Stone ‘canvas’ and Natufian art

Abstract

The Natufian culture is the first cultural entity in the southern Levant to have large graveyards and a wide array of symbolic expressions. Hundreds of Natufian burials have been discovered and studied; at some Natufian sites the presence of stone slabs within the graves has been recorded. One interesting yet rare phenomenon documented is the slabs bearing clear incised patterns, suggesting the Natufians were using these flat stone blocks as 'canvases'. Here we report and discuss an incised anthropomorphic figure that has been discovered in the Natufian graveyard at Raqefet Cave, Mt. Carmel, Israel. The human figure, most likely shown as dancing, adds another dimension to the rich assemblage of Natufian burial practices and symbolism as recorded at the site of Raqefet Cave as well as at other Natufian sites.