Tabun Cave

Tabun Cave, part of the Nahal Me'arot Nature Reserve in Israel, is a significant archaeological site that provides valuable insights into human evolution. Occupied intermittently from the Lower to Middle Paleolithic periods, the site offers one of the longest sequences of human occupation in the Levant. Excavations have revealed deposits up to 25 meters thick, showcasing a rich collection of artifacts including flint tools characteristic of the Mousterian culture, such as scrapers and elongated points. The cave's natural structure, with its chimney-like opening, might have been used as a natural trap for hunting. The site also yielded important fossils, including a nearly complete female skeleton. The presence of a 350,000-year-old cobble used for abrading surfaces highlights the technological adaptations of the site's inhabitants.