Me‘arat H̱illazon Taẖtit is a small cave in Israel's Galilee that served mainly as a Natufian burial site. Perched on an east-facing escarpment about 150 m above a river and 14 km from the Mediterranean, it held the remains of at least 28 people packed into three small pits, each only half a meter wide and 80 cm deep.
Me‘arat H̱illazon Taẖtit cave: 28 Natufian burials in the Galilee region of Israel
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Key facts
- Me‘arat H̱illazon Taẖtit is a small cave in the Galilee region of Israel whose primary function was as a burial site for at least 28 individuals
- The cave is located on an escarpment facing east, approximately 150 m above the nearby river and 14 km from the Mediterranean shoreline
- Two circular structures built from undressed limestone cobbles are present at the site
- Three small pits (Pit 1, 2, and 3) contained the remains of 25 individuals including men, women, and children
- Each pit measures approximately 0.5 m by 0.5 m and extends only 80 cm in depth
- In Pit 3, earlier bones had been pushed aside to make way for new burials, indicating prolonged use of the site
- Bones of single individuals were grouped together but were not articulated apart from hands and feet
- Archaeologists believe the pits were primary burial sites, with skulls and long bones later removed possibly for rituals or secondary burials
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