Story perspectives

1,000 Prehistoric Artifacts Unearthed in Israel, Revealing Natufian Culture

3/24/2026

Summary

Story summary

Researchers from Israel and other countries discovered over 1,000 prehistoric clay artifacts, including 142 beads, in northern Israel, dating back 12,000 to 15,000 years.
The findings, published in Science Advances, suggest a shared symbolic language among the Natufian culture, with some beads painted using ochre, indicating early use of the engobe technique.
Fingerprints on the beads reveal that children contributed to their creation, highlighting a multi-generational community.
The team also identified clay figurines, including the earliest representation of human-animal interaction, with further material analysis ongoing.

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Story summary

Researchers from Israel and other countries discovered over 1,000 prehistoric clay artifacts, including 142 beads, in northern Israel, dating back 12,000 to 15,000 years.
The findings, published in Science Advances, suggest a shared symbolic language among the Natufian culture, with some beads painted using ochre, indicating early use of the engobe technique.
Fingerprints on the beads reveal that children contributed to their creation, highlighting a multi-generational community.
The team also identified clay figurines, including the earliest representation of human-animal interaction, with further material analysis ongoing.