The Tower of Jericho

Since its discovery by archeologists some 60 years ago, one of the first stone monuments in human history, a tower unearthed within the ancient settlement of Tel Jericho, has produced a range of theories as to why it was created. The Tower of Jericho was built exactly adjacent to the Wall of Jericho around 8000 BC. The wall was discovered in 1907, but the tower was not uncovered until 1952.

The people who built this tower were established hunter-gatherers on the cusp of converting to agriculture around 11,000 years ago. They couldn't simply pack their belongings and leave in times of crisis or uncertainty like their forebears could. Some archeologists assume that the tower's construction was motivated by the residents' primordial concerns and cosmological ideas. Others have speculated that the tower and the wall next to it were built as defenses to protect the village, as a geographical marker, or even to symbolize affluence.

Two Tel Aviv University archeologists recently proposed a fresh proposal. After watching how the sunset on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, interacts with the tower and the landscape around it, they feel the 28-foot (8.5-meter) tower symbolizes power and force. As the solstice sun descended before swallowing the settlement, the shadow of a hill to the west fell exactly on the Jericho Tower, signifying that the monument and the beginning of longer nights were linked.

Constructed: 8000 BCE.
Location: West Bank, Palestine