El Wad
Epipalaeolithic cave and terrace site in Mount Carmel, Israel.
El Wad is an archaeological site of the Epipalaeolithic Near East located in Mount Carmel, Israel. It comprises El Wad Cave (also known as Mughārat al-Wād or HaNahal Cave) and El Wad Terrace, situated immediately outside the cave. The site is part of the Nahal Me'arot Nature Reserve, a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is notable for its role in the discovery and definition of the Natufian culture.
- type
- Archaeological site
- location
- Mount Carmel, Israel
- period
- Epipalaeolithic Near East
- part_of
- Nahal Me'arot Nature Reserve, UNESCO World Heritage Site
- key_excavators
- Charles Lambert (1928), Dorothy Garrod (1929–1934), François Valla and Ofer Bar-Yosef (1980–1981), Mina Weinstein-Evron (1988–1989, 1994–ongoing), Daniel Kaufman, Reuven Yeshurun
- known_for
- First prehistoric work of art recorded from the Near East; type site for the Natufian culture
Lore & Background
Later excavations include those by François Valla and Ofer Bar-Yosef in 1980–1981 on the terrace to re-examine Garrod's stratigraphy, and by Mina Weinstein-Evron in 1988–1989 at the back of the cave. Large-scale excavations of the terrace resumed in 1994, directed by Weinstein-Evron, Daniel Kaufman, and Reuven Yeshurun of the Zinman Institute of Archaeology, and are ongoing.
Reader's Guide
El Wad holds a central place in the prehistory of the Levant as the type site for the Natufian culture, a key Epipalaeolithic industry that represents a transitional phase between mobile hunter-gatherer societies and early sedentary agricultural communities. The site's significance was first recognized through Charles Lambert's 1928 discovery of a carved bone handle, the earliest known prehistoric art from the Near East, which galvanized efforts to protect the caves from quarrying. Dorothy Garrod's subsequent large-scale excavations from 1929 to 1934 not only defined the Natufian culture but also established a stratigraphic sequence that remains foundational for understanding the Epipalaeolithic period. The ongoing excavations since 1994 continue to refine knowledge of the site's occupation and environmental context. As part of the Nahal Me'arot Nature Reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, El Wad contributes to the broader understanding of human evolution and cultural development in the Near East, and its research history illustrates the interplay between salvage archaeology, academic inquiry, and heritage preservation.
Did You Know?
- El Wad is the site where the first prehistoric work of art recorded from the Near East was discovered: a bone handle carved in the shape of an animal.
- The Natufian culture was named by Dorothy Garrod after Wadi en-Natuf near Shuqba, based on similarities between stone tools at El Wad and Shuqba Cave.
- El Wad is part of the Nahal Me'arot Nature Reserve, a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with Tabun, Jamal, and Skhul caves.
- Large-scale excavations at El Wad Terrace resumed in 1994 and are ongoing, directed by Mina Weinstein-Evron, Daniel Kaufman, and Reuven Yeshurun.
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