Jeftelik is an early Natufian, 0.5 ha large site in southwestern Syria, west of Homs. ^[1] It was discovered during the archaeological survey of the Homs Gap by a Syro-Lebanese-Spanish team between 2004 and 2007. Below historic remains of the Bronze Age, Roman-Byzantine and Ottoman periods, in situ layers of the Natufian were uncovered.
They contained a large number of lithic artifacts, a few fragmented bone remains and charcoal (Rodríguez Rodríguez et al. 2010). One piece of burnt short-lived wood (Rosaceae tp. Prunus) was dated to Beta: 257748 12100±70 BP (2 sigma: 12190-11830 cal BC). Two further samples date to the same period (CNA 527:  12075 ± 45 BP [2 sigma: 12097-11856 cal BC]; CNA-528 12100± 45 BP [2 simga: 12137-11879 cal BC]) (Ibáñez et al. 2012:11).

Most of the retouched artefacts are scrapers and segments with simple bifacial retouch (Helwan) and less abundant with steep retouch (Ibánez et al. 2012:10-12; Rodríguez Rodríguez et al. 2010). Other characteristic objects of the Natufian, though not found in situ, are decorated pebbles, one with simple chevron pattern, and heavy basalt objects, like a mortar, numerous querns and grinding stones. In the lowest layers several stone structures were discovered which might belong to habitations and an elaborate wall (structure 1) which encircled a round platform of 6 meter diameter and 70 cm height. The wall, which was about one meter large, was inclined to the bottom forming some kind of conical structure. Inside this structure the earth was compact and two internal stone alignments structured the space inside (Ibáñez et al. 2012).

The early date prompted the excavators to reconsider the question of the origins of the Natufian in a core zone.

^[1] The location of the site was estimated only after Fig. 1b. (Rodríguez Rodríguez et al. 2010).