Abstract:

Twenty years ago, the late Moshé Stekelis published a paper, entitled ’Thirty Years of Prehistoric Research in Eretz-Israel’, in Volume IV of Eretz-Israel. In those few pages he summarized the data concerning the Pleistocene and its archaeology in Israel, as well as in the adjacent lands. Since then numerous other summaries have been offerred, both by individuals and in the form of symposia. Since the first excavations of F. Turville-Petre, in 1925, in the caves of Emireh and Zuttiyeh, many sites have been excavated and partial or comprehensive surveys have been conducted. The history of the excavations and surveys is one of continuous activity, despite the very unsettled political situation here. The 1930’s saw the excavation of many sites: in the Judean Desert by Neuville; in the Mount Carmel caves by Garrod and Bate; in Qafzeh cave by Neuville and Stekelis; at Gesher Benot Yaʿaqov by Stekelis and Picard; and others. The main chronological cultural framework for Israel had already b