Tabun Cave Cave

Address: Mount Carmel area, near Haifa, Israel (Nahal Me’arot caves)

Website: https://en.parks.org.il/

Hours: Park hours typically daylight hours; Tel: +972 4 835 0336 (Carmel National Park info)

Admission: Ticketed entry as part of Nahal Me’arot/Tabun Cave site; UNESCO site access often via guided park arrangements (fees vary)

Tabun Cave is a Paleolithic rock shelter on Mount Carmel in northern Israel, notable for a long archaeological sequence. It is one of the principal caves in the Nahal Me’arot cave complex and has been central to studies of early humans in the Levant.

The site contains stratified deposits representing repeated occupations during the Lower and Middle Paleolithic, including stone-tool assemblages and human remains. The cave is important for comparisons between Neanderthal and early modern human occupations in the region.

Excavations at Tabun were led by Dorothy Garrod in the late 1920s and early 1930s and have continued with later archaeological work; the stratigraphy recovered there has been widely published and studied. Findings have shaped understanding of Paleolithic chronology and behaviour in the eastern Mediterranean.

Tabun sits on the western slopes of Mount Carmel near Haifa, within a protected nature area. The cave is accessible from nearby roads and is part of a cluster of archaeological caves on the Carmel ridge.

• Excavation: Excavated by Dorothy Garrod in the late 1920s and early 1930s, forming a key stratified sequence for Paleolithic research in the Levant.
• Archaeological significance: Part of the Nahal Me’arot cave complex on Mount Carmel, with deposits spanning Lower and Middle Paleolithic occupations.

Tabun is accessed from the Mount Carmel area near Haifa. From Haifa, drive or take local buses toward the Carmel National Park and follow signage for the Nahal Me’arot caves; the site is part of a protected park complex with trails.

• Visit the Nahal Me'arot caves with a guide to understand the archaeological context and to see curated finds.
• Wear sturdy shoes - the cave approaches are rocky and can be slippery after rain.
• Combine with the Carmel National Park trails for broader landscape context and picnic sites.