The Peqi‘in Cave –
A Chalcolithic Burial Cave, Upper Galilee, Israel
Zvi Gal

This grant will be used for publication of the final report entitled ‘The Peqi‘in Cave — A Chalcolithic Burial Cave, Upper Galilee, Israel’, excavated by Zvi Gal, Dina Shalem and Howard Smithline in 1995. Peqi‘in is located within the heart of the Upper Galilee, Israel (map ref. 18135 26440), on the margins of Mt. Meiron, the highest mountain west of the Jordan River. It is not proximate to any other major Chalcolithic site. The cave was discovered by chance and its finds comprise the richest assemblage from a Chalcolithic burial site ever found in Israel, and include several unique characteristics. Indeed, no synthesis of the proto-historic periods in the Levant can be achieved nowadays without a consideration of the finds from the Peqi‘in cave.

The cave is a relatively small cavity (17 m. long and 5-7 m. wide) and consists of three chambers situated on three levels, sloping down from east to west. It contains colorful stalactites and stalagmites, which created a special atmosphere. The cave was initially used for seasonal dwelling during the Early Chaclolithic period, evidenced by the results of probes excavated in the middle and lower chambers.

Later, in the Late Chalcolithic period, it was transformed into a burial place. Hundreds of ossuaries, burial jars, high and low fenestrated bowls, basalt, bronze and ivory objects, as well as violin-shaped figurines and hundreds of beads were retrieved from this phase. The mace heads were examined by Prof. Y. Goren, Dr. I. Segal and A. Kamenski who found that the metal objects from the cave were made of pure copper originated at Feinan. The beads were analyzed by Dr. D. Bar Yosef-Mayer and Dr. N. Porath who showed that many of them were manufactured in technology that so far is known only in the Indus valley.

The skeletal evidence comprises at least 600 individuals, thus being the largest anthropological sample of this period. The osteological evidence was analyzed by Dr. Y. Nagar who showed that most of the people buried in the cave suffered from anemia that resulted from malaria. Malaria was typically spread in swampy areas which did not exist in the Galilean mountains, but rather in the valleys around it. Evidently, these people did not live in the immediate area of the cave, but were brought from a distance to their final resting place. The proposed Strontium and Oxygen tests (see budget) is aimed to check this point.

One of the stalagmites that accumulated atop the ossuaries was examined by Dr. M. Bar-Matthews who dated it to 4500 BCE. This date points to a relatively earlier phase within the Chalcolithic period and the proposed C14 tests (see budget) are aimed to check this dating.

Yet, the most outstanding innovation of the finds from the Peqi`in cave are the two- and three-dimensional painted and sculpted human presentations (male and female), molded on various ossuaries and jars. Ossuaries bearing zoomorphic features were also found. All these have a far reaching implication on our understanding the nature of the cave and its role within the Chalcolithic culture.

In the light of these accumulated data it appears that the significance of the Peqi`in cave lies in the opportunity it presents to reappraise various aspects of the Chalcolithic period. It demonstrates the hitherto unknown presence of this culture in the Galilean hill country, and the possible connections that this region had with territories to the north. While the study of the Chalcolithic culture has focused to a great extent on central and southern Israel, these regional cultures are well presented, for the first time, in one homogeneous assemblage that shades new light on the inter-relations among them. The burial customs revealed in the cave offer new perspectives of the social structure and spiritual life of the Chalcolithic people.