History of Research

Chapter 2 presents the history of the archaeological discoveries and excavations at Gesher Benot Yaʻaqov, from as early as the 1930s to very recently. Throughout these years, the area of the site was subjected to recurrent activities of construction, destruction, and drainage. The chapter provides a detailed account of the history of research on Gesher Benot Yaʻaqov and the Benot Yaʻakov Formation by scholars such as D. Garrod, M. Stekelis, and D. Gilead. Furthermore, as this volume is dedicated to the lithic assemblages originating from recent (1989 onwards) archaeological excavations at the site, an account of this phase of archaeological research is provided, as well as a summary of the main scientific achievements derived from it.