Overview

Bibliography

The Tumulus field at Ramat Hanadiv overlooks the Nahal Kotem from a southward slope located at the southern end of the Carmel mountain range. Excavation there revealed up to 40 round burials, of which 20 have been excavated, a few yielding artifacts that date to the end of the Early Bronze period (sometime around 2200 bce).

According to excavation reports, the site originally served a large non-sedentary pastoral element in the Carmel region. Judging by their size, these burials were intended for individuals, and, according to excavators, the arrangement of their burials goods may suggest a burial center for elite warriors of that society.

The tumulus field was discovered during a field survey of 1989, during the course of fifteen seasons of excavation under the direction of the late Y. Hirshfeld, which lasted from 1984 to 1998. Excavation of the burials was conducted by R. Greenberg in 1990, a year following its discovery.