Strata: Strata Answers

Answer: 15

The Dead Sea lies fewer than fifteen miles east of Jerusalem. While the Temple Mount soars into the sky at an elevation of over 2,430 feet, there is a location in the Dead Sea valley that is at least 1,290 feet below sea level—the lowest recorded spot on Earth.

Answer: E. (Ceremonial axe head)

This silver shaft-hole axe head is from Bactria, a province of the Persian empire that was conquered by Alexander the Great (located in modern-day northern Afghanistan). It dates to the third or second millennium B.C.E. The creatures depicted on the axe head include a dragon, a bird-headed demon and a wild boar, which seem to represent a particular myth or religious belief and indicate that the axe was probably used only for ritualistic purposes. The “shaft-hole” style of axe gets its name from the opening at the bottom of the handle into which the shaft of the axe would have fit. The small hole on the side of the axe head was for a small dowel that secured the handle in place. Shaft-hole axes were made throughout the ancient Near East, and there was significant exchange of metal-working techniques among the peoples living there. Bactrian axes were among the most elaborate, with their decorative carvings and detailed animal figures.