Behind the Mask | Leore Grossman

Several years ago the Israel Museum exhibited a small group of stone masks that were 9000 years old, all from the Judean Desert.  Until today less than 20 such masks have been found. Based on similar examples from other cultures, it is reasonable to think that they were used for an ancestoral ritual.  In the research, these rare masks that were displayed were 3D scanned and analysed by Artifact3D program to shed light on their meaning.  

By observing the bulging cheeks and the exposed jaw it was presumed that they did not represent a face but a skull.  From the measurements of the scanned models and the proportion between the width of the nose and the width of the front teeth we can confirm that this is characteristic of a skull. In addition, the researchers tried to decided if these neolithics wore these heavy masks on their heads or if they were displayed separately.  From the analysis of the models it appears that the center of gravity of the mask is between the eyes, the best place to relatively comfortably wear the mask.  It was also found that even though the masks are very different from each other, the distance between the eyes is characteristic of the distance between human eyes and so it can be implied that these masks were worn on the face. 

In the exhibition, a copy of a limestone mask, El Hadab, South Judean Mountains, Pre-ceramic B Neolithic Period, 9000 years back.

Research partners: Ahiad Ovadia and Alexander Bogdonovski

From the Israel Museum collection with special thanks to Debby Hershman

Video: Computational analysis of the scanning of the Neolithical mask from Hirbat Duma. Simulation: Ohad Oren

 

 

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