The discovery of the site of Eynan-Mallaha (EM) (figure 1) first led to the realization that Natufian foragers had transitioned to a mostly settled way of life. The site’s rich and eco-diverse environmental context within the Jordan rift valley appears to have been exploited by sedentary hunter-gatherer groups over the lengthy period between 12500 and 9500 calibrated BCE. The past 22 excavation seasons conducted at the site have greatly contributed to the consolidation of Franco-Israeli collaboration in archaeology and the training of young researchers from both countries. Optimal conditions for a resumption of the excavations at Eynan-Mallaha have now coalesced: (1) the near completion of a monograph on the most recent campaign (1996–2005) directed by F. Valla and H. Khalaily focused on the Final Natufian; and (2) the ongoing work on the archives of J. Perrot for a better highlighting and dissemination of the discoveries made on the Late and Early Natufian between 1955 and 1976. The methods of high-precision excavation and data acquisition and analysis were applied in a first exploratory season (June–July 2022), with the support of the IAA, the CNRS and generous Foundation ARPAMED and Irene Levi Sala CARE, yielding highly promising results that more than justify launching our plans for a long term project.