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

A prehistoric cave dating to between 400,000 and 250,000 years ago, a time capsule sealed for hundreds of thousands of years, is being uncovered these days on the outskirts of the local council of Fureidis, near the Zikhron Ya'akov interchange. The excavation of the cave, from the era of the culture known as the Acheulo-Yabrudian, is funded by Netivei Ayalon and is being directed by Dr. Kobi Vardi and Amit Gabai of the Israel Antiquities Authority, with the participation of Prof. Ron Shimelmitz of the Zinman Institute of Archaeology and the School of Marine Archaeology and Cultures at the University of Haifa.

"We have been granted the privilege of excavating a unique site of global importance, which was protected from the ravages of time thanks to exceptional conditions that prevailed 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 across many regions. Only a few sites from this important stage have been uncovered in Israel and in the Levant in general, and most of them are not accessible to research."

"The gradual changes that emerged during this period, in the human body, technology and society, heralded the complex traits and behavior patterns that appeared afterward and characterize Neanderthals and modern humans," adds Prof. Shimelmitz. "In a sense, they can be seen as the seeds 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," he adds. "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 link these findings to the development of social cooperation and knowledge transfer, as part of human evolutionary processes."

Dr. Kobi Vardi, head of the Prehistory Branch at the Israel Antiquities Authority, says, "It is very rare to find a site in such a state of preservation. There is no prehistorian who comes here and is not moved. 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 humans lived at that time. 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, alongside evidence of the presence of water, which may have made the place an attraction for ancient hunter-gatherer groups."

In view of the site’s importance, the Israel Antiquities Authority and the University of Haifa are promoting an extensive research program aimed at reconstructing how humans 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 carry out the excavation. The hope is that after the research, this will be an open and accessible site for everyone, for the residents of Fureidis, for the schoolchildren near us, and for anyone interested in the prehistory of the Land of Israel," the researchers say.