Damascus, (SANA) – An exhibition of artifacts encompassing the entire Syrian history is being held at Damascus National Museum in cooperation with the Secretariat General of the "Damascus, Arab Capital of Culture 2008" festivities.

Exhibition supervisor and Director of Excavations and Archeological Studies at the Department of Archeology and Museums Dr. Michel Qudsi said that the exhibitions show the chronological order of Syrian civilizations from prehistory, Bronze Ages, Classical Ages and finally Arab and Islamic Ages.

The current exhibition contains the first attempts at art and carving by the Syrian people from the Neolithic Age (New Stone Age) which are considered the first of their kind in the Euphrates Basin and Damascus area, the oldest of which date back to 10,000 BC.

The exhibitions contain small stone sculptures such as the oldest representation of a human face which was found in al-Jurf al-Ahmar site at al-Furat area. Other artifacts include clay miniatures, such as a clay model of a sitting woman found in Tal al-Ramad site, and clay models of animals found at Tal al-Aswad site.

Other artifacts include polished cylindrical river stone decorated with carvings, which were found in Tal al-Abar in the Furat area along with pots made from black river stone.

The Neolithic period is known for symbolic elements, particularly small female statuettes made from clay. Skull veneration is another surprising element in the Neolithic age, which is displayed through molded skulls painted in lime. Art in this period in known for its variety, as it includes human and animal statues in addition to pottery, with the discovery of stone-polishing technology enriching it even further.

H. Sabbagh, Ahmad Fathi Zahra