Research Interests: The evolution, spread and characteristics of Upper Palaeolithic entities, Burial customs of prehistoric societies, The transition from mobile hunter-gatherers to sedentary farmers, The evolution of human cognition.

Ongoing Projects:

• The study and publication of Upper Palaeolithic assemblages from the cave of Kebara, Mt. Carmel. These were excavated between 1981-1990 as part of an international project headed by Prof. Vandermeersch (Bordeaux, France) and Prof. Bar-Yosef (Harvard, Cambridge, USA).
• The study and publication of the Natufian assemblages from the cave of Hayonim, Galilee. Excavated between 1992-2000 as part of the aforementioned project.
• The study of the burials and graves from the Natufian layers at Hayonim Cave and Hilazon Tachtit Cave.
• Excavations and study of two sites in western Georgia (a joint project with Prof. O. Bar-Yosef, Harvard, and Dr. T. Meshveliani, Georgian Academy of Science):
  1. The cave of Dzudzuana (an Upper Palaeolithic sequence) .
  2. The rock shelter Kotias Klde (late Upper Palaeolithic to Neolithic occupations).

Teaching Topics:

• Models and Theories in Prehistoric Research
• The Natufian Culture and the Origins of Agriculture
• Lithic Technology and Typology
• Palaeolithic Art
• Paleoanthropology and Human Evolution
• The Human Skeleton
• The Evolution of the Human Brain
• Complex Societies
• The Meaning of Style in the Material Culture
• Upper Palaeolithic Archaeological Entities

Other Activities:

• Member of the editorial board of "Qadmoniot", published by the Israel Exploration Society, Jerusalem (in Hebrew).
• Member, the scientific editorial board of "Masa Aher", Tel-Aviv (in Hebrew).
• Co-editor of the "Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society", Jerusalem (in English and French with Hebrew abstracts).
• Member of the scientific editorial board of "Paleorient" (CNRS), Paris (in French and English).
• Member of the scientific editorial board of "Journal of Eurasian Prehistory", Harvard University, Cambridge (USA) and Warsaw University (Poland).
• Member of the scientific editorial board of "Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry - International Journal", Crete, Greece.
• Member of the Steering Committee of the "International Union of Prehistory and Protohistory" - Commission VII - Upper Palaeolithic .