Rare Prehistoric Cave Dating Back About 300,000 Years Uncovered in Fureidis

A prehistoric cave dated to between about 400,000 and 250,000 years ago, a time capsule that remained sealed for hundreds of thousands of years, is now being uncovered on the outskirts of the local council of Fureidis, near the Zikhron Ya'akov Interchange. The excavation of the cave, from the period of the culture known as the Acheulo-Yabrudian, is funded by Netivei Ayalon and directed by Dr. Kobi Vardi and Amit Gabai of the Israel Antiquities Authority, with the guidance of Prof. Ron Shimelmitz from the Zinman Institute of Archaeology and the School of Maritime Civilizations at the University of Haifa.

"We are fortunate to excavate a unique site of global importance, which was protected from the ravages of time thanks to extraordinary conditions here," says Prof. Ron Shimelmitz of the University of Haifa. "This time capsule belongs to a unique period in the late Lower Paleolithic, just before Neanderthals and modern humans became dominant and spread to many regions. Only a handful of sites from this important stage have been exposed in Israel and in the Levant in general, and most of them are inaccessible to research."

"The sprouts that led to the development of our culture"

"The gradual changes that appeared during this period, in the human body, technology and society, foreshadowed the characteristics and complex behavioral patterns that appeared afterward and characterize Neanderthals and modern humans," adds Prof. Shimelmitz. "In a certain sense, they can be seen as the sprouts that led to the development of our complex culture. One of the main processes taking place in this period is the transition to life in larger groups and longer stays at the same sites. In caves from this period, evidence has been found of intensive use of fire and prolonged human activity, evidence of complex and rich camp life. Many researchers connect these findings to the development of social cooperation and the transfer of knowledge, as part of human developmental processes."

According to Dr. Kobi Vardi, head of the Prehistory Branch at the Israel Antiquities Authority, "It is very rare to find a site in such a state of preservation. There is no prehistorian who comes here and is not excited. The site, which is no less important than the well-known Nahal Me'arot site and dates to the same period, will allow us to study in high resolution how people lived then. The culture we are studying here is characterized by a variety of advanced methods for producing flint tools, including small sharp hand axes, scrapers and blades. The excavation is also revealing animal bones, including fallow deer, gazelle and equids, along with evidence of water presence, which may have made the place a focal point for ancient hunter-gatherer groups."

Given the site's importance, the Israel Antiquities Authority and the University of Haifa are advancing an extensive research program aimed at reconstructing how people lived, adapted to their environment and developed new patterns of life and technologies during the processes of human evolution. "It is worth noting the commitment of Netivei Ayalon, which agreed to allow us to excavate. The hope is that after the research, there will be an open and accessible site here for everyone, for the residents of Fureidis, for the students at the school near us, and for anyone interested in the prehistory of the Land of Israel," the researchers say.