PREHISTORIC FINDS IN JERUSALEM

We all are aware of the plethora of archaeological remains in Jerusalem but it is rare to find a concentration of ancient stone tools. Recently, Israeli archaeolgists discovered just that.

The stone tools date to the Middle Paleolithic Period ranging from 50,000 to 200,000 years ago. The reason for the stone age settlement on the southeastern rim of the city was apparently for its proximity to an outcrop of rock that provided excellent raw materials for stone tools, according to Omri Barzilai and Michal Birkenfeld, the two archaeologists heading the dig.

Interestingly, despite the history-rich finds in Jerusalem from the Biblical period onwards, archaeologists have found only two other sites in the city that date to such an early period -- near Mount Scopus and on Emek Refaim Street.