מערה עמוד | |
  Amud Cave Shown within Northeast Israel Show map of Northeast Israel Amud Cave Amud Cave (Israel) Show map of Israel Amud Cave Amud Cave (Near East) Show map of Near East | |
| Location | In theNahal Amud gorge |
|---|---|
| Region | Upper Galilee,Israel |
| Coordinates | 32°52′20″N35°30′6″E / 32.87222°N 35.50167°E /32.87222; 35.50167 |
| History | |
| Cultures | Mousterian |
| Associated with | Neanderthals |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1961, 1964, 1990-present |
| Public access | No |
Amud Cave (Hebrew: מערה עמוד) is located in theUpper Galilee, in theNahal Amud gorge. It is situated about 30 m (98 ft) aboveNahal Amud, right next to and above the famous pillar (amud, inHebrew) for which Nahal Amud is named. The cave was excavated by a Japanese expedition in 1961 and, again, in 1964.[1][2] Excavations were renewed in 1990 by a joint Israeli-American team that included archaeologists, anatomists and anthropologists. Two major phases of occupation have been identified on the site: the later one beginning at around 3000 BC, characterized by numerouspottery sherds,stone tools and garbage pits (that often disturb lowerlayers) but no permanent structures, and an earlier one from theMiddle Paleolithic. The most important find from this site isAmud 1, discovered in 1961, in the latest Paleolithic layers, that were later dated, usingthermoluminescence, to 50-60,000 yearsBP.[2] It has been classified asNeanderthal,[3] which makes it the youngest Neanderthal ever to have been discovered in theLevant.[2]
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