Wadi Natuf
Seasonal stream in Palestine and Israel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wadi Natuf (Arabic: وادي الناطوف, Wadi al-Natuf / Wadi en-Natuf) or Nahal Natuf (Hebrew: נחל נטוף) is a wadi (seasonal stream) in the West Bank and Israel, rising in the north of the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate of Palestine, crossing into Israel north of Modi'in and discharging into the Ayalon River at the Ben Gurion Airport.
CountryPalestine and Israel
| Wadi Natuf; Nahal Natuf | |
|---|---|
Natuf Stream, filled by winter rains, as seen between Lod and the Ben Gurion Airport | |
 | |
| Native name | |
| Location | |
| Country | Palestine and Israel |
| District | Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate; Central District (Israel) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mouth | Ayalon River |
• location | Ben Gurion Airport, Israel |
 Shuqba Cave entrance, 2024 | |
  Wadi Natuf and Shuqba Cave Location in the State of Palestine | |
| Region | Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 31°58′55″N 35°02′37″E |
| Grid position | 15420/15435 PAL |
| History | |
| Cultures | Natufian culture |
| Site notes | |
| Archaeologists | Dorothy Garrod |
| Public access | limited by West Bank barrier |
The Natufian culture–an archaeological culture of the Epipaleolithic period in the Levant region–is named after the wadi.[1] Along with the Shuqba Cave, which opens onto its northern bank, Wadi Natuf has been nominated as a tentative UNESCO World Heritage Site in the State of Palestine.[2]
