Kvish Harif : Preliminary Investigations at a Late Neolithic Site in the Central Negev

Abstract

Excavations at the site of Kvish Harif, in the Central Negev Highlands, have uncovered architecture and artifacts dating to the terminal Neolithic. The site is of significance since architecturally it seems to reflect a later Chalcolithic pastoral adaptation, but its lithic assemblage, especially the high percentage of arrowheads, falls neatly into the Neolithic spectrum. The dominance of transversal arrowheads is unique among later Neolithic sites. It is likely that the site represents the transition from Negev hunter-gatherers to early pastoralists.