ISRAEL: A unique 7,000-year-old ceramic vessel from the site of Tel Tsaf in the Jordan Valley may have been used in early food rituals associated with grain storage. The site contains numerous silos that are believed to be the oldest large-scale storage containers that existed in the region at the time. Experts think the unusual pot, which is topped with red-painted clay balls and resembles a miniature silo, was used during ceremonies that preceded the placement or removal of grain. —Jason Urbanus