Manot 1

Manot 1 is a partial human skullcap discovered in Manot Cave, Israel, and dated to about 55,000 years ago. It is attributed to an early modern human and provides evidence of modern humans in the Levant during the Late Pleistocene.

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Manot Cave: A cave in western Galilee, Israel, containing archaeological and paleontological deposits. The cave’s setting preserves the context in which Manot 1 was found.
Occipital bone: The bone forming the back and lower part of the human skull. The surviving skullcap includes the occipital region used in anatomical comparisons.
Early human migration out of Africa: The movement of early human populations from Africa into Eurasia during prehistory. Manot 1 is evidence relevant to modern humans’ presence beyond Africa.
Misliya Cave: A site on Mount Carmel, Israel, where a Homo sapiens upper jaw was found. Misliya preserves an older modern-human presence in the Levant than Manot 1.
Anatomically modern human: A member of Homo sapiens with the anatomical characteristics of humans living today. Manot 1 is attributed to this human group.
Cranial morphology: The form and measurable features of the skull. Comparisons of cranial shape support the attribution of Manot 1.
Skhul and Qafzeh hominins: Early modern human fossils from Israeli caves, commonly dated to roughly 120,000–90,000 years ago. Their earlier Levantine presence provides a comparison for Manot 1’s later date.
Hofmeyr Skull: A roughly 36,000-year-old modern human cranium discovered in South Africa. Its comparison with Manot 1 has informed hypotheses about population connections.
Late Pleistocene: The final part of the Pleistocene epoch, spanning approximately 129,000 to 11,700 years ago. Manot 1 dates to this period of major human dispersals.
Paleoanthropology: The study of human evolution through fossils and archaeological evidence. Manot 1 is interpreted through fossil comparison and archaeological context.