Natufian culture overview: transition from foraging to farming in the Levant. Natufians occupied the Levant as a Late Epi-Paleolithic culture from approximately 15,000 to 11,500 years ago The period marked the transition from foraging to farming and the development of sedentary and semi-sedentary living Natufians had a microlithic industry, producing tools from hard volcanic basalt, soft limestone, and siltstone
The Natufians were a Late Epi-Paleolithic culture in the Levant, roughly 15,000 to 11,500 years ago. They crafted microlithic tools from basalt, limestone, and siltstone, built complex settlements like the 14 m enclosure at Wadi Hammeh 27, and left behind over 400 known burials — a remarkable record for such an ancient time.
Key Facts
- Natufians occupied the Levant as a Late Epi-Paleolithic culture from approximately 15,000 to 11,500 years ago
- The period marked the transition from foraging to farming and the development of sedentary and semi-sedentary living
- Natufians had a microlithic industry, producing tools from hard volcanic basalt, soft limestone, and siltstone
- They built complex settlements and enclosures, including one measuring 14 m in diameter at Wadi Hammeh 27
- More than 400 Natufian burials have been found and excavated across Natufian territory
- The Natufian culture marks a significant change in human burial practices
Source: Mysterious 12,000-YEAR-OLD Natufian ‘Shaman’ Burial Discovery by Ancient Architects