Atlit Yam
Encyclopedia
Atlit Yam is an ancient submerged Neolithic
village off the coast of Atlit, Israel
.
site of Atlit Yam dates between 6900 and 6300 BC. Today, it lies between 8–12 m beneath sea level in the Bay of Atlit at the mouth of the Oren
river on the Carmel
coast. It covers an area of ca. 40,000 m².
Underwater excavations have uncovered rectangular houses and a well. The site was covered by the eustatic rise of sea-levels after the end of the Ice age
. It is assumed that the contemporary coast-line was about 1 km west of the present coast. Piles of fish ready for trade or storage have led scientists to conclude that the village was abandoned suddenly. An Italian study led by Maria Pareschi of the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Pisa indicates that a volcanic collapse of the Eastern flank of Mount Etna
8500 years ago would likely have caused a 10-storey (40 m) tsunami
to engulf some Mediterranean coastal cities within hours. Some scientists point to the apparent abandonment of Atlit Yam around the same time as further evidence that such a tsunami did indeed occur.
ing. In 1984 marine archaeologist, Ehud Galili, spotted ancient remains whilst surveying the area for shipwreck
s. Remains of rectangular houses and hearth-places have been found, along with a well that currently lies 10.5 m below sea-level, constructed of dry-stone walling, with a diameter of 1.5 m and a depth of 5.5 m. The fill contained flints, artifacts of ground stone and bone and animal bones in two separate layers. The upper layer contained partly articulated animal bones, which were presumably thrown in after the well went out of use. Other round structures at the site may also be wells. Galili believes that the water in the wells gradually became contaminated with seawater, forcing the inhabitants to abandon their homes.
A stone semicircle comprising seven 600 kg megaliths has been found. The stones have cup marks carved into them and are arranged around a freshwater spring, which suggests that they may have been used for a water ritual.
Ten flexed burials have been discovered, both inside the houses and in their vicinity. The skeletons of a woman and child, found in 2008, have revealed the earliest known cases of tuberculosis
. Bone fish-hooks and piles of fish bones ready for trade or storage point to the importance of marine resources. The men are also thought to have dived for seafood as four skeletons have been found with ear damage, probably caused by diving in cold water. Anthropomorphic stone stelae have been found. The lithics include arrowhead
s, sickle-blades and axe
s.
Animal bones and plant remains have also been preserved. Animal bones come mainly from wild species. The plant remains include wild grape, poppy and caraway seeds. Granary weevil
s indicate the presence of stored grain. Pollen analysis and the remains of marsh-plants indicates the local presence of swamps.
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
village off the coast of Atlit, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
History
Atlit-Yam provides the earliest known evidence for an agro-pastoral-marine subsistence system on the Levantine coast. The final Pre-Pottery Neolithic BPre-Pottery Neolithic B
Pre-Pottery Neolithic B is a division of the Neolithic developed by Dame Kathleen Kenyon during her archaeological excavations at Jericho in the southern Levant region....
site of Atlit Yam dates between 6900 and 6300 BC. Today, it lies between 8–12 m beneath sea level in the Bay of Atlit at the mouth of the Oren
Oren
Oren is a Hebrew Old Testament name meaning ash or pine. The son of Jerahmeel ....
river on the Carmel
Mount Carmel
Mount Carmel ; , Kármēlos; , Kurmul or جبل مار إلياس Jabal Mar Elyas 'Mount Saint Elias') is a coastal mountain range in northern Israel stretching from the Mediterranean Sea towards the southeast. Archaeologists have discovered ancient wine and oil presses at various locations on Mt. Carmel...
coast. It covers an area of ca. 40,000 m².
Underwater excavations have uncovered rectangular houses and a well. The site was covered by the eustatic rise of sea-levels after the end of the Ice age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
. It is assumed that the contemporary coast-line was about 1 km west of the present coast. Piles of fish ready for trade or storage have led scientists to conclude that the village was abandoned suddenly. An Italian study led by Maria Pareschi of the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Pisa indicates that a volcanic collapse of the Eastern flank of Mount Etna
Mount Etna
Mount Etna is an active stratovolcano on the east coast of Sicily, close to Messina and Catania. It is the tallest active volcano in Europe, currently standing high, though this varies with summit eruptions; the mountain is 21 m higher than it was in 1981.. It is the highest mountain in...
8500 years ago would likely have caused a 10-storey (40 m) tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
to engulf some Mediterranean coastal cities within hours. Some scientists point to the apparent abandonment of Atlit Yam around the same time as further evidence that such a tsunami did indeed occur.
Archaeological findings
Submerged settlements and shipwrecks have been found on the Carmel coast since 1960, in the wake of large-scale sand quarryQuarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
ing. In 1984 marine archaeologist, Ehud Galili, spotted ancient remains whilst surveying the area for shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
s. Remains of rectangular houses and hearth-places have been found, along with a well that currently lies 10.5 m below sea-level, constructed of dry-stone walling, with a diameter of 1.5 m and a depth of 5.5 m. The fill contained flints, artifacts of ground stone and bone and animal bones in two separate layers. The upper layer contained partly articulated animal bones, which were presumably thrown in after the well went out of use. Other round structures at the site may also be wells. Galili believes that the water in the wells gradually became contaminated with seawater, forcing the inhabitants to abandon their homes.
A stone semicircle comprising seven 600 kg megaliths has been found. The stones have cup marks carved into them and are arranged around a freshwater spring, which suggests that they may have been used for a water ritual.
Ten flexed burials have been discovered, both inside the houses and in their vicinity. The skeletons of a woman and child, found in 2008, have revealed the earliest known cases of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. Bone fish-hooks and piles of fish bones ready for trade or storage point to the importance of marine resources. The men are also thought to have dived for seafood as four skeletons have been found with ear damage, probably caused by diving in cold water. Anthropomorphic stone stelae have been found. The lithics include arrowhead
Arrowhead
An arrowhead is a tip, usually sharpened, added to an arrow to make it more deadly or to fulfill some special purpose. Historically arrowheads were made of stone and of organic materials; as human civilization progressed other materials were used...
s, sickle-blades and axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
s.
Animal bones and plant remains have also been preserved. Animal bones come mainly from wild species. The plant remains include wild grape, poppy and caraway seeds. Granary weevil
Weevil
A weevil is any beetle from the Curculionoidea superfamily. They are usually small, less than , and herbivorous. There are over 60,000 species in several families, mostly in the family Curculionidae...
s indicate the presence of stored grain. Pollen analysis and the remains of marsh-plants indicates the local presence of swamps.
Radiocarbon dating
The settlement has been dated by three Radiocarbon dates from submerged branches:| Lab-number | BP Before Present Before Present years is a time scale used in archaeology, geology, and other scientific disciplines to specify when events in the past occurred. Because the "present" time changes, standard practice is to use AD 1950 as the origin of the age scale, reflecting the fact that radiocarbon... | date (approx.) | deviation |
|---|---|---|---|
| RT-2477/8 | 7605 | 6460 BC | 55 |
| RT-2479 | 7460 | 6270-6390 BC | 55 |
| RT-2489 | 7880 | 6660-6700 BC | 55 |