An ancient ritual compound has come to light in the deepest, darkest part of a cave located in what’s now northern Israel.
Homo sapiens groups assembled at the cave to hold torchlit ceremonies, probably inspired by mythological or religious beliefs, as early as around 37,000 years ago, researchers report December 9 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The discovery of this special chamber in Manot Cave unveils the earliest known evidence for collective ritual practices in the Middle East, say archaeologist Omry Barzilai of the University of Haifa and colleagues. As many as around 100 individuals could have fit in this space, they estimate.