The rare mold discovered in Jerusalem.Photo Emil Aladjem/Courtesy Israel Antiquities Authority

Production Mold for Ancient Female Figurine Discovered in Jerusalem

by · ARTnews

A mold used to create a clay figurine during the First Temple Period was discovered earlier this summer on the grounds of the Tower of David Jerusalem Museum. The excavation, at Kishle, a former prison and military base that is now part of the museum, was overseen by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).

“Although many figurines from this period have been uncovered in Jerusalem, this is the first time that a mold used to manufacture them has ever been found in the city,” said IAA researchers in a statement. Archaeologists have long wondered if these ubiquitous figures, dating from the 8th to the 6th centuries BCE, were manufactured locally or imported; they now know that at least some were created within Jerusalem.

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The mold in question depicts a woman’s face with defined features and an elaborate hairstyle. Sviatoslav Klindukhov, a conservation and restoration specialist working with the IAA, was able to cast a new figurine from the ancient mold.

Female figures are one of three main types found during this time periods; others depict horse-and-rider pairs or animals. Archaeologists believe that many were originally painted yellow, red, and black. Since these figures have been found in excavations of homes, streets, and tombs, it is believed they were used as everyday objects, perhaps to promote fertility or used as children’s toys or household amulets. Debbi Ben-Ami, a curator at the IAA, hopes that the newly discovered mold “will provide fresh insights and help answer some of the questions that continue to occupy researchers.”

This particular excavation site is one of the most significant in Jerusalem, according to Amit Re’em and Ayala Zilberstein, IAA excavation directors. “The Kishle excavation, which has been ongoing for several years, continues to surprise us time and again,” they said. It presents “the city’s history in a clear and continuous sequence—from the days of the Kings of Judah, through the many periods that shaped Jerusalem, and up to the British Mandate.”