Uyun al-Hammam
عيون الحمام | |
  Shown within Jordan
| |
| Alternative name | Uyun al-Hammam |
|---|---|
| Location | Irbid, Jordan |
| Coordinates | 32°30′28″N 35°42′9″E |
| Type | Burial site |
| Height | 221 metres (725 ft) above sea level |
| History | |
| Periods | Upper Paleolithic in the Levant |
| Cultures | pre-Natufian 16,500 BP |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 2005–present |
Uyun al-Hammam is a prehistoric burial site in Jordan. It is the earliest known formal burial site in the Middle East, and is possibly the oldest in the world. Remains at the 16,500-year-old burial site, located in Wadi Ziqlab, were first discovered in 2000.
The Natufian culture occupied the Levant, and had interred a red fox together with a human in this site dated 17,700–14,750 YBP. The remains were buried in such a manner as to suggest that prehistoric humans in that locale may have kept foxes as companion animals, in a similar way to dogs. The find provides information on the earliest burial practices of ancient humans.