The Natufian Culture

The Natufian Culture, existing around 12,800 to 9,500 years ago in the Levant (modern-day Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Lebanon), was a semi-sedentary society of hunter-gatherers. They are notable for developing early tools, establishing semi-permanent settlements, and possibly beginning to harvest wild cereals. This culture represents a transitional phase toward farming, as they adapted to their environment and laid groundwork for later agricultural communities. Their sophisticated toolmaking, use of plant resources, and social organization reflect an important step in human societal evolution from mobile foragers to settled farmers.