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In the depths of Manot Cave, located in the north of Israel, archaeologists discovered a ritual gallery of the Upper Paleolithic era. The gallery, located behind the wall of stalagmites, has an area of about 100 square meters and, according to the researchers, was not used for everyday life. Among the finds are a dolomite boulder with an engraving resembling a tortoise shell and antlers of an Iranian deer with traces of processing.
The engraving on the boulder was created with sharp flint tools about 35-37 thousand years ago, which was confirmed by the uranium-thorium dating method. Archaeologists suggest that the image of the turtle may have had a symbolic meaning for the hunter-gatherers who left it behind. In favor of the ritual use of the gallery, the isolation of this space, as well as the presence of traces of soot, indicating the use of torches or lamps to illuminate the dark spaces of the cave, testify.
This gallery is the first Upper Paleolithic ritual complex discovered in the Levant. Her findings indicate that ancient people had developed ideas about spirituality and symbolism. Analysis of the findings, which include artifacts from three cultures—Ahmar, Levantine Aurignacian, and Atlitien—shows that the cave served as a place not only for rituals but also for large gatherings.
The study of ritual places in caves allows a better understanding of the spiritual world of ancient people. Discoveries such as those at the Dones Cave in Spain demonstrate that Palaeolithic cultic practices were widespread in various parts of the world, and also reveal early manifestations of human symbolic thinking.
