About Natufian Culture
- The word “Natufian” was coined by Dorothy Garrod based on her excavations at Shuqba cave (western Judean Mountains).
- The Natufian culture is a Levantine civilization that dates from about 15,000 to 11,000 years ago.
- Region: Eastern Mediterranean.
- Origin: The Natufian civilization originated from the Kebaran culture.
- Significance: They are known to be the first inhabited settlements, and they are distinguished by the use of microliths and bone tools.
- As per Christy, the Levant’s modern Semitic-speaking populations and the Natufians have a connection.
- Even before the commencement of agriculture, it supported a sedentary or semi-sedentary society.
- Dwelling: The Natufians seem to have settled in large settlements on cave terraces, near springs, or alongside lakes and rivers.
- Food habit: Grain, fruit, and fish are the staples of his diet.
- Tools: Microliths, scrapers, fishhooks, reaping knives, burins, sickle blades, and borers are examples of tools.
- Burials have been discovered, along with ornaments such as pendants, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings.
Who discovered the Natufian culture?
British archaeologist Dorothy Garrod discovered the Natufian culture while excavating the Shuqba cave in the Judaean Hills on the Jordan River’s West Bank.
