The Acheulo-Yabrudian of Jamal Cave, Mount Carmel, Israel

The Nahal Me'arot prehistoric cave system has become the yardstick in Levantine prehistory since D.A.E. Garrod's pioneer excavations in the early 1930s. The famous caves of Tabun, el-Wad and Skhul contain a rich sequence of lithics, and human and animal remains, attesting to more than half a million years of human occupation, from the Lower Paleolithic, through the Neolithic and Chalcolithic, to the historic period. Between two larger caves, el-Wad and Tabun, lies the small Jamal Cave. Although the other caves were extensively excavated, the Jamal Cave, which was long considered to be empty, remained untouched and only after the finding of a single handaxe did the cave attract renewed interest. After the initial cleaning of the cave from recent debris, it became evident that cemented archaeological layers covered the entire cave floor. The excavations conducted in 1992-1994 yielded scarce lithic material. Bones were not preserved at the site. Handaxes constituted the only indicative pieces, suggesting a Lower Paleolithic age for the finds.