Ohalo, Archaeological site near Sea of Galilee, Israel
Ohalo II sits on the southwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee and preserves six oval hut foundations with central hearth areas from the Upper Paleolithic period. The settlement covers roughly 2000 square meters and retains organic material thanks to underwater conditions that protect it from decay.
People lived here around 23,000 years ago during the Last Glacial Maximum, when the climate was cooler and drier than today. Lake water covered the site for millennia until dropping levels revealed it again in 1989.
The inhabitants developed advanced hunting, fishing, and gathering methods, utilizing tools for processing wild cereals and creating fishing nets with stone weights.
Access to the site is not possible because it stays underwater most of the time and only appears during very low water levels. Visitors can learn about the settlement from nearby viewpoints or information panels in the surrounding area.
Researchers recovered over 100,000 seeds from the hut floors, including the oldest known emmer wheat grains in the world. The excavation also brought up twisted fiber cordage that ranks among the oldest preserved examples of textile technique.
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