Es Skhul
Encyclopedia
Es Skhul is a cave
site situated c. 20 kilometers south of the city of Haifa
, Israel
, and c. 3 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea
. The prehistoric site, was first excavated by Dorothy Garrod
in the summer of 1928. The excavations revealed the first evidence of the late Epipalaeolithic Natufian culture, characterised by the presence of abundant microliths, human burials and ground stone tools. Skhul also represents one area where Neanderthal
s - present in the region from 200,000 - 45,000 years ago - lived alongside these humans dating to 100,000 years ago. The cave also has Middle Palaeolithic layers.
Cave
A cave or cavern is a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter. The term applies to natural cavities some part of which is in total darkness. The word cave also includes smaller spaces like rock shelters, sea caves, and grottos.Speleology is the science of exploration and study...
site situated c. 20 kilometers south of the city of Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, and c. 3 kilometers from the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. The prehistoric site, was first excavated by Dorothy Garrod
Dorothy Garrod
Dorothy Annie Elizabeth Garrod CBE was a British archaeologist who was the first woman to hold an Oxbridge chair, partly through her pioneering work on the Palaeolithic period. Her father was Sir Archibald Garrod, the physician.-Life:Born in Oxford, she attended Newnham College, Cambridge...
in the summer of 1928. The excavations revealed the first evidence of the late Epipalaeolithic Natufian culture, characterised by the presence of abundant microliths, human burials and ground stone tools. Skhul also represents one area where Neanderthal
Neanderthal
The Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...
s - present in the region from 200,000 - 45,000 years ago - lived alongside these humans dating to 100,000 years ago. The cave also has Middle Palaeolithic layers.
See also
- List of fossil sites (with link directory)
- List of hominina (hominid) fossils (with images)