1. Natufians: The First Settlers
The Natufians are recognized as some of the earliest known inhabitants of ancient Palestine. Living between 12,500 and 9,500 BCE, these semi-sedentary people began to form permanent settlements—a revolutionary step toward civilization. Their communities, like those unearthed at Shuqba Cave, reveal the dawn of agriculture and the beginnings of complex society. The Natufians set the stage for millennia of human activity in the region, rooting the land’s history in deep prehistory.
