Nahal Hemar Cave, Archaeological cave in Judean Desert, Israel
Nahal Hemar Cave sits on a cliff overlooking the Dead Sea area, located northwest of Mount Sodom, and holds many ancient objects and rock formations. The site contains items from daily life and crafts that people abandoned or stored here thousands of years ago.
Excavations in 1983 uncovered Pre-Pottery Neolithic materials, including wooden objects, rope baskets, and decorated human skulls from the 7th millennium BC. These finds come from a period when people in this region had not yet developed pottery.
The cave displays early textile work with flax fibers processed into yarn, using nalbinding, knotting, and twining methods. These items reveal the practical skills of people who lived in this region thousands of years ago.
Reaching the cave requires physical stamina because it sits on steep terrain and can only be visited with a guide. Prepare for challenging paths and plan your visit through organized archaeological tours.
Scientists found the earliest known evidence of crochet work and a sophisticated collagen-based adhesive here, dating to roughly 8310 to 8110 years ago. These discoveries show that people in this early period already possessed complex technical abilities.
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