Pottery Neolithic sites


Kfar Samir,  Water well layered with Tree Branches and Stones
Kfar Samir, Water well layered with Tree Branches and Stones

Five PN sites - Kfar-Samir, Kfar-Galim, Tel-Hreiz, Megadim and Neve-Yam - were submerged at depths of 0.5-5 m and were dated to 7100-6300 yrs. BP (uncalibrated C14). The finds from these sites include water wells constructed of alternating layers of tree branches and stones, pit-installations, some lined with undressed stones and others dug into the clay sediment.  Some of the pits contain thousands of crushed olive-pits and waste resulting from the extraction of olive oil. So far this is the oldest known evidence for olive oil extraction.

Wooden Bowl from Kfar Samir
Wooden Bowl from Kfar Samir

Bones of domestic animals and fish were also found, as well as artifacts made of stone, bone, wood, and flint. The ceramic assemblage included a variety of cooking and storage vessels. At Neve-Yam, a cemetery comprising stone-built graves that contained 6 human skeletons, was excavated and represents one of the earliest known organized cemeteries in which the graves were situated apart from the dwelling area. The economy of the PN settlements was based mainly on terrestrial resources, cultivation and herding. The exploitation of marine resources continued, but appears to have been on a smaller scale than in the previous PPNC.