| Kebara Cave | |
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 Kebara 2 in situ | |
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| Location | Zikhron Ya'akov,Israel |
| Coordinates | 32°33′29.8″N34°56′14.3″E / 32.558278°N 34.937306°E /32.558278; 34.937306 |
| Elevation | 60 to 65 m (197 to 213 ft) above sea level |
| Discovery | Early 1930s |
| Geology | Limestone |
Kebara Cave (Hebrew:מערת כבארה,romanized: Me'arat Kebbara,Arabic:مغارة الكبارة,romanized: Mugharat al-Kabara) is alimestonecave locality in Wadi Kebara,Israel, situated at 60 to 65 m (197 to 213 ft)above sea level on the westernescarpment of theCarmel Range, in theRamat HaNadiv preserve ofZichron Yaakov.[1]
The cave was inhabited between 60,000 and 48,000BP and is famous for itsexcavated finds ofhominid remains.
Dorothy Garrod andFrancis Turville-Petre excavated in the cave in the early 1930s. Excavations have since yielded a large number of human remains associated with aMousterian archaeological context. The first specimen discovered in 1965, during the excavations of M. Stekelis, was an incomplete infant skeleton (Kebara 1).[2]
The most significant discovery made at Kebara Cave wasKebara 2 in 1982, the most complete postcranialNeanderthalskeleton found to date. Nicknamed "Moshe" and dating tocirca 60,000BP, the skeleton preserved a large part of one individual's torso (vertebral column,ribs andpelvis). Thecranium and most of the lower limbs were missing. Thehyoid bone was also preserved, and was the first Neanderthal hyoid bone found, which was determined to be very similar in structure to modern humans', thus leading to speculation around the Neanderthal's ability to vocalize.[3]
TheKebaran culture is named after the site.
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