The Neolithic tower and wall at Jericho

Record summary

Kenyon’s work at Tell es-Sultan clarified the substantial Neolithic wall, tower and associated settlement remains at Jericho. These structures became central to debates about early sedentary communities, labor organization, defense, flood control and communal monumentality. The discovery matters for comparing architectural scale with social complexity before cities and states. The function of the wall and tower remains disputed, and their date is not equivalent to the later Bronze Age fortifications discussed in biblical interpretations. Stratigraphy, radiocarbon determinations and regional comparisons must be integrated.