Pleistocene milestones on the out-of-Africa corridor at Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, israel.

The Acheulean site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov in the Dead Sea Rift of Israel documents hominin movements and technological development on a corridor between Africa and Eurasia. New age data place the site at 780,000 years ago (oxygen isotope stage 19), considerably older than previous estimates. The archaeological data from the site portray strong affinities with African stone tool traditions. The findings also reflect adroit technical skills and in-depth planning abilities, more advanced and complex than those of earlier archaeological occurrences in the Levant.

Early Neolithic Horsebean from Yiftah'el, Israel.

Charred seeds of horsebean (Vicia faba L.) from the seventh millennium B.C. that were found at Yiftah'el, Israel, push back the known use of this vetch by about 2000 years. Horsebean should be included in the ensemble of legumes grown by some early Neolithic people. The site, situated near the southwest outlet of Biq'at Bet Netofa, lies in a valley with heavy soil suitable for growing contemporary cultivars of horsebean. The still unknown wild ancestor of the horsebean may have originated in similar habitats in the Levant.

Stem rust of wheat 3300 years old found in Israel.

A fungus parasite observed on two ancient lemma fragments of wheat was identified as Puccinia graminis. The fragments were found in a storage jar from the Late Bronze Age excavated at Tel Batash, Israel, Uredia, hyphae, and germinating uredospores, though charred, were well preserved.