The artistry at roughly 12,000-year-old Nahal Ein Gev II, a Late Natufian site in northern Israel, reveals a sophisticated culture. More than 20 art pieces include a human face carved on a pebble, plus disc- and cylindrical-shaped beads made from seashells and local stone. Large quantities of high-quality lime plaster rival later Pre-Pottery Neolithic examples. Human burials were placed beneath buildings, including a woman under a wall that was carefully dismantled and rebuilt around her. 🏺
Natufian art and burials at 12,000-year-old Nahal Ein Gev II
GeorgiaExcavation
Key facts
- Nahal Ein Gev II in northern Israel—not Ein Gedi—is the Late Natufian site associated with these finds; it is not a Chalcolithic temple settlement.
- Large quantities of high-quality lime plaster were recovered, with quality comparable to or exceeding later Pre-Pottery Neolithic examples.
- More than 20 art and ornament pieces were found, including engraved bone objects and jewellery.
- A human face was carved on a pebble from Nahal Ein Gev II.
- Beads made from seashells and local stone included disc-shaped and cylindrical forms.
- Human burials were placed beneath buildings; one woman was buried under a wall that was later dismantled and rebuilt.
- A young woman's burial in a pit was covered with lime plaster, and three further bodies were placed above it.
- Faunal remains included young antelope, turtles, hares, water birds and fish.
Sources
Analyzing 'building stones' at Nahal Ein Gev II - ScienceDirect.comsciencedirect.com
In the Southern Levant, the Natufians established a long-lasting tradition of using stones, along with other materials, for construction.
Nahal Ein Gev II, a Late Natufian Community at the Sea of Galileejournals.plos.org
Nahal Ein Gev II. NEG II is located in Nahal (wadi) Ein Gev, at the middle of a perennial stream that flows west to the Sea of Galilee (SW 261750–743280; NE ...
A human face carved on a pebble from the Late Natufian site of ...cambridge.org
This article presents a 12 000-year-old example unearthed at the Late Natufian site of Nahal Ein Gev II (NEGII), just east of the Sea of Galilee, Israel.
12000-Year-Old Figurine Uncovered in Northern Israelarchaeology.org
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL—A 12,000-year-old figurine depicting a human-animal interaction has been unearthed at Nahal Ein Gev II (NEG II), ...
Nahal Ein Gev II - The Institute of Archaeologyarchaeology.huji.ac.il
Nahal Ein Gev II is a Late Natufian site (12,000 cal BP). The site is a large village which is located in the Ein Gev stream, approximately two kilometers from ...
Nahal Ein Gev II, a Late Natufian Community at the Sea of ...dash.harvard.edu
by L Grosman · 2016 · Cited by 122 — The Natufian culture is of great importance as a starting point to investigate the dynamics of the transition to agriculture. Given its chronological position ...
Nahal Ein Gev IIen.wikipedia.org
Nahal Ein Gev II (NEG II) is a prehistoric archaeological site in northern Israel, where a village of the late Natufian culture was discovered.
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