The research and excavations of the prehistoric site at Enan are a joint project of the IAA and the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), under the direction of Prof. Francois R. Valla* and the author.

The site in Enan is one of the first to produce evidence of a change in the lifestyle of prehistoric man. The site, discovered in 1951, was first excavated by the French researcher Jean Perrot*, and afterwards by Francois R. Valla*. These excavations yielded remains from the Natufian period (12,500-10,800 BP). These discoveries contributed greatly to our understanding of the Natufian period and its culture.

The new excavations at the site began in 1996, in the course of which six stone structures were uncovered. In most of the U-shaped structures, that open to the north in the direction of the springs, the bases of the columns that supported the ceilings are preserved, along with several built hearths. Each structure has two or three pavements, and in each,  graves were discovered beneath the pavement. An extremely rich material culture was discovered, that includes many flint implements, and the remains of different types of animals: cattle, deer, wild goats, waterfowl, and fish. The excavators also collected many artistic objects fashioned from wood, shells, and various stones.

The finds from Enan reveal the existence of a transitional period between the late Natufian settlement and that of the Neolithic period, in contrast with the view prevalent until then, that spoke of a settlement gap between these two periods.