Many articles of daily life did not survive, such as wooden objects and baskets. Some of the rarer objects are especially interesting because they provide evidence of extensive trade routes and lively commercial activity. Various types of seashells cowries, columbellas and cockles came from the Mediterranean Sea, nearly 40 miles west of Sha ar Hagolan. About ten obsidian artifacts, including one arrowhead, were found in the buildings. They are tiny but of fine quality gray, translucent and very sharp.
Previous excavation reports on Yarmukian sites make no mention of either seashells or obsidian.
As a result of our finds, however, we now know that the Yarmukian people did not live in isolation but maintained contact with neighboring regions. Our most tantalizing find is a rich collection of anthropomorphic figurines. We have now recovered almost 200 of them, although many are mere fragments. A few of the figurines are zoomorphic rather than anthropomorphic. The questions are many, the answers few.