Abstract
Until recently, there was little information concerning prehistoric occupation in Jerusalem and its environs in the Judean Mountains. Information was scanty, not because there were no such sites, but rather due to the policy pursued by archaeologists, who focused on biblical sites mentioned in the holy scriptures and in ancient documents. This situation prevailed until the 1930s, when a comprehensive survey of prehistoric sites was undertaken by French archaeologist Rene Neville. In addition, many prehistoric sites were uncovered in the early 1990s, following intensive development works and construction throughout modern Jerusalem. This paper reviews the main sites, uncovered or re-excavated, dating from the Early Paleolithic until the Neolithic periods, plotting them on a map of Jerusalem and its immediate surroundings. These data are significant as they indicate that Jerusalem and its environs were not terra incognita during prehistoric times, but occupied by small groups of hunters/gatherers, who exploited the phyto-geographic Mediterranean region as part of their annual activities. The area was continuously inhabited until the Chalcolithic period.
Recommended Citation
Khalaily, Hamoudi; Barzilai, Omry; and Marder, Ofer
(2022)
"القدس وضواحيها خلال العصور الحجرية / Prehistoric Sites in Jerusalem and Its Environs,"
Cornerstone: Journal of Archaeological Sites (حجر الزاوية): Vol. 10, Article 28.
Available at:
https://publications.iaa.org.il/cornerstone/vol10/iss1/28
