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🇰🇷 South Korea /Culture & Society

First Temple-era figurine mold unearthed in Jerusalem's 'most significant excavation' in decades

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Context piece
  • A rare Judean Pillar Figurine mold from the First Temple period has been unearthed in Jerusalem during excavations for a new museum wing.
  • This is the first such mold ever found in Israel, offering insights into the production of these ancient female figurines.
  • The discovery is considered one of the most significant archaeological finds in Jerusalem in decades, shedding light on the city's history.

Archaeologists in Jerusalem have unearthed a rare mold used to create Judean Pillar Figurines dating back to the First Temple period. The discovery, made during excavations at the Tower of David Museum for the new Schulich Wing for Archaeology, Art and Innovation, marks the first time such a production mold has ever been found in Israel.

The mold, used to cast the face of a female figurine, was meticulously cleaned and restored by specialists at the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). The process revealed finely crafted facial features and an elaborate curly hairstyle, allowing for a full reconstruction of the figurine's face.

The mold was discovered while sifting soil removed from fills and accumulations dating to the First Temple period. The Kishle excavation, which has been ongoing for several years, continues to surprise us time and again.

— Dr. Amit Re'em and Dr. Ayala ZilbersteinThe IAA Excavation Directors explained the context of the mold's discovery and the ongoing significance of the excavation site.

Judean Pillar Figurines, typically made of clay and standing between 10 and 20 centimeters tall, are among three prominent types of First Temple figurines found. The others include those depicting horses and riders, and zoomorphic (animal) figurines. These figurines were often covered in a white coating and originally painted in yellow, red, and black. They are frequently found broken at the neck, a result of their manufacturing process where the head and body were made separately, with only the face cast from a mold.

IAA Excavation Directors Dr. Amit Re'em and Dr. Ayala Zilberstein described the find as coming from soil sifts related to the First Temple period. They noted that the Kishle excavation continues to yield surprises. Re'em emphasized the significance of the find, calling it "one of the most significant archaeological excavations conducted in Jerusalem in recent decades." He added that while clay figurines from this period are common in Jerusalem and its surroundings, the absence of production molds had previously raised questions about whether they were manufactured locally or imported. This mold's discovery directly addresses that question.

Until now, however, no production molds for these figurines had ever been discovered in Jerusalem. This raised the question of whether they were manufactured locally or imported from elsewhere. The discovery of this mold at the Kishle is therefore the first of its k

— Dr. Amit Re'emDr. Amit Re'em highlighted the importance of the find in answering long-standing questions about the origin of First Temple period figurines.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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