The research team examined dozens of intact vessels and hundreds of diagnostic sherds, and backed up the use-wear observations with experimental reconstructions, showing that wax-filled replicas can burn for hours and may leave little soot in many conditions, addressing one of the main objections to the “lamp” theory reports Phys.org.
A Mystery Object of the Chalcolithic World
Cornets are cone-shaped ceramic vessels found only during the Chalcolithic (roughly 5000–3300 BC in popular summaries), recovered at some sites in striking quantities but scarce or absent at others - an uneven pattern that has fueled competing interpretations. They’re often coated in pale or reddish slip and sometimes fitted with handles, but they generally lack a stable base, which makes them awkward as everyday containers explains coverage in The Independent.
Ideas about their purpose have ranged from practical industry (such as dairy processing) to metallurgical craft (including links to beeswax through “lost-wax” casting), and to ritual lighting. The lamp hypothesis, however, was long contested because many cornets do not show obvious soot staining. The new work argues that absence of heavy soot is not decisive, especially if beeswax burns relatively cleanly and the lamps were used in specific outdoor/ritual circumstances.
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Cornets from Teleilat Ghassul, illustrating the “ice cream cone” appearance that puzzled excavators. (S. Zuhovitzky et al. 2026/Tel Aviv)
Teleilat Ghassul: Making, Using, and Breaking the Cornets
The new analysis focuses on a large cornet collection from Teleilat Ghassul, a Chalcolithic settlement north of the Dead Sea in modern Jordan. Researchers studied 35 complete examples and around 550 sherds from museum collections linked to excavations spanning much of the 20th century. They identified multiple types and observed that most were likely produced locally, while one more standardized type may point to specialized production.
Crucially, some cornets do show interior soot traces, and experimental replication bolstered the case for lighting use. The lead researcher is quoted describing how long wax-filled replicas can burn, and suggesting a practical trick: packing the bottom with another material (such as clay) before adding wax could reduce the amount of valuable beeswax needed while lifting the flame higher for better illumination.
Another striking detail is what appears to be intentional destruction. Cornet sherds are often found in large quantities, and the new interpretation links this to a “use-life” in which participants made lamps for a ceremony, used them during nighttime events or processions, and then deliberately broke and disposed of them, behavior that fits many ritual disposal patterns seen worldwide.
Why Beeswax Light Matters in Prehistoric Ritual
If cornets really were beeswax lamps, that adds a new layer to Chalcolithic ritual life: a community investing scarce resources into dramatic light for ceremonies, possibly outdoors, possibly at night, and possibly connected to the social theater shown in Ghassul’s famous wall paintings (which depict masked figures and processional scenes). Even if direct evidence for beekeeping in the region is best documented later, beeswax itself was clearly a valued material in many ancient contexts, and the study authors argue there is no inherent technological reason earlier apiculture could not have existed, especially if unfired-clay hives would rarely survive archaeologically.
Top image: The Chalcolithic “cornets” are conical ceramic vessels; new analysis supports their use as beeswax lamps. Source: Left; Met Museum/Public Domain. Right; S. Zuhovitzky et al. 2026/Tel Aviv
By Gary Manners
References
McCormick, L. K. 2026. Israel’s Long History of Ritual Light. Available at: https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/daily-life-and-practice/israels-long-history-ritual-light/
Oster, S. 2026. Ancient cone-shaped vessels may have served as beeswax lamps during ritual processions, study finds. Available at: https://phys.org/news/2026-02-ancient-cone-vessels-beeswax-lamps.html
Sankaran, V., 2026. The cone-shaped vessels that have puzzled archaeologists for decades – until now. Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/archaeology/chalcolithic-cones-purpose-mystery-ancient-ritual-b2920993.html
Zuhovitzky, S. 2026. The Cornets of Teleilat Ghassul as a Vigil Object. Journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03344355.2025.2546274
