Ancient Man and His First Civilizations

Canaan

Modern Palestine-Israel-Lebanon

Ancient Canaan was probably the first place, outside of Africa, where ancient man first became "settled". Archeological excavations have shown evidence of human habitation in Canaan, from Paleolithic and Mesolithic times. At the site of the ancient city of Jericho, evidence reveals a settled community and an agricultural way of life had existed there, since about 9,000 B.C.

By about 4,000 B.C, there existed small settlements of farming people who built mud-brick houses and some underground dwellings. In the Early Bronze Age, the inhabitants of Canaan, built the first walled towns. These towns were small with walls of rough stones or unbaked mud brick.

As time progressed, the fortifications in these early towns grew more complex. By the end of the Early Bronze Age, some towns were surrounded by double and triple walls, for defense. Families lived within these city walls, in houses clustered around courtyards. The existence of these heavily fortified city walls, is evidence that this was not a peaceful period. Evidence seems to indicate that they buried their dead in stone dolmens.

By the Middle Bronze Age, there was apparently great wealth and strong self-government, for each individual city-state. The wealthy aristocratic rulers embellished their cities with large-scale, public buildings, temples and palaces. They also decorated their palaces and temples with beautiful wall paintings. Their pottery was now elaborate in style, and beautifully painted or sculptured. They also smelted copper.

Later, town planning was also in effect, evidenced by paved streets that were built in a grid pattern. Cities were now surrounded by huge fortifications, with ramparts built to defend against battering rams. By now people buried their dead with elaborate rituals, in caves, with several generations of family members placed in the same tomb. Rich goods were found with these burials, including pottery vessels, wooden containers, weapons, tools and jewelry.