Another piece in the puzzle: A new PPNA site at Bir el-Maksur (Northern Israel)

Salvage excavations held at the site of Bir el-Maksur, Lower Galilee, revealed an extensive Pre-
Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) occupation alongside rich assemblages. Albeit the lack of clear
architectural structures, the abundant fi nds demonstrate a wide variety of activities held at this
locale, including faunal and floral resource processing and consumption, on-site lithic production
and large-scale pyrotechnological activities. A complex secondary burial of two individuals
accompanied with what might be interpreted as grave goods (mainly ground stones) indicates
more complex, socio-cultural activities as well. As the Neolithic period represents an important
departure from Palaeolithic life-ways and the movement toward new economical and social
spheres, it is important to bridge the gaps in our current knowledge of the spatial and temporal
trends in settlement patterns associated with it. Our aim is thus to attempt a reconstruction of the
function of Bir el-Maksur and place it within the larger framework of the PPNA. In this respect, and
although hindered by post depositional processes as well as by the restricted extent of the studied
area, these excavations illustrate important new data concerning the occupation of the Lower
Galilee during this important period.