Израилийн Фурейдис хотын ойролцоогоос олдсон энэхүү агуй нь палеолитын үеийн хүний үйл ажиллагааг харуулсан ховор олдвор болж байна.
Израилийн Үнэт зүйлсийн газар (Israel Antiquities Authority) болон Хайфагийн их сургуулийн судлаачид хамтран 250,000-400,000 жилийн тэртээд хамаарах агуйг малтан судалжээ. Ашеуло-Ябрудийн соёлын үед хамаарах уг агуй нь цаг хугацааны уртад маш сайн хадгалагдан үлдсэн нь эртний хүмүүсийн амьдралын хэв маягийг судлахад онцгой ач холбогдолтой юм.
Малтлагаар чулуун зэвсгийн техник хөгжиж байсныг илтгэх гар сүх, хусуур, ир зэрэг олдворууд олдсон байна. Мөн ойн зэрлэг буга, зээр, эртний адууны яс болон усны ул мөр илэрсэн нь тухайн үеийн анчин-түүвэрлэгч бүлгүүд энэхүү байршлыг удаан хугацаагаар ашиглаж байсныг гэрчилж байна.
Судлаачдын үзэж буйгаар, тус агуйд илэрсэн гал ашигласан ул мөр болон олдворуудын баялаг байдал нь Неандертал болон орчин үеийн хүмүүс хөгжихөөс өмнөх үеийн нийгмийн зохион байгуулалт, зан үйлийн хэв маягийг ойлгоход чухал мэдээлэл өгч байна. Өнөөг хүртэл маш цөөн тооны ийм төрлийн дурсгалт газрууд олдож, нарийвчлан судлагдах боломжтой нөхцөлөөр хадгалагдсан нь энэхүү нээлтийг дэлхийн хэмжээний ховор тохиолдол болгож байна.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
Sealed for hundreds of thousands of years, this newly excavated cave near the Israeli town of Fureidis contains evidence of human activity dating back approximately 250,000 to 400,000 years.
Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority and the University of Haifa say the cave has remained remarkably intact, preserving evidence from a time that is still poorly understood. The find includes stone tools, animal remains, and signs that ancient humans may have occupied the site for extended periods.
For researchers, the cave represents a rare opportunity. Sites from this stage of the Lower Paleolithic are uncommon, and many have not survived in a condition that allows detailed investigation. That makes this discovery particularly valuable for studying how human groups lived and adapted long before the appearance of modern societies.
A Cave Frozen in Time
The cave lies south of Haifa, near the Zikhron Ya’akov interchange. According to the excavation team, it likely dates to between 400,000 and 250,000 years ago and was sealed during the period associated with the Acheulo-Yabrudian culture.
Among the first discoveries were flint tools, including handaxes, scrapers, and blades. These artifacts reflect increasingly sophisticated stone-working techniques used during the final stages of the Lower Paleolithic.
“The culture we are investigating here was characterized by a variety of advanced methods for producing flint tools, including small sharp handaxes, scrapers, and blades,” said Dr. Kobi Vardi, co-director of the excavation and head of the Prehistory Branch at the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Researchers have been struck not only by the quantity of material uncovered so far, but also by its condition. As Vardi said, sites preserved this well are extremely rare, making the cave an exceptional resource for prehistoric research.
Evidence of changing ways of life
The period represented by the cave comes before Neanderthals and modern humans became the dominant human groups across large parts of the world. It was a time when major changes were taking place in technology, social organization, and daily life.
Professor Ron Shimelmitz of the University of Haifa, only a small number of sites from this period have been found in Israel and the wider Levant. Many of those sites are difficult to study in detail.
He also added that the changes taking place during this era foreshadowed behavioral patterns that later became characteristic of both Neanderthals and modern humans. The cave could therefore help researchers better understand how those developments unfolded.
“We have been fortunate to excavate a unique site of global importance that has been protected from the ravages of time thanks to the exceptional conditions that existed here,” he said.
What Researchers Found Inside the Sealed Cave?
Excavations have already revealed evidence of intensive fire use, one of the findings that has generated the most interest among researchers. The research team found evidence of prolonged human activity at the site.
The discoveries point to what he described as a “complex and rich camp life.” Researchers are now examining the evidence to better understand how these groups organized their activities and used the space around them.
Animal remains found inside the cave add another layer to the story. Vardi explained that the archaeologists have recovered bones from fallow deer, gazelles, and an ancient variety of horse. A fallow deer tooth was also among the finds. Evidence of water was discovered alongside the animal remains, which may explain why hunter-gatherer groups were drawn to the area.
The research team has now launched a broader program to study the cave and reconstruct how people lived, adapted to their surroundings, and developed new technologies during this period of human evolution.
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