Tell Shaikh Hassan al Rai
| Location | 2 km south of el Marj, 2 km north of Hoch Harime |
|---|---|
| Region | Bekaa Valley |
| Type | Tell |
| History | |
| Cultures | Neolithic, Medieval |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1927, 1966 |
| Archaeologists | J. King, R. Dussaud, R. Saidah, Lorraine Copeland |
| Condition | Ruins |
| Public access | Yes |
Tell Shaikh Hassan al Rai is an archaeological site 2 km south of el Marj, 2 km north of Hoch Harime in the Beqaa Mohafazat (Governorate) in Lebanon. It dates at least to the Neolithic with Medieval material also attested.[1]
Tell Shaikh Hassan al Rai is famous for being the site of the first unquestioned evidence of the domestication of cats, after archaeologists found remains dating from the Uruk period (5500-5000 BCE) of cats smaller in size than the wildcat.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ Université Saint-Joseph (Beirut; Lebanon) (1969). Mélanges de l'Université Saint-Joseph, pp.83-84. Impr. catholique. Retrieved 25 March 2011.
- ^ "Is Your Cat Truly Domesticated? According to Science".
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