40,000-Year-Old Grindstone Unearthed In Western Galilee Cave

Israel Hayom ^ | Tuesday June 28, 2016 | Yori Yalon, Daniel Siryoti and Israel Hayom Staff

[SunkenCiv]

Despite the often oppressive heat, summer is the main season for... excavations...

Tenth-grade students volunteering on an Israel Antiquities Authority dig at a stalactite cave near Moshav Manot in the Western Galilee earlier in June discovered a 40,000-year-old grindstone...

Lerer said that the grindstone was basalt, "which is created when lava erupts out of a volcano and is not indigenous to the Western Galilee area. It looks like [either] the raw material or the tool itself was brought here from the Lower Galilee by residents of the cave."

The stalactite cave where the dig is underway was discovered in 2008, when heavy mechanical equipment employed in an infrastructure project broke through its ceiling. The IAA staff who arrived at the site found a large stalactite cave that contained finds that indicated that it had been inhabited by Paleolithic man. Since then, Dr. Omry Barzilai of the IAA; Dr. Ofer Marder of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; and Professor Israel Hershkovitz of Tel Aviv University have been overseeing continuous excavations at the site. The project receives assistance from the Dan David Fund, the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities, the Jewish National Fund and the Maaleh Yosef Regional Council...

Meanwhile, at the other end of the country, a lifeguard out for a morning run at the Tel Ashkelon State Beach last week discovered something curious -- an ancient oil lamp.

Meir Amshik said he noticed that part of the cliff face had crumbled and approached the rubble. "I saw the intriguing oil lamp lying there, intact. I thought it might be an ancient artifact, so I picked it up. Along with Avi Panzer, director of the lifeguard station, we contacted the Israel Antiquities Authority."

It turned out that the artifact was indeed a small lamp that dates to the 12th century...

[SunkenCiv]

Two of the 10th-grade students participating in the dig where the grindstone was found [Photo credit: Yoav Lerer -- Israel Antiquities Authority]

The 900-year-old oil lamp that was shaken loose when a section of a beachside cliff crumbled [Photo credit: Yuli Schwartz -- Israel Antiquities Authority]

[SunkenCiv]

"Whoa. I'd hate to see the grindstone."

[SunkenCiv]

Israeli Lifeguard Discovers 900 Year Old Oil Lamp During Beach Run
By: TPS / Tazpit News Agency
Published: June 27th, 2016
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/israel/israeli-lifeguard-discovers-900-year-old-candle-during-beach-run/2016/06/27/

[SunkenCiv]

[rjsimmon]

Was someone’s nose attached to it?

[GraceG]

40,000 year old grind stone, preposterous! human civ is only 8 thousand years old.....

Or so all my idiot college professors would say...

[Dutch Boy]

I didn’t get how they aged the stone.

[MUDDOG]

Caveman Meal bread.

[nwrep]

Sounds like they were all “Young Earth Creationists”...

[wally_bert]

Probably romanced it some.

[TigersEye]

I guess they couldn’t figure out how to work a couple of young girls into a pic of the grindstone so the 40k year old artifact took a photographic back seat to the 900 year old artifact.

[bgill]

If you look real close, you'll see:

[bunkerhill7]

If there`s a grindstone, there`s gotta be some ancient swords needing sharpening in there somewhere near the lamp under a bushel basket.

[dfwgator]

Was there a nose nearby?

[dfwgator]

“Your name wouldn’t happen to be ‘Dick’, would it?”

[bunkerhill7]

Matt. 25 “Each of the ten virgins is carrying a lamp”

[Dutch Boy]

Now that was hilarious. It might end up being the highlight of my day.

[wally_bert]

All part of the service.......

[TXnMA]

Ah! Here in Tejas, we'd call that a "Mano". I was expecting the stationary part -- which we'd call a< I>"Metate".

FWIW, many "Manos" around here show signs of a dual role as a (hard) hammerstone for knapping flint...

[SunkenCiv]

Apropos of nothing, if you actually count the number of “something betters”, it comes out to 24. ;’)