What is the conventional archaeological date of Ancient Jericho and the Tower (Tell es-Sultan), and what alternative dates have been proposed?

Conventional date: UNESCO says people lived at the mound from about 10,500 BC. In the 9th to 8th millennium BC it already had a tower, a wall and a ditch. Barkai and Liran date the tower to about 8300 BC. Alternative proposals: Open question: What was the tower for? Barkai and Liran say the tower's purpose is still argued. They list three main ideas: part of a defense system, part of a flood barrier, or a symbol of some kind. They find problems with the first two ideas. Leading Edge: Barkai and Liran (2008), authors' interpretation: Lined up with the sky? They argue the tower was "inherently aligned to celestial and geographical elements". Their paper's title links it to the midsummer sunset. This is the authors' interpretation. Interpretation: Wang and colleagues (2023): A settled village: The team says its tooth results fit a mostly settled community. They found no sign of people moving in on a large scale. They say the male-heavy sample may come from the small sample size or from burial customs.

What has been measured at Ancient Jericho and the Tower (Tell es-Sultan) in peer-reviewed studies?

A deep mound: UNESCO says the mound holds layers of human life going back to about 10,500 BC. It counts 29 phases of living there. A spring next to the mound has been a water source for thousands of years. Wall, ditch and tower: UNESCO says that in the 9th to 8th millennium BC Jericho was already a large village where people stayed for good. It had a tower, plus a wall with a ditch. Later city walls: UNESCO says that in the Middle Bronze Age a large Canaanite city stood here. It had new kinds of earth and stone defenses. Age of the tower: Barkai and Liran (2008) date the tower to about 8300 BC. They say no older monumental building is known. Teeth tell where people grew up: A 2023 study tested chemical traces (isotopes) in the teeth of early Jericho people. Of 44 people tested, only two seem to have grown up somewhere else. The team found more males than females in the sample. Jericho's old mound, Tell es-Sultan, lies in the Jordan Valley. It holds one of the oldest known stone towers, built more than 10,000 years ago. Scholars agree it is very old. They do not agree on what the tower was for.

What are the stone types, heaviest block masses, and quarry transport distances at Ancient Jericho and the Tower (Tell es-Sultan)?

These are not reported in the sources cited on this page.

Sites › Asia › Ancient Jericho and the Tower (Tell es-Sultan)

Ancient Jericho and the Tower (Tell es-Sultan)

📍 Where It Is Tell es-Sultan, Jordan Valley 31.8713°, 35.4441°

🏛️ Mainstream Date Tower about 8300 BC (Barkai & Liran); mound from 10,500 BC (UNESCO) Excavated baseline

🧭 Leading Edge / Open Angle Leading Edge: a sky alignment, the authors' interpretation Debated or newly revised

🪨 Heaviest Stone & Quarry Stone weights not reported in our sources Compare all 87 sites →

30-SECOND TAKEAWAY

In Plain English — The 30-Second Takeaway

What It Is:

An ancient mound at Jericho with one of the oldest known stone towers.

What Everyone Agrees On (Measured Facts):

UNESCO counts 29 phases of living here. Only two of 44 people tested grew up elsewhere.

🏛️ Mainstream Archaeology View:

Barkai and Liran date the tower to about 8300 BC. Its purpose is still argued.

🧭 Leading Edge View:

Barkai and Liran argue the tower lines up with the midsummer sunset. That is their interpretation.

Site Story & Overview

Jericho's old mound, Tell es-Sultan, lies in the Jordan Valley. It holds one of the oldest known stone towers, built more than 10,000 years ago.

▸ Read Full Archaeological & Engineering Context

Scholars agree it is very old. They do not agree on what the tower was for.

✓ What Is Physically Measured on Site

Dated samples, laser scans, stone weights, and dug finds kept separate from opinion.

A deep mound: UNESCO says the mound holds layers of human life going back to about 10,500 BC. It counts 29 phases of living there. A spring next to the mound has been a water source for thousands of years. [1]
Wall, ditch and tower: UNESCO says that in the 9th to 8th millennium BC Jericho was already a large village where people stayed for good. It had a tower, plus a wall with a ditch. [1]
Later city walls: UNESCO says that in the Middle Bronze Age a large Canaanite city stood here. It had new kinds of earth and stone defenses. [1]
Age of the tower: Barkai and Liran (2008) date the tower to about 8300 BC. They say no older monumental building is known. [2]
Teeth tell where people grew up: A 2023 study tested chemical traces (isotopes) in the teeth of early Jericho people. Of 44 people tested, only two seem to have grown up somewhere else. The team found more males than females in the sample. [3]

🏛️ Mainstream Archaeological View

Accepted timeline: UNESCO says people lived at the mound from about 10,500 BC. In the 9th to 8th millennium BC it already had a tower, a wall and a ditch. Barkai and Liran date the tower to about 8300 BC.
Stone & hardness: Not reported in the sources on this page. Mohs hardness: not reported in our sources.
Quarry distance & alignment: Stone source not reported in the sources on this page. Orientation: Not reported in the sources on this page.

🧭 Leading Edge Proposal & Open Questions

Open question: What was the tower for? Barkai and Liran say the tower's purpose is still argued. They list three main ideas: part of a defense system, part of a flood barrier, or a symbol of some kind. They find problems with the first two ideas. [2]
Leading Edge: Barkai and Liran (2008), authors' interpretation: Lined up with the sky? They argue the tower was "inherently aligned to celestial and geographical elements". Their paper's title links it to the midsummer sunset. This is the authors' interpretation. [2]
Interpretation: Wang and colleagues (2023): A settled village: The team says its tooth results fit a mostly settled community. They found no sign of people moving in on a large scale. They say the male-heavy sample may come from the small sample size or from burial customs. [3]

Visiting: Jericho, Tell es-Sultan (West Bank)

Check current travel advisories before planning a visit.

Primary Academic Sources

▸ View All Cited Primary Sources & DOIs (3 papers)

UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan (list no. 1687), accessed 3 November 2026 https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1687 background
Barkai, R. & Liran, R. (2008). Midsummer Sunset at Neolithic Jericho. Time and Mind 1(3): 273–283. doi:10.2752/175169708x329345 proponent
Wang, X., Zhang, B., Sun, Y., Ingman, T. & others (2023). Isotopic and proteomic evidence for communal stability at Pre-Pottery Neolithic Jericho in the Southern Levant. Scientific Reports 13: 16360. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-43549-1 data

Dates and stone checks are summed up in plain English from the papers above. Measured facts stay separate from opinion. Methodology.