El-Jamal Cave, Archaeological cave in Carmel Mountains, Israel
El-Jamal is a cave in the Carmel Mountains spanning about 9 meters wide and 12 meters high, positioned at 45 meters above sea level. It sits within the Nahal Me'arot Nature Reserve alongside other prehistoric cave formations that were used by early humans.
English archaeologist Dorothy Garrod started the first excavations here during the 1930s as part of her research in the Nahal Mearot region. The excavated layers and finds reveal human activity and development spanning roughly 500,000 years.
The name comes from an Arabic word for camel, reflecting the local wildlife of the region. Visitors can observe how the natural setting and excavated layers tell the story of human presence across millennia.
The site sits roughly 20 kilometers south of Haifa and is reached through the Nahal Me'arot Nature Reserve, which offers access to multiple prehistoric caves in one area. Pathways connect the different cave formations, making it easy to visit several sites during one visit.
The excavated layers reveal evidence of stone tools and burnt earth suggesting human activity from roughly 220,000 years ago. These rare traces offer insights into early toolmaking and the daily habits of prehistoric people.
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