- Prehistoric Archaeology, Upper Paleolithic, Levant Prehistory and Protohistory, Neolithic Archaeology, Epipalaeolithic, Lithic Technology, and 27 moreNeolithic, Lithics, Settlement & Landscape research, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Stone tools, Lithic Refitting, Archaeology of Ritual and Magic, Computer Applications & Quantitative Methods in Archaeology (CAA), Archaeology, Archaeological Method & Theory, Near Eastern Archaeology, Archaeological GIS, Chaîne Opératoire, Natufian culture in the Levant, Mesolithic/Epipalaeolithic Archaeology, Mesolithic technology, Aurignacian, Lithic Analysis, The Neolithic Revolution, PPNA /PPNB /PPNC, Neolithic Transition, Climate Change and Adaptation, Balkan prehistory, Religion and ritual in prehistory, Mediterranean prehistory, Upper Palaeolithic, and Prehistoryedit
The Early Epipaleolithic (EEP) of the Southern Levant, roughly dated to 25-18 ka BP, is characterized by microlithic industries with highly variable synchronic and geographic techno-typological characteristics, the chronology of which... more
The Early Epipaleolithic (EEP) of the Southern Levant, roughly dated to 25-18 ka BP, is characterized by microlithic industries with highly variable synchronic and geographic techno-typological characteristics, the
chronology of which remains poorly understood. Here, we present the results from excavations at Idan VII, a well-preserved site amongst a cluster of newly discovered EEP occurrences in the hyper-arid Arava Valley, Israel. The finds are embedded within the Late Pleistocene Lisan Formation lacustrine sediments, an extensively studied paleo-hydroclimatic archive in the Rift Valley. This unique situation enables contextualization of the archaeological finds within the detailed paleoclimatic chronology. The data presented include the stratigraphy (geomorphology and micro-geoarchaeology), relative (related to
paleo-lake curve) and absolute (radiocarbon and U–Th) chronology, and archaeological (lithics, faunal and botanical) remains. The results demonstrate that the Idan EEP occurrences are situated within a localized
relatively short-lived paleo-wetland area adjacent to Lake Lisan, during or immediately after the extremely cool and locally dry Heinrich Event 2 (H2), ca. 24 ka BP. The results are critically examined with respect to available radiocarbon dates from EEP archaeological sites in the Southern Levant. These, together with the geomorphological evidence, indicate that the Idan VII assemblage, while superficially resembling the so-called ‘Late Kebaran’ industry, actually significantly predates its most pertinent techno-typological analogs, highlighting the necessity of re-evaluating the Kebaran complex”. Rather, it is coeval with the local, but unrelated ‘Masraqan’ and ‘Nebekian’ industries at the very onset of the EEP,
demonstrating the high degree of Last Glacial Maximum hunter-gatherer cultural diversity then present in the Levant. In contextualizing the results within the Northern Hemisphere chrono-climatic framework, we conclude that within the Southern Levant, the H2 provides a solid chrono-climatic anchor for the appearance of fully-fledged backed bladelets microlithic industries, which probably reflects a technological change in composite projectile hunting gear that occurred during the EEP.
chronology of which remains poorly understood. Here, we present the results from excavations at Idan VII, a well-preserved site amongst a cluster of newly discovered EEP occurrences in the hyper-arid Arava Valley, Israel. The finds are embedded within the Late Pleistocene Lisan Formation lacustrine sediments, an extensively studied paleo-hydroclimatic archive in the Rift Valley. This unique situation enables contextualization of the archaeological finds within the detailed paleoclimatic chronology. The data presented include the stratigraphy (geomorphology and micro-geoarchaeology), relative (related to
paleo-lake curve) and absolute (radiocarbon and U–Th) chronology, and archaeological (lithics, faunal and botanical) remains. The results demonstrate that the Idan EEP occurrences are situated within a localized
relatively short-lived paleo-wetland area adjacent to Lake Lisan, during or immediately after the extremely cool and locally dry Heinrich Event 2 (H2), ca. 24 ka BP. The results are critically examined with respect to available radiocarbon dates from EEP archaeological sites in the Southern Levant. These, together with the geomorphological evidence, indicate that the Idan VII assemblage, while superficially resembling the so-called ‘Late Kebaran’ industry, actually significantly predates its most pertinent techno-typological analogs, highlighting the necessity of re-evaluating the Kebaran complex”. Rather, it is coeval with the local, but unrelated ‘Masraqan’ and ‘Nebekian’ industries at the very onset of the EEP,
demonstrating the high degree of Last Glacial Maximum hunter-gatherer cultural diversity then present in the Levant. In contextualizing the results within the Northern Hemisphere chrono-climatic framework, we conclude that within the Southern Levant, the H2 provides a solid chrono-climatic anchor for the appearance of fully-fledged backed bladelets microlithic industries, which probably reflects a technological change in composite projectile hunting gear that occurred during the EEP.
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With the onset of the Near Eastern Neolithic during the 12th millennium cal BP, and thereafter, one can observe growing sedentary tendencies, as well a significant increase in populations and community sizes, all reflected in the... more
With the onset of the Near Eastern Neolithic during the 12th millennium cal BP, and thereafter, one can observe growing sedentary tendencies, as well a significant increase in populations and community sizes, all reflected in the Neolithic demographic transition. At that time (and even somewhat earlier in certain areas) a notable tendency for within and between community differentiation was observed, archaeologically visible through the variances in the material remains. A specific domain where this phenomenon can be observed are the easily portable items of adornment. The aspiration for symbolling and signaling at both the community level and the individual served to increase webs of interactions and exchange between communities, sometimes over huge distances. The differences and the similarities actually reflected the degree and intensity of connectivity between the communities far and wide.
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People tend to belong to multiple social circles, which construct and reflect a person's social identity. Group affiliation is embodied and may be expressed by personal adornment. Personal adornment in general has multiple functions in... more
People tend to belong to multiple social circles, which construct and reflect a person's social identity. Group affiliation is embodied and may be expressed by personal adornment. Personal adornment in general has multiple functions in human societies, among them the assimilation and transmission of different aspects of personal and collective, social and cultural identity. Beads in general, including shell beads, often constitute parcels of composite adornment, and as such are used in different configurations to portray these messages. The shared use of similar bead types by different individuals and communities indicates the mutual affiliation of the sharing parties to the same cultural circles and reflects social ties and relationships. The Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) period in the Levant is a time of pivotal changes to human lifeways necessitating profound adjustments in all aspects of life, including social relations and networks. Here we use the shell bead assemblage from the cultic-mortuary aggregation site of Kfar HaHoresh, in comparison to shell bead assemblages from multiple other sites in the Levant, as a proxy for the exploration of local and regional networks and connections between PPNB communities. Multivariate analyses of shell bead type distribution patterns across the Levant demonstrate that some types were widely shared among different communities, characterising different geographic regions, while others were rare or unique, highlighting relationships between sites and regions, which are occasionally independent of geographic proximity. Specific occurrences of shared shell bead types between Kfar HaHoresh and compared sites further illuminate the web of connections between PPNB communities in the Levant and the varying breadths of sharingpatterns reflect the hierarchical nature of the underlying social circles. Outlining these widening social affiliations sheds light on the complex structure of Neolithic social identity.
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This paper examines the nature of initial neolithisation indications during the terminal Pleistocene and earliest Holocene in the Southern Levant. This interval corresponds to a period of significant and geographically variable... more
This paper examines the nature of initial neolithisation indications during the terminal Pleistocene and earliest Holocene in the Southern Levant. This interval corresponds to a period of significant and geographically variable environmental changes in the region. Various lines of evidence are provided to demonstrate the long durée (c. 15 000 years) character of interactions during the Early, Middle and Late Epipalaeolithic that were instrumental to the emergence of the fullyfledged agricultural life ways in the later phases of the Early Neolithic (PPNB).
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Until some 30 years ago all of the Upper Paleolithic occurrences postdating the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition and predating the Epipaleolithic in the Levant were related in one way or another to various stages of the... more
Until some 30 years ago all of the Upper Paleolithic occurrences postdating the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition and predating the Epipaleolithic in the Levant were related in one way or another to various stages of the Aurignacian (eg, Copeland, 1975). In other words, ...
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The dynamics of Epipalaeolithic and Early Neolithic adaptations in the southern Levant from areas west of the Rift Valley are briefly described and evaluated against the backdrop of climatic changes. Taking account of recent advances in... more
The dynamics of Epipalaeolithic and Early Neolithic adaptations in the southern Levant from areas west of the Rift Valley are briefly described and evaluated against the backdrop of climatic changes. Taking account of recent advances in environmental studies and important revisions in the chronological framework of pollen diagrams from the Hula, a high degree of correlation between environmental and cultural developments is apparent. The variable nature of environmental changes and the mosaic of ecological zonation on human adaptive systems are stressed, with differentiation between : long-term incremental trends; sudden climatic changes; and predictable annual fluctuations about a mean. The nature and flexibility of the responses by communities to such external changes depended upon specific combinations of technological, social and ideological, psychological as well as idiosyncratic factors. Favourable niches alternately expanded or contracted. At times human adaptation systems in...
Research Interests: Paleobiology, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Climate Change Adaptation, Settlement Patterns, and 10 moreBiology, Mesolithic/Epipalaeolithic Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, Environmental Change, Quaternary, Natufian, Archaeology of the Levant, Epipaleolithic-Neolithic transition, Late Quaternary, and Paléorient
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Volcanic Cappadocia is a unique region in Anatolia, having a diverse geology that has provided prehistoric communities with a variety of raw material sources, including obsidian, basalt and tufa, as well as water resources in the... more
Volcanic Cappadocia is a unique region in Anatolia, having a diverse geology that has provided prehistoric communities with a variety of raw material sources, including obsidian, basalt and tufa, as well as water resources in the catchment area of the Melendiz River and its tributaries. However, data on the presence of local prehistoric communities in the region has been scarce. Of late, studies concentrated on the transition from a mobile hunter-gatherer way of life to sedentism and food production in the region. Recent research at Aşıklı Höyük has provided substantial evidence on the processes of early sedentism of a mid-9th and 8th millennium calBCE community on the banks of the Melendiz River. However, an in-depth understanding of the cultural context of the transition to sedentism required further research. The Cappadocia Prehistoric Survey (CAPs) was initiated in 2016 to gain further data on this timeframe. Three seasons of survey and the subsequent excavations at the newly discovered site of Balıklı since 2018 provide new evidence on the early Neolithic communities and the diversity of lifeways towards the end of the 9th and the beginning of the 8th millennium calBCE in the region, which is the main focus of this study.
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Kfar HaHoresh is a Pre-Pottery Neolithic B mortuary and ritual site located in the lower Galilee, northern Israel. Fifteen seasons of excavation have revealed prolonged and intensive occupation for much of the PPNB (ca. 8750-7,250 calBC).... more
Kfar HaHoresh is a Pre-Pottery Neolithic B mortuary and ritual site located in the lower Galilee, northern Israel. Fifteen seasons of excavation have revealed prolonged and intensive occupation for much of the PPNB (ca. 8750-7,250 calBC). While presenting a unique opportunity for the research of Neolithization processes in the region, such a complex and intricate sequence poses many challenges relating to stratigraphic and spatial analyses. This paper presents a new methodology aimed at dividing the bulk of the excavated features into stratigraphic analytical units. This methodology, based on GIS applications, emphasizes a three-dimensional approach to the analysis of the spatial distributions of both the architectural remains and the small finds, facilitating subsequent contextual analyses. The preliminary results of the KHH pilot study are presented, highlighting the importance of applying GIS in intra-site contexts.
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Rapport final des fouilles du site preceramique B d'Ein Qadis I (Sinai) : etude et classification de l'industrie lithique et description du materiel malacologique (mollusques marins)
Research Interests: Archaeology and Pottery
Abstract The development of agro-pastoral communities in the southern Levant is associated with a diversity of dietary and food practices, as indicated by the variability found between sites in the specific and relative representation of... more
Abstract The development of agro-pastoral communities in the southern Levant is associated with a diversity of dietary and food practices, as indicated by the variability found between sites in the specific and relative representation of plant and animal species. The ground stone tools (GST), commonly employed to reduce a matter into smaller particles, are examined here in order to further explore food practices in such contexts. This article discusses how GST analysis can contribute to unravel the types of food processed, the end-products obtained, and social contexts of production and consumption. Based on the analysis of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB ~8600-6350 cal. BC) assemblages of Kfar HaHoresh and Beisamoun, and on comparisons with other contemporary sites, it is argued that the observed variability in GST most likely reflects differences in the types of resources exploited, the range of processing methods, as well as in “grinding habitus” and culinary recipes. Keywords Prehistory, Origins of Agriculture; Southwest Asia; Pre-Pottery Neolithic; Material Culture; Ground stone tool; Functional analysis; Food practices; Culinary traditions Résumé Le développement des communautés agro-pastorales dans le Sud du Levant est associé à une grande diversité des pratiques alimentaires. Ceci transparaît en premier lieu dans la variabilité des assemblages de restes végétaux et fauniques mis au jour. Cet article examine la contribution de l’analyse des outils de broyage à l’étude des pratiques alimentaires. On discute des méthodes d’analyse et des types d’interprétation possibles, en termes de fonction des outils, de reconstitution des modes de préparation des aliments ainsi que des contextes socio-culturels de consommation. L’étude de deux séries archéologiques (Kfar HaHoresh et Beisamoun) datant du Néolithique pré-céramique B (PPNB env. 8600-6350 cal. BC) ainsi qu’une comparaison avec des assemblages contemporains met en lumière la variabilité des outils de broyage utilisés par les premières sociétés agricoles. Cette variabilité est ici mise en relation avec une diversité des denrées exploitées, des gestes et modes de transformation et finalement des pratiques culinaires. Mots clés Préhistoire; origine de l’agriculture; pratiques alimentaires; traditions culinaires; Sud du Levant; Néolithique pré-céramique; outils de broyage; études fonctionnelles; tracéologie
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This paper examines the nature of initial neolithisation indications during the terminal Pleistocene and earliest Holocene in the Southern Levant. This interval corresponds to a period of significant and geographically variable... more
This paper examines the nature of initial neolithisation indications during the terminal Pleistocene and earliest Holocene in the Southern Levant. This interval corresponds to a period of significant and geographically variable environmental changes in the region. Various lines of evidence are provided to demonstrate the long durée (~15 000 years) character of interactions during the Early, Middle and Late Epipalaeolithic that were instrumental to the emergence of the fullyfledged agricultural life ways in the later phases of the Early Neolithic (PPNB). IZVLE∞EK – V ≠lanku raziskujemo naravo kazalcev za≠etne neolitizacije v ≠asu kon≠nega pleistocena in najzgodnej∏ega holocena na obmo≠ju ju∫ne Levante. V tem ≠asu je pri∏lo do pomembnih, vendar geografsko razli≠nih okoljskih sprememb v regiji. Ponujamo razli≠ne dokaze o dolgoro≠ni (ok. 15 000 let) naravi interakcij v ≠asu zgodnjega, srednjega in poznega epipaleolitika, ki so bili klju≠ni pri oblikovanju razvitih na≠inov poljedelstva v...
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Abstract Shells found at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B site of Yiftahel reflect various aspects of the cultic, social, and economic life at the site. Taxonomically, the assemblage is typical to sites in the Mediterranean climatic zone,... more
Abstract Shells found at the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B site of Yiftahel reflect various aspects of the cultic, social, and economic life at the site. Taxonomically, the assemblage is typical to sites in the Mediterranean climatic zone, dominated by Mediterranean bivalves with several local gastropods and a few specimens originating from the Red Sea. This composition reflects the community's observation of local norms as well as their participation in wide-ranging regional interaction networks with remote populations. Shells were found across the site, yet several exceptional contexts of shell deposition shed light on specific shell-related behaviours practiced on-site. A shell cache, unique in the PPNB, was found in an open courtyard of a public building, possibly related to both ritualistic as well as socio-economic aspects of life at Yiftahel. Shells were also found embedded in the eye-sockets of three plastered skulls found at the site, demonstrating the incorporation of shells in the cultic life of the community, as well as nuances of this practice in the region. Shells were found to have had multiple significant meanings and community-wide roles in many aspects of life at Yiftahel.
There is a general consensus that the Ahmarian techno-complex represents an endemic Upper Palaeolithic entity that emerged in south-western Asia. Its entrenchment in the region is apparent over a long chronological span and a wide... more
There is a general consensus that the Ahmarian techno-complex represents an endemic Upper Palaeolithic entity that emerged in south-western Asia. Its entrenchment in the region is apparent over a long chronological span and a wide geographic range, as is most especially apparent in the Levant. Notwithstanding diachronic and synchronic variability, its basic parameters have been widely recognized since it was first defined over 30 years ago. The Ahmarian characterization is based on certain intrinsic features as well as on the absence of hallmarks of other Upper Palaeolithic entities identified in the region.
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Abstract The emergence of the Upper Palaeolithic in Southwest Asia is considered a unique phenomenon in relation to other parts of the Old World. Besides the local circumstances that are particular to each region, this is the only region... more
Abstract The emergence of the Upper Palaeolithic in Southwest Asia is considered a unique phenomenon in relation to other parts of the Old World. Besides the local circumstances that are particular to each region, this is the only region outside Africa with the clear presence of modern humans producing Middle Palaeolithic industries. Still, it seems that also here, as elsewhere outside Africa, the UP is conceived mostly as portraying a break with MP life-ways, and continuity, if indicated, is on a rather modest scale. While the geographical extent of the Levant (i.e. the eastern Mediterranean, from the Taurus Zagros mountains in the north, to southern Sinai and from the coast eastwards of the Rift valley into the Saudi Arabian deserts) is relatively small, at least four or five variants of Initial Upper Palaeolithic lithic industries have been identified/defined, based on techno-typological criteria, geographical constraints and differing chronologies, as demonstrated at Boqer Tachtit, Tor Sadaf, Ksar Akil, Umm el-Tlel, and Ucagizli. Besides the usual obstacles archaeologists face in trying to identify and define relationships between various archaeological assemblages in time and space, prehistoric research of the Levant, like other regions, suffers from its Eurocentric past and international present, whereby research reflects the different ‘weltanschauung’ and paradigms of the scholars currently conducting it. We shall attempt to present a coherent picture of the present state of affairs, as well as our own understanding of the Levantine IUP, based on the locally available data within the wider context of current prehistoric research.
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A riddle arises at the Epipaleolithic and Neolithic sites that dot the lower Jordan Valley. The area has no water resources yet it has long been a focus of inquiry into the transition from mobile hunter-gatherer to sedentary... more
A riddle arises at the Epipaleolithic and Neolithic sites that dot the lower Jordan Valley. The area has no water resources yet it has long been a focus of inquiry into the transition from mobile hunter-gatherer to sedentary agriculture-based cultures. How then is there such clear evidence of life here, and particularly at such a critical moment in human evolution? Keen to unravel this conundrum, a numerical hydrological model was devised to simulate the groundwater flow field within the Eastern Aquifer of the Judea and Samaria Mountains during the transition from the last glacial to the current interglacial. The model exhibits a range of groundwater flow regimes that prevailed in the past, demonstrating that there was once much larger groundwater discharge at these sites.
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Research Interests: Genetics, Geography, Genomics, Anatolian Archaeology, Iranian Archaeology, and 14 moreMesolithic/Epipalaeolithic Archaeology, Ancient DNA (Archaeology), Archaeology of Caucasus, Medicine, Multidisciplinary, Anatolian Prehistory, Central Anatolian Neolithic, Spatial demography, Pre-Pottery Neolithic, Early Agriculture, Origins of agriculture and sedentism, Archaeology of the Southern Levant, Hunter Gatherers, and Nature Communications
Abstract Aurochs played a prominent role in mortuary and feasting practices during the Neolithic transition in south-west Asia, although evidence of these practices is diverse and regionally varied. This article considers a new... more
Abstract Aurochs played a prominent role in mortuary and feasting practices during the Neolithic transition in south-west Asia, although evidence of these practices is diverse and regionally varied. This article considers a new concentration of aurochs bones from the southern Levantine Pre-Pottery Neolithic site of Kfar HaHoresh, situating it in a regional context through a survey of aurochs remains from other sites. Analysis shows a change in the regional pattern once animal domestication began from an emphasis on feasting to small-scale practices. These results reveal a widely shared practice of symbolic cattle use that persisted over a long period, but shifted with the beginning of animal management across the region.
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It is widely agreed that a pivotal shift from wild animal hunting to herd animal management, at least of goats, began in the southern Levant by the Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period (10,000-9,500 cal. BP) when evidence of ritual... more
It is widely agreed that a pivotal shift from wild animal hunting to herd animal management, at least of goats, began in the southern Levant by the Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period (10,000-9,500 cal. BP) when evidence of ritual activities flourished in the region. As our knowledge of this critical change grows, sites that represent different functions and multiple time periods are needed to refine the timing, pace and character of changing human-animal relationships within the geographically variable southern Levant. In particular, we investigate how a ritual site was provisioned with animals at the time when herd management first began in the region. We utilize fauna from the 2010-2012 excavations at the mortuary site of Kfar HaHoresh-the longest continuous Pre-Pottery Neolithic B faunal sequence in the south Levantine Mediterranean Hills (Early-Late periods, 10,600-8,700 cal. BP). We investigate the trade-off between wild and domestic progenitor taxa and classic demographic i...
Research Interests: Geography, Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Paleontology, Levantine Archaeology, and 15 moreArchaeozoology, Neolithic Archaeology, Medicine, Levantine prehistory, Multidisciplinary, Israel, Animal Husbandry, Animal domestication, Humans, Animals, Domestication, Goats, Cattle, Kfar Hahoresh, and Antelopes
The prehistoric site Nahal Issaron is located on the alluvial fan of Nahal Issaron, a short wadi draining into Biqat Uvda some 50 km north of Eilat. Excavated in the early 1980s, it constitutes a major Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB)... more
The prehistoric site Nahal Issaron is located on the alluvial fan of Nahal Issaron, a short wadi draining into Biqat Uvda some 50 km north of Eilat. Excavated in the early 1980s, it constitutes a major Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) layer, with continued but sporadic occupation throughout the Late Neolithic to the Chalcolithic period. In the PPNB layer, a dense agglomeration of rounded, polygonal and rectangular structures was found, with courtyards and a variety of features such as hearths and ovens. The upper layer is badly preserved, apart from the hearths and ovens. Thirty samples from the site were14C-dated in the Rehovot laboratory and five in the Pretoria laboratory. The results enabled a fine temporal resolution between layers and a refinement of the 7th through 5th millennium bc chronology. The dates also placed the sequence of changes in architecture and lithics within a more robust temporal framework, thus making the site a key chronological anchor in the Neolithic of Sou...
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Animal husbandry emerged as an important subsistence strategy at various tempos and trajectories across the southern Levant during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (ca. 8500–6500 cal bc). Here, we explore temporal variation in the emergence of... more
Animal husbandry emerged as an important subsistence strategy at various tempos and trajectories across the southern Levant during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (ca. 8500–6500 cal bc). Here, we explore temporal variation in the emergence of animal management strategies, in particular those that alter the composition of the animal diet, west of the Jordan Valley, through carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopic analyses of mountain gazelle, bezoar goat and aurochsen bone collagen from the funerary complex of Kfar HaHoresh. Analyses presented here show an extended range of carbon isotope values in the collagens of Late Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) goats relative to Middle PPNB goats, which are also enriched in 13C relative to contemporaneous gazelle. This shift may reflect a greater catchment from which morphologically wild goats derived or that some of the goats at Kfar HaHoresh were provided with some fodder. If the latter is the case, then the use of fodder by 7500 cal bc at Kfar HaHoresh is a relatively late development, emerging several hundred years after goat husbandry strategies emphasising a juvenile harvest and fodder provisioning that first came into use in the Mediterranean region of the southern Levant. There is a pronounced enrichment of nitrogen isotopes in Early PPNB aurochsen, ritually important animals derived from a unique feasting deposit, relative to that of gazelle and goats. Though this may reflect more specialised feeding behaviour in aurochsen compared to the other two bovid groups, an alternative interpretation is that the aurochsen ingested enriched 15N from manured pasture, following restriction of their movement by people. These isotopic data support the documented pattern of a delayed adoption of goat husbandry in the lower Galilee region and may point to differential developmental trajectories where some forms of animal management emerged out of ritual rather than subsistence needs.
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Belfer-Cohen, A., & A.N. Goring-Morris 2014. North and South - Variable trajectories of the Neolithic in the Levant. In Settlement, Survey, and Stone: Essays on Near Eastern Prehistory in Honour of Gary Rollefson, edited by B. Finlayson & C. Makarewicz, pp.61-71. Levant Supplementary Series & CBRLmore
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Les elements du paradigme de Jacques Cauvin sur la Neolithisation au Levant sont examines a la lumiere des recherches recentes. Nous nous attachons en particulier a celles qui sont en rapport avec la terminologie concernant la geographie... more
Les elements du paradigme de Jacques Cauvin sur la Neolithisation au Levant sont examines a la lumiere des recherches recentes. Nous nous attachons en particulier a celles qui sont en rapport avec la terminologie concernant la geographie physique et culturelle du Levant ; la necessite de considerer le processus de neolithisation dans la perspective de la longue duree, incluant l’Epipaleolithique, dans un contexte offrant differents developpements sociaux-culturels de plus en plus complexes.
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Nahal Hava: a PPNB campsite and Epipalaeolithic occupation in the central Negev highlands, Israel. In Stone Tools in Transition: From Hunter-Gatherers to Farming Societies in the Near East, edited by F. Borrell, J.J. Ibáñez & M. Molist, pp. 73-85. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona Press, Barcelon...more
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Terminal Pleistocene (ca 25-15ka) lithic assemblages from the Nile Valley and the southern Levant are compared in order to test the hypothesis of contacts between populations in these two regions, including possible “Back-to-Africa”... more
Terminal Pleistocene (ca 25-15ka) lithic assemblages from the Nile Valley and the southern Levant are compared in order to test the hypothesis of contacts between populations in these two regions, including possible “Back-to-Africa” migrations, as indicated by genetic studies , e.g. [1].
The study focuses on Late Palaeolithic chipped stone industries of the Idfu/Esna area in Upper Egypt [2], and Epipalaeolithic industries in the western Negev Desert in Israel [3]. Both regions display a high diversity of lithic assemblages with numerous industries defined for the terminal Pleistocene. These industries are characterised by bladelet production associated with microliths, some systematically manufactured using the microburin technique and others without. Lithic assemblages are compared using a
typo-technological approach, in order to reconstruct the chaînes opératoires of their production that enable the identification of common technical features between the different regions. The study of lithic artefacts has the potential of indicating technical diffusions, indicating contacts between human groups whether by the movement of ideas or actual human groups.
First, the chrono-stratigraphic context of the sites was critically reviewed. Lithic assemblages from six Early (Azariq XIII – Masraqan; Azariq IV – Kebaran; Hamifgash IV - Nizzanan) and Middle (Azariq XVI – Geometric Kebaran; Azariq XII – Mushabian;
Shunera XXI – Ramonian) Epipalaeolithic sites in the Negev have been studied, covering a time range between23-14.5 ka cal BP [4]. Most are short-term occupation sites, associated with one or two hearths, some in situ and others on deflated surfaces, although the material is fresh and an extensive refitting program was accomplished previously [5]. The two Nile Valley sites discussed in this study, E71K18 (Afian) and E71K20 (Silsilian), were not directly dated, but rather by geological correlations based on radiocarbon dating elsewhere; the lithic material shows evidence for long-term surface exposure. The contemporaneity of these sites with the Early and Middle Epipalaeolithic of the Negev cannot therefore be securely confirmed, although an attribution to the end of the Pleistocene may be indicated by comparable material in dated sites from Middle Egypt (Makhadma area) and Wadi Kubbaniya.
Notwithstanding these limitations, comparisons of the Nile Valley and the Negev lithic assemblages indicate the presence of three technical complexes, i.e. two in the Levant (Masraqan/Kebaran/Geometric Kebaran vs Nizzanan/Mushabian/Ramonian) and one in the Nile Valley, which are highly distinct from one another from a technological point of view. This includes: preparation of core striking platforms, techniques of percussion, direction of debitage, presence and modalities of the application of the microburin technique. They also differ from a typological point of view (one or two standardised microlithic morphotypes in the Levant vs atypical geometric microliths or truncations in the Nile Valley). The assemblages of the Negev and Nile Valley probably reflect two distinct cultural spheres with little, if any, contact between each other. Rather than supporting the hypothesis of contacts between human groups at the end of the Pleistocene, our results support a hypothesis of isolation between the two regions during this period. However, this needs to be further investigated by studying other assemblages from the Nile Valley with more secure chrono-stratigraphic contexts.
Acknowledgements: We thank the Fyssen Foundation for supporting this research (grant to AL), the staff at the Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan of the British Museum of London for help in accessing the “Wendorf Collection” (Late Palaeolithic Nile Valley sites). Many thanks to Professor Erella Hovers for her support and valuable comments throughout this research.
References:
[1] Hodgson, J.A., Mulligan, C.J., Al-Meeri, A., Raaum, R.L., 2014. Early Back-to-Africa Migration into the Horn of Africa. PLoS Genet. 10, e1004393.
[2] Wendorf, F., Schild, R., 1976. Prehistory of the Nile Valley, Studies in Archaeology. Academic Press, New York.
[3] Goring-Morris, A.N., 1987. At the edge: terminal Pleistocene hunter-gatherers in the Negev and Sinai. BAR-IS 361, Oxford.
[4] Belfer-Cohen, A., Goring-Morris, A.N., 2014. e Upper Palaeolithic and Earlier Epi-Palaeolithic of Western Asia. In: Renfrew, C., Bahn, P. (Eds.), e Cambridge World Prehistory. CUP, Cambridge, pp. 1381–1407.
[5] Goring-Morris, A.N., Marder, O., Davidzon, A., Ibrahim, F., 1998. Putting Humpty together again: Preliminary observations on refitting studies in the eastern Mediterranean. In: Milliken, S. (Ed.), e Organization of Lithic Technology in Late Glacial and Early Postglacial Europe. BAR-IS 700, Oxford, pp. 149–82.
The study focuses on Late Palaeolithic chipped stone industries of the Idfu/Esna area in Upper Egypt [2], and Epipalaeolithic industries in the western Negev Desert in Israel [3]. Both regions display a high diversity of lithic assemblages with numerous industries defined for the terminal Pleistocene. These industries are characterised by bladelet production associated with microliths, some systematically manufactured using the microburin technique and others without. Lithic assemblages are compared using a
typo-technological approach, in order to reconstruct the chaînes opératoires of their production that enable the identification of common technical features between the different regions. The study of lithic artefacts has the potential of indicating technical diffusions, indicating contacts between human groups whether by the movement of ideas or actual human groups.
First, the chrono-stratigraphic context of the sites was critically reviewed. Lithic assemblages from six Early (Azariq XIII – Masraqan; Azariq IV – Kebaran; Hamifgash IV - Nizzanan) and Middle (Azariq XVI – Geometric Kebaran; Azariq XII – Mushabian;
Shunera XXI – Ramonian) Epipalaeolithic sites in the Negev have been studied, covering a time range between23-14.5 ka cal BP [4]. Most are short-term occupation sites, associated with one or two hearths, some in situ and others on deflated surfaces, although the material is fresh and an extensive refitting program was accomplished previously [5]. The two Nile Valley sites discussed in this study, E71K18 (Afian) and E71K20 (Silsilian), were not directly dated, but rather by geological correlations based on radiocarbon dating elsewhere; the lithic material shows evidence for long-term surface exposure. The contemporaneity of these sites with the Early and Middle Epipalaeolithic of the Negev cannot therefore be securely confirmed, although an attribution to the end of the Pleistocene may be indicated by comparable material in dated sites from Middle Egypt (Makhadma area) and Wadi Kubbaniya.
Notwithstanding these limitations, comparisons of the Nile Valley and the Negev lithic assemblages indicate the presence of three technical complexes, i.e. two in the Levant (Masraqan/Kebaran/Geometric Kebaran vs Nizzanan/Mushabian/Ramonian) and one in the Nile Valley, which are highly distinct from one another from a technological point of view. This includes: preparation of core striking platforms, techniques of percussion, direction of debitage, presence and modalities of the application of the microburin technique. They also differ from a typological point of view (one or two standardised microlithic morphotypes in the Levant vs atypical geometric microliths or truncations in the Nile Valley). The assemblages of the Negev and Nile Valley probably reflect two distinct cultural spheres with little, if any, contact between each other. Rather than supporting the hypothesis of contacts between human groups at the end of the Pleistocene, our results support a hypothesis of isolation between the two regions during this period. However, this needs to be further investigated by studying other assemblages from the Nile Valley with more secure chrono-stratigraphic contexts.
Acknowledgements: We thank the Fyssen Foundation for supporting this research (grant to AL), the staff at the Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan of the British Museum of London for help in accessing the “Wendorf Collection” (Late Palaeolithic Nile Valley sites). Many thanks to Professor Erella Hovers for her support and valuable comments throughout this research.
References:
[1] Hodgson, J.A., Mulligan, C.J., Al-Meeri, A., Raaum, R.L., 2014. Early Back-to-Africa Migration into the Horn of Africa. PLoS Genet. 10, e1004393.
[2] Wendorf, F., Schild, R., 1976. Prehistory of the Nile Valley, Studies in Archaeology. Academic Press, New York.
[3] Goring-Morris, A.N., 1987. At the edge: terminal Pleistocene hunter-gatherers in the Negev and Sinai. BAR-IS 361, Oxford.
[4] Belfer-Cohen, A., Goring-Morris, A.N., 2014. e Upper Palaeolithic and Earlier Epi-Palaeolithic of Western Asia. In: Renfrew, C., Bahn, P. (Eds.), e Cambridge World Prehistory. CUP, Cambridge, pp. 1381–1407.
[5] Goring-Morris, A.N., Marder, O., Davidzon, A., Ibrahim, F., 1998. Putting Humpty together again: Preliminary observations on refitting studies in the eastern Mediterranean. In: Milliken, S. (Ed.), e Organization of Lithic Technology in Late Glacial and Early Postglacial Europe. BAR-IS 700, Oxford, pp. 149–82.
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Cylindrical objects made usually of fired clay but sometimes of stone were found at the Yarmukian Pottery Neolithic sites of Sha'ar HaGolan and Munhata (first half of the 8 th millennium BP) in the Jordan Valley. Similar objects have been... more
Cylindrical objects made usually of fired clay but sometimes of stone were found at the Yarmukian Pottery Neolithic sites of Sha'ar HaGolan and Munhata (first half of the 8 th millennium BP) in the Jordan Valley. Similar objects have been reported from other Near Eastern Pottery Neolithic sites. Most scholars have interpreted them as cultic objects in the shape of phalli, while others have referred to them in more general terms as ''clay pestles,'' ''clay rods,'' and ''cylindrical clay objects.'' Re-examination of these artifacts leads us to present a new interpretation of their function and to suggest a reconstruction of their technology and mode of use. We suggest that these objects were components of fire drills and consider them the earliest evidence of a complex technology of fire ignition, which incorporates the cylindrical objects in the role of matches.