Qafzeh Cave
Qafzeh Cave Shown within Jezreel Valley region of Israel | |
| Alternative name | Kedumim Cave |
|---|---|
| Location | Mount Precipice, Israel |
| Coordinates | 32°41′19″N 35°19′05″E / 32.68861°N 35.31806°E |
| Altitude | 150 m (492 ft) |
| Type | Prehistoric cave |
| History | |
| Periods | Middle Paleolithic |
| Cultures | Mousterian |
| Site notes | |
| Archaeologists | Moshe Stekelis |
Qafzeh Cave (Arabic: كهف القفزة, lit. 'Cave of the Precipice', Hebrew: מערת קפזה), or Kedumim Cave (Hebrew: מערת קדומים, lit. 'Cave of the Ancients'), is a prehistoric archaeological site located at the bottom of Mount Precipice in the Jezreel Valley of Lower Galilee south of Nazareth, Israel. Important remains of prehistoric people were discovered on the site - some of the oldest examples in the world, outside of Africa, of virtually anatomically modern human beings. These were discovered on the ledge just outside the cave, where 18 layers from the Middle Paleolithic era were identified. The interior of the cave contains layers ranging from the Neolithic era to the Bronze Age.