In 1984, off Israel’s Mediterranean coast, marine archaeologist Ehud Galili discovered an ancient settlement that had been submerged for millennia.

The site was at first a mystery, but as underwater excavations progressed, the veil was lifted.

It turned out to be the biggest and best preserved prehistoric site ever discovered along the Mediterranean shoreline. Atlit Yam – a stone age village dating from at least 9,000 years ago – stretches over more than four hectares at a depth of 10 meters, and comprises houses, altars, and numerous intact tombs containing dozens of bodies, burial objects, the remains of nets, and an altar of cut stone. This makes it an exceptional site informing us about the way of life of the coastal peoples during the Neolithic period.

Although Dr Galili’s research has featured regularly in scientific publications since the discovery, Atlit Yam remains largely unknown to the general public.

For the first time, the film The Mystery of Atlit Yam reveals to a wider audience the result of 25 years of extraordinary excavations, and unveils the story of the oldest known submerged stone age settlement.

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