Biography:
Yusra is the name of the Palestinian woman who worked with British archaeologist Dorothy Garrod in her excavations at Mount Carmel. Although very little is known of Yusra’s life before or after, or even her full name, she was a prominent member of the excavation team between 1929 and 1935. Most notably, she is credited with the discovery of Tabun 1, a 120,000-year-old Neanderthal skull from Tabun Cave.
Mount Carmel and discovery of Tabun 1:
It was Yusra who found Tabun 1, the adult female Neanderthal skeleton. Yusra acted as foreman in charge of picking out items before the excavated soil was sieved, over the years, she became an expert in recognizing bone, fauna, hominid, and lithic remains and had spotted a tooth which led to the crushed skull. Yusra is believed to be from either Ijzim or Jaba’, in the Haifa region of what was then Mandatory Palestine. In 1929, British archaeologist Dorothy Garrod began excavating in the region around Mount Carmel and hired local workers from these villages. She hired large numbers of women to work on her excavations, which was unusual at the time.
Yusra’s work on Mount Carmel:
Yusra, along with other women workers, remained with Garrod throughout her excavations at Mount Carmel from 1929 to 1935. They worked on important prehistoric sites such as Tabun, El Wad, Es Skhul, Shuqba, and Kebara. Yusra became the most expert among the women employed by Garrod and was appointed as foreman. She often worked alongside Jacquetta Hawkes, one of Garrod’s students who went on to become a prominent archaeologist and writer. Yusra’s role included screening excavated soil for artifacts before it was sent for sieving.
Discovery of Tabun 1:
In 1932, while working at Tabun Cave, Yusra found a tooth that turned out to be part of a fragmented but mostly complete human skull. This skull, known as Tabun 1, belonged to a female, adult Neanderthal that lived between 120,000 and 50,000 years ago. It is considered one of the most important human fossils ever found. Yusra’s meticulous screening and recognition skills played a significant role in the discovery and subsequent analysis of Tabun 1.
Later life and legacy:
Yusra shared with Hawkes her ambition to study at Newnham College, Cambridge, where Garrod was a fellow. However, it is not known if she was able to fulfill this dream. After the Mount Carmel excavations ended in 1935, Yusra’s life remains a mystery. Her contribution to archaeological research and the discovery of Tabun 1, however, cannot be overstated. Yusra’s expertise and dedication to her work, despite lacking formal training in archaeology, paved the way for future generations of women in the field.