Archaeology

Jerusalem, 11 March, 2025 (TPS-IL) — A groundbreaking discovery in central Israel is reshaping science’s understanding of early human history. For the first time, researchers have uncovered evidence that two distinct human species, previously thought to have lived in isolation, actively interacted with each other. These interactions — spanning technology, daily life, and even burial practices — suggest a rich cultural exchange and social complexity that challenges long-held assumptions about the past.

The findings, published in the peer-reviewed Nature Human Behaviour, reveal the Levant as a crossroads where early human groups not only met but influenced each other’s development.

The research team, led by Prof. Yossi Zaidner of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Prof. Israel Hershkovitz of Tel Aviv University, and Dr. Marion Prévost of the Hebrew University, began excavating Tinshemet Cave in central Israel in 2017. Their ongoing work has unearthed several human burials, the first Middle Palaeolithic period burials discovered in over fifty years.

These burials, along with other key archaeological findings, shed light on the nature of Homo sapiens-Neanderthal interactions, which have long been a subject of debate. Were these early human groups rivals, peaceful neighbors, or perhaps even collaborators?

Neanderthals were a robust and stocky species that thrived in cold climates. They had prominent brow ridges, wide noses, and large ribcages, adaptations that helped them survive harsh conditions. Neanderthals were skilled toolmakers and evidence suggests they had complex social structures, cared for the elderly and injured, and possibly engaged in symbolic practices. However, their cognitive abilities were generally considered less advanced than those of Homo sapiens. Neanderthals went extinct around 40,000 years ago, likely due to a combination of climate change, competition with early humans, and interbreeding.

In contrast, homo sapiens, developed more advanced cognitive skills, including abstract thinking and complex language, and were taller and more slender than the Neanderthals. Homo sapiens created a broader range of specialized tools, including art, sculptures, and other symbolic objects, marking significant cultural and technological advancements. They organized in larger and more complex social groups, adapted to diverse environments, and spread across the globe.

According to Zaidner, the research suggests a much more nuanced view of the relationships between Neanderthals and homo sapiens.

“Our data show that human connections and population interactions have been fundamental in driving cultural and technological innovations throughout history,” said Zaidner. By examining four key aspects — stone tool production, hunting strategies, symbolic behavior, and social complexity — the study argued that the interactions between Neanderthals, Homo sapiens, and other human populations were rich and varied. This exchange of knowledge likely led to cultural homogenization across different groups, fostering greater social complexity and behavioral innovation.

One of the most striking findings at Tinshemet Cave is the appearance of formal burial practices, the researchers said. These customs, which first began to appear around 110,000 years ago in the Levant, are seen as one of the earliest signs of social complexity.

“The use of ochre for body decoration, likely to signify social identities, and the presence of burial practices point to shared cultural rituals,” Prévost explained. The extensive use of mineral pigments, especially ochre, may have been used for body painting or decoration, potentially to define group identities or signify social distinctions.

Additionally, the human burials at Tinshemet Cave are clustered in a way that suggests the site may have functioned as a burial ground or even a cemetery. The presence of stone tools, animal bones, and ochre within the burial pits hints at early beliefs in the afterlife, further indicating the cultural significance of these rituals. “This research highlights the role of human connections in shaping the trajectory of early societies,” Zaidner said.

The region’s geographic position at the crossroads of human dispersals played a key role in facilitating these interactions. Prévost noted that climatic improvements during the Middle Palaeolithic period led to a more hospitable environment, increasing the region’s carrying capacity. This, in turn, spurred demographic expansion and greater contact between Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, and other human groups.

“These findings paint a picture of dynamic interactions shaped by both cooperation and competition,” said Hershkovitz.

Jerusalem, 5 February, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Archaeologists uncovered a 2,500-year-old burial site in the Negev Highlands, shedding light on ancient trade routes that connected cultures from Yemen, Phoenicia, Egypt, and beyond, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Wednesday.

The site, south of Beer-Sheva, contains dozens of tombs believed to belong to individuals from caravans that passed through the region, highlights the Negev’s role as an international crossroads during the 7th to 5th centuries BCE.

Archaeologists found copper and silver jewelry, alabaster items used for incense preparation, amulets, beads, and vessels likely used to transport incense resins.

“The discovery is unique and it points to wide-reaching cultural interchange between southern and northern Arabia, Phoenicia, Egypt and southern Europe,” said excavation director Dr. Martin David Pasternak.

They also found arrowheads made of flint, a material associated with ancient trade from Yemen and Oman, with traces of ochre.

“The presence of ochre on these arrowheads may indicate their religious or cultic significance as having special value,” explained Dr. Jacob Vardi, an Antiquities Authority specialist in flint tools.

The tombs raise intriguing questions about their purpose and the nature of the trade caravans that used the route.

Pasternak said the tombs could have served as a long-term burial site for caravans passing through the area, or they may mark the mass burial of a caravan that came under attack. Despite their location at a remote junction in the desert, the site’s strategic position along key trade routes makes it a plausible resting place for travelers engaged in long and perilous journeys across difficult terrain. These traders were likely involved in the transport of valuable goods such as frankincense and myrrh, prized commodities from southern Arabia.

The findings also suggest a more complex social dynamic among the caravans.

Dr. Tali Erickson-Gini, a senior researcher, pointed to the presence of artifacts that may indicate the involvement of women in these trade networks. Texts from the period describe the purchase of women as part of the caravan trade, and an inscription found in Yemen records the purchase of 30 women from Gaza. Additionally, an amulet depicting the Egyptian god Bes was found among the burial items. Bes was often associated with the protection of women and children, suggesting that many of the deceased may have been women. This raises the possibility that the caravans could have been involved in human trafficking, a practice documented in ancient texts.

“The discovery emphasizes the central role of the Negev in antiquity as an international crossroad and as a gateway for trade and a meeting place of cultures,” said Antiquities Authority director Eli Escusido. “The discovery is unique and it enables us to touch small but important historical moments of the people who traversed the desert through this place centuries ago.”