Atlit Yam

Atlit Yam is a submerged Pre Pottery Neolithic C archaeological site located 300–400 meters off the coast of Atlit [1]. Dating from the late 7th to the early 6th millennia BCE, Atlit Yam provides the earliest known evidence for a community relying on pastoralism, agriculture, and fishing as subsistence systems on the Levantine coast [1]. Atlit Yam once sat on a coastal peninsula in close vicinity to the Oren River as well as several fresh water springs [1]. Some of the bone artifacts recovered from Atlit Yam include a drilled needle, fishing hooks, projectile points, awls, and ornaments carved with unidentified animals or geometric designs [1]. Over 6,000 fish remains have been recovered from Atlit Yam [1]. At least 90 human burials, a majority of which were interred either close to or within dwellings, have been recovered at Atlit Yam [1]. The buried individuals of Atlit Yam display many signs of poor health, including auditory exotosis, which is a common occurrence when spending extended time cold water diving [1].