiv]

Probably one of Hitchcock’s ancestors built it.

[SunkenCiv]

Probably it started out twice as tall, and the falling stones were one way the stone age leaders kept everyone intimidated. ;’)

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks smokingfrog.

[OB1kNOb]

That’s equally as cool, and as a woodcut rendition no less.