Archaeologists from the Zinman Institute of Archaeology have unearthed a prehistoric stone grinding tool used for ‘delicate’ abrading by early humans some 350,000 years ago at the Tabun Caves – a UNESCO World Heritage site on Mt Carmel. Such implements were previously thought to be introduced 200,000 years ago. Researchers collaborating on the dig, Dr. Ron Shimelmitz, Dr. Iris Groman-Yaroslavski, Prof. Mina Weinstein-Evron, and Prof. Danny Rosenberg said in a statement, “While the tool is seemingly ‘simple,’ its early appearance and the fact that it has no parallel in such an early stage of human evolution give it world importance.” The discovery has made headlines in local and international media outlets. >>READ MORE in The Times of Israel, Jewish News Syndicate and The Daily Mail. 

*The round dolomite stone bears microscopic signs of grinding.