In 2015, a salvage excavation brought to light a prehistoric site nearBeit Hilkia and theRevivim quarry, with findings from the Yarmukian, LateChalcolithic, and theMiddle Bronze Age IIA–IIB.[1] Somewhat surprising was the discovery of a typical Yarmukian-style fired clay figurine of afertility goddess, the southernmost such finding.[1]
Of 163 sites found up to that date, the vast majority had been discovered in the main area known for its Yarmukian settlements, in and around the northerntype-site ofSha'ar Hagolan, with just two exceptions further to the south.[1] This new finding led to speculations that much of theSouthern Levant might have been inhabited by a contiguous civilization during the time (c. 6400–6000 BCE), with differences in pottery types being more significant to today's archaeologists than to people living back then.[1]
Although the Yarmukian culture occupied limited regions of northern Israel and northern Jordan, Yarmukian pottery has been found elsewhere in the region, including the Habashan Street excavations inTel Aviv and as far north asByblos, Lebanon.
Besides the site at Sha'ar Hagolan, by 1999, 20 other Yarmukian sites have been identified inIsrael,Palestine,Jordan andLebanon.[2] These include, alphabetically:
^Kempinski, A.; Marder, O.; Prausnitz, M.W.; Khalaily, H.M.; Bankirer, R.Y. (2002). "7". In Scheftelowitz, N.; Oren, R. (eds.).Tel Kabri: The 1986-1993 Excavations Seasons. Tel Aviv: Emery and Claire Yass Publications in Archaeology. p. 305.ISBN965-266-015-9.
Stekelis M. 1972.The Yarmukian Culture. Jerusalem: Magnes Press.
Garfinkel Y. 1993.The Yarmukian Culture in Israel. Paléorient, Vol 19, No. 1, pp. 115 – 134.
Garfinkel Y. 1999.The Yarmukians, Neolithic Art from Sha'ar Hagolan. Jerusalem: Bible Lands Museum (Exhibition Catalogue).
Garfinkel Y. and Miller M. 2002.Sha'ar Hagolan Vol 1. Neolithic Art in Context. Oxford: Oxbow.
Garfinkel Y. 2004.The Goddess of Sha'ar Hagolan. Excavations at a Neolithic Site in Israel. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society (Hebrew version published in 2002 as: Sha'ar Hagolan. Neolithic Art in the Jordan Valley. Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society).
Garfinkel Y. and Ben Shlomo D. In press.Sha'ar Hagolan Vol. 2. Qedem. Jerusalem: Institute of Archaeology, Hebrew University.
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