Jerusalem, 22 March, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israeli archaeologists have uncovered a rare window into the minds of early humans, revealing that they may have appreciated beauty and symbolism far earlier than previously thought. In the Sakhnin Valley of Lower Galilee, hundreds of handaxes — large, carefully shaped stone tools — have been discovered, some deliberately crafted to highlight embedded fossils and unusual geological formations, Tel Aviv University announced on Sunday.
The discovery began when Muataz Shalata, a resident of the Arab city of Sakhnin and a self-taught nature enthusiast, noticed unusual stones scattered across the valley. He contacted Prof. Ran Barkai of Tel Aviv University, an expert in early human cultures, and together they conducted a survey that revealed a complex Paleolithic landscape. Their work has been published in the peer-reviewed Tel Aviv: Journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University.
“Handaxes were the main tool of early humans for more than a million years, used across Africa, Asia, and Europe,” Barkai explained. “Finding hundreds here indicates that the Sakhnin Valley was an important hub of human activity, repeatedly attracting groups because of water, game, and an exceptional abundance of high-quality flint.”
What makes the site unique, however, is the apparent attention to appearance and meaning. The valley contains geodes and fossil-bearing flint nodules, which early humans seem to have selected intentionally for their visual impact. “We have discovered more than ten handaxes made from stones containing fossils or special geological formations, with these features deliberately placed at the center of the tool,” Barkai said. “Since such stones are harder to shape precisely, it’s clear the choice was intentional. The process emphasized the natural feature rather than hiding it.”
These handaxes suggest early humans valued more than function. The embedded fossils and geological formations would not have improved the tools’ usefulness and may even have made them less practical. Yet the same types of stones appear repeatedly in the archaeological record, suggesting an aesthetic or symbolic intent. Knapping — the process of shaping stone by striking or pressing it to produce sharp edges or specific forms — may have been a way to frame and highlight striking natural features, offering rare evidence of abstract thinking hundreds of thousands of years ago.
The valley’s proximity to ancient elephant migration routes shows the handaxes also had practical uses, likely for cutting and processing large prey. But the concentration of aesthetically oriented tools is unparalleled worldwide.
“The landscape itself seems to have inspired early humans to engage with it in a special way,” Barkai said. “They attributed meaning to fossils and geological formations, seeing them as part of the cosmos. These tools were not just instruments; they were a way of interacting with the world, a reflection of thought and perception.”