Nahal Me'arot Nature Reserve

The Caves of Nahal Me’arot / Wadi el-Mughara ("Caves Creek"), named here by the Hebrew and Arabic name of the valley where they are located, are a UNESCO Site of Human Evolution in the Carmel mountain range near Haifa in northern Israel.^[1][2]

The four UNESCO-listed caves are:

• Tabun or Tanur Cave (lit.: "Oven")
• Gamal or el-Jamal Cave ("Camel")
• El Wad or Nahal Cave ("Stream")
• Skhul or Gedi Cave ("Kid")

The four caves were proclaimed a site of "outstanding universal value" by UNESCO^[1] in 2012. They are protected within a nature reserve.^[2]

The caves were used for habitation by hominins and prehistoric humans and contain unique evidence of very early burials, at the archaeological site of el-Wad cave in the Nahal Me'arot Nature Reserve.

• A Paleolithic reconstitution in Jamal Cave
• Paleolithic tools in Jamal Cave (replica)
• Entrance to el‑Wad Cave
• Inside el‑Wad Cave
• Excavation work in el‑Wad Cave's terrace
• El‑Wad point microlith
• Flint stone points, Boqer Tahtit Cave (Ein Avdat) and el‑Wad Cave, 50000 – 28000 BP (Israel Museum)
• Homo neanderthalensis fossil from Tabun C1 (replica). 120000 – 50000 BP (National Museum of Natural History)

• List of World Heritage Sites in Israel and Jerusalem
• National parks and nature reserves of Israel
• Skhul and Qafzeh hominins

• Official page at Israel Nature and Parks Authority website
• UNESCO: Sites of Human Evolution at Mount Carmel: The Nahal Me’arot / Wadi el-Mughara Caves
• Nahal Me'arot recognized as World Heritage Site