Remains in caves on Mount Carmel near the Mediterranean Sea reveal the Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) presence of humans in Palestine of a type related to the Neanderthals of Europe. A later Mesolithic (Middle Stone Age) human culture of the Natufian variety has been identified at Jericho and 'Ain Mallaha.
1. Neolithic Period / New Stone Age (6000-4000 B.C.E.)
This period marks the transition from food gathering to food production. During this time humans gradually domesticated animals, cultivated grains, produced pottery, and built towns. Jericho developed into a sizable and fortified Palestinian settlement during this period.
