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on the Shore of the Sea of Galilee |
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The
exhibition "Ohalo II: A 23,000 year-old Fisher-Hunter-Gatherers' Camp on
the Shore of the Sea of Galilee", is devoted to finds recovered from a
prehistoric site on the shore of Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). The excavations
that took place at the site between 1989-1991 and again between 1998-2001
were directed by Dr. Dani Nadel of the University of Haifa. The discovery
of the site was a byproduct of the decrease in the water level in recent
years, following long periods of drought in the country. The lower water
level exposed the remains of the camp that until then had been submerged.
The site is located at a height of 212/213 meters below sea level, about
3-4 meters below water level when the lake is full.
The
finds that were revealed while exposing the 23,000-year-old camp are impressive
in both preservation and quality. The remains of six brush huts, the oldest
of their kind ever found, were revealed at the site. Also discovered were
a grave, hearths and other installations. The area of the site is more
than 2,000 square meters. The finds indicate that there were many water
level fluctuations in the past, some reaching several meters.
The
purpose of the exhibition in the Hecht Museum at the University of Haifa
is to present these unique finds, which will be studied for several years
to come, as close as possible to the time when they were found; this allows
the public to take part in the experience of the discovery.
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The
exhibition includes reconstruction of a brush hut, a variety of consumed
foods, as well as evidence for past technologies and beliefs. The exhibition
also reconstructs the natural environment – the fauna, flora, past water
levels in the Jordan Valley lakes, geology, and the climate of the area
during the last Ice Age.
This
exhibition is the first at the Hecht Museum to focus on a prehistoric theme.
It presents to the public the unique characteristics of a prehistoric excavation
and the relevant laboratory research. The visitor has the opportunity to
experience an excavation and to get acquainted with a variety of laboratory
studies in the fields of archaeology, dating, botany, zoology and geology.
Curator of the exhibition: Dr. Dani Nadel |
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