Address: Prof. Danny Rosenberg Laboratory for Ground Stone Tools Research Zinman Institute of Archaeology, University of Haifa, 199 Abba Khousy Ave. Mount Carmel, Haifa, 3498838, Israel E-mail: drosenberg@research.haifa.ac.il The Tel Tsaf Research Project web-site: http://teltsaf.haifa.ac.il/index.php?lang=en Tel. 00-972-4-8280766 Cel. 00-972-54-3093666
Tsaf decoration motifs have been known for over 45 years now, first described after R. Gophna's e... more Tsaf decoration motifs have been known for over 45 years now, first described after R. Gophna's excavations at Middle Chalcolithic (ca. 5200-4700 cal BCE) Tel Tsaf in the Jordan Valley, Israel, during 1978-1980. While this type of decorated pottery was also found in other sites in the region, very limited data has been published. This data scarcity resulted in a fragmentary view of the phenomenon and consequently, the Tel Tsaf decoration motifs were regarded by many scholars as a monolithic phenomenon. The current paper represents a focused effort to analyze an assemblage of 682 sherds bearing the Tel Tsaf decoration, unearthed at the eponymous site between 2013 and 2022. We conduct a detailed attribute analysis that includes stylistic, morphometric, and contextual studies of the decorated vessels and the decoration repertoire itself. Through the analyses, we address internal variability of Tel Tsaf decoration style, emphasizing the local origin and complexity of the phenomenon in the cultural landscape of the Middle Chalcolithic in the southern Levant.
Wood and basketry artefacts rarely survive in the prehistoric record since they require
exception... more Wood and basketry artefacts rarely survive in the prehistoric record since they require exceptional conditions for preservation; as a result, the current knowledge about when and how prehistoric societies used these basic organic raw materials is limited. Focusing on the southern Levant, we discuss for the first time a collection of 16 late prehistoric organic artefacts found in underwater research conducted in the last forty years off the coast of the Carmel Ridge (Israel). The waterlogged finds, including bowls, shafts, a wedge, a trough, a pitchfork, logs, a mat, and a basket, were found at sites spanning from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic to Middle Chalcolithic periods (ninth–seventh millennia cal. BP), constituting an unprecedented record of prehistoric wood and other perishable materials, providing us with new information about raw material preferences and manufacturing technologies.
The Early Bronze Age in the southern Levant is associated with the onset of urbanization processe... more The Early Bronze Age in the southern Levant is associated with the onset of urbanization processes, expressed through the emergence of walled, densely populated settlements. The local agro-pastoral economy faced new challenges regarding subsistence of the aggregated communities. We compare ground stone tool assemblages involved in food processing from rural, fortified non-urban, and urban settlements in an attempt to understand the impact of the urbanization process on foodways during that period. Additionally, we explore food processing technologies and preferences as indicators of social complexity and urban development. The results point to specialized production and wide distribution of high-quality, standardized grinding implements and, consequently, an intensification of staple food provision. We propose that this phenomenon is associated with a change of socioeconomic priorities that comes with the onset of urbanism, causing a decline of the basalt bowl industry and reorganization of the food processing habitus within growing settlements. We also propose that the enhanced organization of food production concerned mainly the early urban centers, whereas villages display higher variability in modes of food processing and tendencies to utilize easily accessible materials. This indicates an opportunistic approach regarding food processing technologies and/or higher variability of local staple food resources in the rural peripheries.
The Late Chalcolithic period of the southern Levant is frequently regarded as a tipping point, wi... more The Late Chalcolithic period of the southern Levant is frequently regarded as a tipping point, with a notable increase in social and technological complexity. This time span also features many examples of 'special' classes of artefacts that first appeared during this period and changed or disappeared during the transition to the Early Bronze Age. One of the oddest Late Chalcolithic tool types, which has no parallels in earlier or later periods, is the perforated flint disc. This paper presents a group of perforated objects and related items found at the Late Chalcolithic site of Fazael in the Jordan Valley. This assemblage attributes the site, recently acknowledged as a significant metallurgical center, additional importance. In the current paper we discuss the significance of the new finds in the context of the site and of the Chalcolithic period of the southern Levant.
Recent survey and excavation at Tel 'Ein Jezreel, located in the Jezreel Valley directly above th... more Recent survey and excavation at Tel 'Ein Jezreel, located in the Jezreel Valley directly above the spring of 'Ein Jezreel, revealed evidence for settlement from the Neolithic Period through the modern era.
Fish are a prominent source of nutrients, yet in the southern Levant, clear evidence for fishing ... more Fish are a prominent source of nutrients, yet in the southern Levant, clear evidence for fishing was scarce before the historic periods. In the current paper, we present the evidence for Natufian (ca. 15,000-11,700 cal BP) fishing with an emphasis on fishhooks, representing one of the best examples of an artefact that reached its morphological optimum thousands of years ago and continued to be widely used today. While fishing using various techniques and implements was probably in use well before the Natufian, this innovation seems to represent a new technique, more restricted and controlled, for obtaining this food source.
Fiber technology (cordage and textile) has played a central role in all human societies for thous... more Fiber technology (cordage and textile) has played a central role in all human societies for thousands of years, and its production, application and exchange have deep roots in prehistory. However, fiber remains have only rarely been observed in prehistoric sites because they tend to decay quickly in normal environmental conditions. To overcome preservation problems of macroscopic remains, we employed microbotanical analysis on soils from anthropogenic sediments in activity areas at Tel Tsaf in the Jordan Valley, Israel (ca. 5,200–4,700 cal BC), and recovered fiber microremains. This includes at least two types of bast fibers and the earliest evidence of cotton in the Near East, some of which were dyed in various colors. Some of these fibers likely represent the remnants of ancient clothing, fabric containers, cordage, or other belongings. The cotton remains, probably derived from wild species originating in South Asia, predate the oldest known cotton domestication in the Indus Valle...
Eight olivine beads found at the Middle Chalcolithic site of Tel Tsaf (ca. 5,200–4,700 cal. BC), ... more Eight olivine beads found at the Middle Chalcolithic site of Tel Tsaf (ca. 5,200–4,700 cal. BC), Jordan Valley, Israel, underscore a new facet of interregional exchange for this period. The current paper presents the olivine beads assemblage, its morphometric and technological characteristics, and chemical composition. The results of the chemical analysis suggest that all eight beads derive from the same source. By means of comparison with the chemical characteristics of known olivine sources, we argue for a northeastern African–western Arabian provenience and cautiously suggest Ethiopia as a probable origin. Finally, we discuss the significance of the assemblage, its possible origin, and the mechanisms that may have brought the beads to the site.
It has long been recognized that the use of beads for bodily adornment was a powerful means of cr... more It has long been recognized that the use of beads for bodily adornment was a powerful means of creating and expressing social identities. Their symbolic significance and meaning-making lies in the intersection of how and where they are worn, their life histories of production and ownership, the time and skill invested in their manufacture, plus the cosmological import and values accorded their raw materials. While obsidian is known to have traveled to the southern Levant from various Anatolian sources since the Epipalaeolithic period, its use to make beads is rare. Over eight seasons, excavations at Tel Tsaf (ca. 5,200-4,700 cal. BC) in the Jordan Valley, Israel, have produced the richest obsidian bead assemblage in the southern Levant, part of a larger set of objects, and raw materials that attest to this Middle Chalcolithic community's participation in long-distance exchange networks. This paper details the obsidian bead assemblage, its morphometric and technological characteristics, and raw material sources based on their chemical compositions. It then discusses the assemblage's broader socioeconomic significance, and the possible means through which members of the community came to procure them.
How hunter-gatherers manipulated and utilised their natural surroundings is a widely studied topi... more How hunter-gatherers manipulated and utilised their natural surroundings is a widely studied topic among anthropologists and archaeologists alike. This focuses on the Natufian culture of the Late Epipalaeolithic period (c.15–11.7 kyr), the last Levantine hunter-gatherer population, and specifically on the earliest composite tools designed for harvesting. These tools are widely referred to as sickles. They consisted of a haft into which a groove was cut and flint inserts affixed. This revolutionised harvesting and established it on new grounds. While the plants manipulated by these tools are yet to be identified with certainty, it is evident that these implements were rapidly integrated and dispersed throughout the Natufian interaction sphere, suggesting that they provided a significant advantage, which probably constituted a critical step toward agriculture. At the same time, the Natufian haft assemblage demonstrates high morphometric variability. We review the available data concer...
Late Chalcolithic metallurgy developed in the southern Levant simultaneously with other crafts an... more Late Chalcolithic metallurgy developed in the southern Levant simultaneously with other crafts and new social institutions, reflecting advances in social organization, cults and technology. Until recently, copper items were mostly found in the Negev and Judean Desert, while other areas, specifically the Jordan Valley, were considered poor, with limited copper finds. Recent excavations at Late Chalcolithic Fazael in the Jordan Valley yielded dozens of copper items that allow for the first time a comprehensive study of copper items from this area. The assemblage is one of the largest of any site in the Late Chalcolithic period and includes most of the known components of the Late Chalcolithic copper industry. The current paper presents the new metallurgical discoveries from the Fazael Basin and discusses their significance to our understanding of the Late Chalcolithic copper industry.
Tsaf decoration motifs have been known for over 45 years now, first described after R. Gophna's e... more Tsaf decoration motifs have been known for over 45 years now, first described after R. Gophna's excavations at Middle Chalcolithic (ca. 5200-4700 cal BCE) Tel Tsaf in the Jordan Valley, Israel, during 1978-1980. While this type of decorated pottery was also found in other sites in the region, very limited data has been published. This data scarcity resulted in a fragmentary view of the phenomenon and consequently, the Tel Tsaf decoration motifs were regarded by many scholars as a monolithic phenomenon. The current paper represents a focused effort to analyze an assemblage of 682 sherds bearing the Tel Tsaf decoration, unearthed at the eponymous site between 2013 and 2022. We conduct a detailed attribute analysis that includes stylistic, morphometric, and contextual studies of the decorated vessels and the decoration repertoire itself. Through the analyses, we address internal variability of Tel Tsaf decoration style, emphasizing the local origin and complexity of the phenomenon in the cultural landscape of the Middle Chalcolithic in the southern Levant.
Wood and basketry artefacts rarely survive in the prehistoric record since they require
exception... more Wood and basketry artefacts rarely survive in the prehistoric record since they require exceptional conditions for preservation; as a result, the current knowledge about when and how prehistoric societies used these basic organic raw materials is limited. Focusing on the southern Levant, we discuss for the first time a collection of 16 late prehistoric organic artefacts found in underwater research conducted in the last forty years off the coast of the Carmel Ridge (Israel). The waterlogged finds, including bowls, shafts, a wedge, a trough, a pitchfork, logs, a mat, and a basket, were found at sites spanning from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic to Middle Chalcolithic periods (ninth–seventh millennia cal. BP), constituting an unprecedented record of prehistoric wood and other perishable materials, providing us with new information about raw material preferences and manufacturing technologies.
The Early Bronze Age in the southern Levant is associated with the onset of urbanization processe... more The Early Bronze Age in the southern Levant is associated with the onset of urbanization processes, expressed through the emergence of walled, densely populated settlements. The local agro-pastoral economy faced new challenges regarding subsistence of the aggregated communities. We compare ground stone tool assemblages involved in food processing from rural, fortified non-urban, and urban settlements in an attempt to understand the impact of the urbanization process on foodways during that period. Additionally, we explore food processing technologies and preferences as indicators of social complexity and urban development. The results point to specialized production and wide distribution of high-quality, standardized grinding implements and, consequently, an intensification of staple food provision. We propose that this phenomenon is associated with a change of socioeconomic priorities that comes with the onset of urbanism, causing a decline of the basalt bowl industry and reorganization of the food processing habitus within growing settlements. We also propose that the enhanced organization of food production concerned mainly the early urban centers, whereas villages display higher variability in modes of food processing and tendencies to utilize easily accessible materials. This indicates an opportunistic approach regarding food processing technologies and/or higher variability of local staple food resources in the rural peripheries.
The Late Chalcolithic period of the southern Levant is frequently regarded as a tipping point, wi... more The Late Chalcolithic period of the southern Levant is frequently regarded as a tipping point, with a notable increase in social and technological complexity. This time span also features many examples of 'special' classes of artefacts that first appeared during this period and changed or disappeared during the transition to the Early Bronze Age. One of the oddest Late Chalcolithic tool types, which has no parallels in earlier or later periods, is the perforated flint disc. This paper presents a group of perforated objects and related items found at the Late Chalcolithic site of Fazael in the Jordan Valley. This assemblage attributes the site, recently acknowledged as a significant metallurgical center, additional importance. In the current paper we discuss the significance of the new finds in the context of the site and of the Chalcolithic period of the southern Levant.
Recent survey and excavation at Tel 'Ein Jezreel, located in the Jezreel Valley directly above th... more Recent survey and excavation at Tel 'Ein Jezreel, located in the Jezreel Valley directly above the spring of 'Ein Jezreel, revealed evidence for settlement from the Neolithic Period through the modern era.
Fish are a prominent source of nutrients, yet in the southern Levant, clear evidence for fishing ... more Fish are a prominent source of nutrients, yet in the southern Levant, clear evidence for fishing was scarce before the historic periods. In the current paper, we present the evidence for Natufian (ca. 15,000-11,700 cal BP) fishing with an emphasis on fishhooks, representing one of the best examples of an artefact that reached its morphological optimum thousands of years ago and continued to be widely used today. While fishing using various techniques and implements was probably in use well before the Natufian, this innovation seems to represent a new technique, more restricted and controlled, for obtaining this food source.
Fiber technology (cordage and textile) has played a central role in all human societies for thous... more Fiber technology (cordage and textile) has played a central role in all human societies for thousands of years, and its production, application and exchange have deep roots in prehistory. However, fiber remains have only rarely been observed in prehistoric sites because they tend to decay quickly in normal environmental conditions. To overcome preservation problems of macroscopic remains, we employed microbotanical analysis on soils from anthropogenic sediments in activity areas at Tel Tsaf in the Jordan Valley, Israel (ca. 5,200–4,700 cal BC), and recovered fiber microremains. This includes at least two types of bast fibers and the earliest evidence of cotton in the Near East, some of which were dyed in various colors. Some of these fibers likely represent the remnants of ancient clothing, fabric containers, cordage, or other belongings. The cotton remains, probably derived from wild species originating in South Asia, predate the oldest known cotton domestication in the Indus Valle...
Eight olivine beads found at the Middle Chalcolithic site of Tel Tsaf (ca. 5,200–4,700 cal. BC), ... more Eight olivine beads found at the Middle Chalcolithic site of Tel Tsaf (ca. 5,200–4,700 cal. BC), Jordan Valley, Israel, underscore a new facet of interregional exchange for this period. The current paper presents the olivine beads assemblage, its morphometric and technological characteristics, and chemical composition. The results of the chemical analysis suggest that all eight beads derive from the same source. By means of comparison with the chemical characteristics of known olivine sources, we argue for a northeastern African–western Arabian provenience and cautiously suggest Ethiopia as a probable origin. Finally, we discuss the significance of the assemblage, its possible origin, and the mechanisms that may have brought the beads to the site.
It has long been recognized that the use of beads for bodily adornment was a powerful means of cr... more It has long been recognized that the use of beads for bodily adornment was a powerful means of creating and expressing social identities. Their symbolic significance and meaning-making lies in the intersection of how and where they are worn, their life histories of production and ownership, the time and skill invested in their manufacture, plus the cosmological import and values accorded their raw materials. While obsidian is known to have traveled to the southern Levant from various Anatolian sources since the Epipalaeolithic period, its use to make beads is rare. Over eight seasons, excavations at Tel Tsaf (ca. 5,200-4,700 cal. BC) in the Jordan Valley, Israel, have produced the richest obsidian bead assemblage in the southern Levant, part of a larger set of objects, and raw materials that attest to this Middle Chalcolithic community's participation in long-distance exchange networks. This paper details the obsidian bead assemblage, its morphometric and technological characteristics, and raw material sources based on their chemical compositions. It then discusses the assemblage's broader socioeconomic significance, and the possible means through which members of the community came to procure them.
How hunter-gatherers manipulated and utilised their natural surroundings is a widely studied topi... more How hunter-gatherers manipulated and utilised their natural surroundings is a widely studied topic among anthropologists and archaeologists alike. This focuses on the Natufian culture of the Late Epipalaeolithic period (c.15–11.7 kyr), the last Levantine hunter-gatherer population, and specifically on the earliest composite tools designed for harvesting. These tools are widely referred to as sickles. They consisted of a haft into which a groove was cut and flint inserts affixed. This revolutionised harvesting and established it on new grounds. While the plants manipulated by these tools are yet to be identified with certainty, it is evident that these implements were rapidly integrated and dispersed throughout the Natufian interaction sphere, suggesting that they provided a significant advantage, which probably constituted a critical step toward agriculture. At the same time, the Natufian haft assemblage demonstrates high morphometric variability. We review the available data concer...
Late Chalcolithic metallurgy developed in the southern Levant simultaneously with other crafts an... more Late Chalcolithic metallurgy developed in the southern Levant simultaneously with other crafts and new social institutions, reflecting advances in social organization, cults and technology. Until recently, copper items were mostly found in the Negev and Judean Desert, while other areas, specifically the Jordan Valley, were considered poor, with limited copper finds. Recent excavations at Late Chalcolithic Fazael in the Jordan Valley yielded dozens of copper items that allow for the first time a comprehensive study of copper items from this area. The assemblage is one of the largest of any site in the Late Chalcolithic period and includes most of the known components of the Late Chalcolithic copper industry. The current paper presents the new metallurgical discoveries from the Fazael Basin and discusses their significance to our understanding of the Late Chalcolithic copper industry.
this is the discussion at the end of a long and detailed final excavation report on the ground-st... more this is the discussion at the end of a long and detailed final excavation report on the ground-stone Industry of Shaar Hagolan, a Pottery Neolithic site in the central Jordan Valley, Israel.
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exceptional conditions for preservation; as a result, the current knowledge about when and how
prehistoric societies used these basic organic raw materials is limited. Focusing on the southern
Levant, we discuss for the first time a collection of 16 late prehistoric organic artefacts found in
underwater research conducted in the last forty years off the coast of the Carmel Ridge (Israel).
The waterlogged finds, including bowls, shafts, a wedge, a trough, a pitchfork, logs, a mat, and a
basket, were found at sites spanning from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic to Middle Chalcolithic periods
(ninth–seventh millennia cal. BP), constituting an unprecedented record of prehistoric wood and
other perishable materials, providing us with new information about raw material preferences and
manufacturing technologies.
exceptional conditions for preservation; as a result, the current knowledge about when and how
prehistoric societies used these basic organic raw materials is limited. Focusing on the southern
Levant, we discuss for the first time a collection of 16 late prehistoric organic artefacts found in
underwater research conducted in the last forty years off the coast of the Carmel Ridge (Israel).
The waterlogged finds, including bowls, shafts, a wedge, a trough, a pitchfork, logs, a mat, and a
basket, were found at sites spanning from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic to Middle Chalcolithic periods
(ninth–seventh millennia cal. BP), constituting an unprecedented record of prehistoric wood and
other perishable materials, providing us with new information about raw material preferences and
manufacturing technologies.