Atlit Yam () is a submerged Pre Pottery Neolithic C (PPNC) archaeological site located 300–400 meters off the coast of Atlit, Israel. Dating from the late 7th to the early 6th millennia BCE, Atlit Yam provides the earliest known evidence for a community relying on pastoralism, agriculture, and fishing as subsistence systems on the Levantine coast. As of 2004, it is the only marine archaeological site in the Mediterranean to contain in situ human burials.
Location
Atlit Yam once sat on a coastal peninsula in close vicinity to the Oren River as well as several fresh water springs. It is currently beneath sea level in the Mediterranean Sea, in the Bay of Atlit, at the mouth of the Oren river on the Carmel coast. The site covers an estimated . thumb|Atlit-Yam, Ritual structure made of stones, artist's reconstruction
Structural features
The foundations of several rectangular walls made of stone and clay bricks have been excavated, some of which contained hearths and "round installations" which are suggested to have served as food niches. A well constructed of dry-stone walling, with a diameter of and a depth of , contained four distinct levels of use. The upper two layers (from 250–0 cm) contained an excess of faunal and botanical remains as well as small stones and shells,
Artifacts
A majority of the lithic assemblage consisted of projectile points, bifaces, axes, and sickle blades. While several types of chert were present in the assemblage, they were all quarried from the Mount Carmel region, approximately 4 km to the east. Out of the 155 lithic tools collected, a majority were recovered on the surface of the sea floor.
Health
The buried individuals of Atlit Yam display many signs of poor health, including auditory exotosis, which is a common occurrence when spending extended time cold water diving. Dental attrition, caused by excessive tooth-on-tooth wear, could be indicative of rope or cord maneuvering with fishing. Elbow wear is similarly common, as seen with extensive rowing.
Significance
Piles of fish ready for trade or storage have led scientists to conclude that the village was abandoned suddenly. An Italian study led by Maria Pareschi of the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Pisa indicates that a volcanic collapse of the eastern flank of Mount Etna 8,500 years ago would likely have caused a 10-storey tsunami to engulf some Mediterranean coastal cities within hours. Some scientists point to the apparent abandonment of Atlit Yam around the same time as further evidence that indeed, such a tsunami did occur.thumb|Human skeleton in flexed position, discovered at Atlit Yam
Radiocarbon dating
The settlement has been dated by three radiocarbon dates from submerged branches:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Lab-number
! BP
! date (approx.)
! deviation
|-
| RT-2477/8
| 7605
| 6460 BC
| 55
|-
| RT-2479
| 7460
| 6270–6390 BC
| 55
|-
| RT-2489
| 7880
| 6660–6700 BC
| 55
|}