Geometric Syrian Artifacts Wow Scientists

Oct. 23, 2007 -- Deep in the heart of northern Syria, close to the banks of the Euphrates River, archaeologists have uncovered a series of startling 11,000-year-old wall paintings and artifacts.

"The wall paintings date back to the 9th millennium B.C. They were discovered last month on the wall of a house standing 6.6 feet high at Dja'de," said Frenchman Eric Coqueugniot, who has been leading the excavations on the west bank of the river at Dja'de, in an area famous for its rich tradition of prehistoric treasures.

The etchings are "polychrome paintings in black, white and red. The designs are solely geometric, and only figurative. The composition is made up of a system cross-hatched lines, alternating between the three colors," Coqueugniot said.

They were found in a circular building, around 25 feet in diameter. The excavated house features three solid blocks where the paintings were located.

The main pillar has been completely excavated and stands 6.5 feet high, displaying the new murals, said Coqueugniot, a researcher for the Paris-based National Center for Scientific Research.

The remains of the building, much larger than the small and rectangular domestic dwellings of the period, "must have been used as a meeting place for the whole village or for a clan," he added.

Apart from the organic artifacts, which have decomposed over time, the site has provided many well-preserved treasures.