Papers by Mae Goder-Goldberger
Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology, 2025
Revisiting collections from old excavations with new research objectives and analytical tools bri... more Revisiting collections from old excavations with new research objectives and analytical tools brings them to life and integrates them into evolving models of human-landscape interactions. This paper examines hominin behaviour and adaptations at the late Middle Palaeolithic open air camp site Far'ah II, dated to ~ 49 ka by analyzing the spatial patterning of assemblages from the 1976-1978 excavation seasons. This was facilitated by the large area excavated and the fact that all lithics and most bones larger than 2.5 mm were recorded using three dimensional coordinates. Examining the refitted flint sequences highlights the use of variable technological systems, including the Levallois unidirectional convergent method. Use wear on the ground stone tools suggests they were used for knapping as well as food processing, and the faunal assemblage reflects a wide range of species that were consumed on-site. By combining lithic refitting studies and spatial mapping of artefact and bone distribution using GIS, we have dissected the occupation history and demonstrate that the living floor defined during the excavations actually consists of at least two different occupation events, that partially overlap in the central area of the site. This analysis demonstrates that Far'ah II was probably a favoured locality, revisited by Middle Palaeolithic hominins due to its proximity to a rich mosaic of habitats.
Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 2025
In recent years, archaeological research has demonstrated the presence of abstract non-utilitaria... more In recent years, archaeological research has demonstrated the presence of abstract non-utilitarian behaviour amongst palaeolithic
hominins, fuelling discussions concerning the origin and implications of such complex behaviours. A key component in these
discussions is the aesthetic and symbolic character of intentionally incised artefacts. In this study, we emphasize the geometry
of the incisions as clues to intentionality. Using 3D surface analysis, we characterised incisions found on a Levallois core from
Manot cave, and on a flake and retouched blade from Amud cave. In addition, we applied the same methodology to the previously
published engraved Levallois core from Qafzeh and the plaquette from Quneitra. The incisions on the Manot, Qafzeh and Quneitra
artefacts show similar geometric characteristics. Notably in each of these cases, the incisions form patterns that align with the
artefact’s surface topography and shape. In contrast, the incisions on the Amud artefacts are shallower, with no clear orientation
or patterning. The methodology applied thus creates a comparative context for MP incised items, reinforcing the interpretation
of the Manot, Qafzeh and Quneitra artefacts as deliberate engravings, whereas the marks on the items from Amud are consistent
with their functional use as abraders. While the Qafzeh, Quneitra and Manot items are isolated initiatives in their chronological
and geographic contexts, the shared traits of the intentional engravings underscore their predetermined nature.
Antiquity, 2023
The northwestern Negev is an under-researched ecotonal region. We excavated two late Middle Palae... more The northwestern Negev is an under-researched ecotonal region. We excavated two late Middle Palaeolithic open-air sites and recovered rich lithic industries that could be refitted, as well as remains of fauna, and charcoal. Palaeoenvironmental information and dates indicate interesting inter-site differences.
Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology, 2023
Following renewed excavations at Boker Tachtit (2013-2015), a revised study of the lithic assembl... more Following renewed excavations at Boker Tachtit (2013-2015), a revised study of the lithic assemblage techno-typological characteristics was conducted placing it within a regional context. The growing number of archaeological sites in the Levantine desert regions assigned to the Initial Upper Paleolithic calls for an updated perspective regarding technological affinities and social interaction. Combining the techno-typological data from the new and old excavations at Boker Tachtit with previously published material suggest a transitional continuum within the sequence. The techno-typological shift seen within the Boker Tachtit sequence and its comparison to other assemblages from penecontemporaneous sites in the region indicates that the Initial Upper Paleolithic technological practices evolved through incremental processes resulting in novel technological traits and innovative technological systems.
The Initial Upper Paleolithic and Its Place Within the Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic Transition of Southwest Asia: What Hides Behind the Curtain of Taxonomies?
Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology
Classification of the Paleolithic into Lower, Middle, and Upper has both chronological and cultur... more Classification of the Paleolithic into Lower, Middle, and Upper has both chronological and cultural meanings serving as a framework for reconstructing cultural evolution and interpreting behavioral processes. Traditionally, the Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic transition in Eurasia is regarded as a bio-cultural turning point, in which local Neanderthals were replaced by incoming Homo sapiens populations, carrying with them a novel technological repertoire. As such, the basic classification of archeological data into broad spatially and temporally coherent blocks is not neutral and disconnected from the paradigmatic view of a “transition” as a developmental event. Initially, the Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) was introduced to describe the first cultural stage within the Upper Paleolithic and was later modified to define the cultural transition from the Middle to the Upper Paleolithic. In the last 20 years, the IUP has increasingly been used as a chronological-biological taxonomic unit to describe modern human dispersals into Eurasia, overriding its use within a cultural taxonomic system. In this paper, we evaluate the applicability of the term as a taxonomic unit. The construction of a chronicle and histories, based on well-documented and published data from the late Middle Paleolithic through to the earliest Upper Paleolithic sites across southwest Asia, are used to evaluate the applicability of the term Initial Upper Paleolithic as a taxonomic unit. Within this perspective, the Middle to-Upper Paleolithic transition is viewed as a social and demographic process that is manifested differently in each of the sub-regions of southwest Asia: the Levant, Southern Caucasus, Armenian Highlands, and the Zagros.
Journal of Lithic Studies, 2017
This is a report of results from a cursory survey of several Middle Paleolithic find spots from t... more This is a report of results from a cursory survey of several Middle Paleolithic find spots from the Arava, Israel, conducted as part of a broader collaboration between the Dead Sea and Arava Science Center and the Israel Antiquities Authority. A series of find spots were recorded on the eastern flanks of the Zehiha hills and on the northern terraces of Wadi Paran. These finds consist of mostly Middle Paleolithic artifacts including Levallois centripetal, bidirectional and Nubian cores. The presence of Nubian cores within this technological constellation is of interest in light of recent discussions regarding archaeological markers of modern human dispersals out of Africa and feasible routes into Eurasia and Arabia. The Nubian core technology, a specific variant of the Levallois technology is found within a defined and continuous geographic region and is perceived as penecontemporaneous. Sites with a similar technological package are found to the east at Al-Jawf, within the Arabian ...
Scientific Reports, 2022
Blinkhorn et al. 1 present a reanalysis of fossil and lithic material from Garrod's 1928 excavati... more Blinkhorn et al. 1 present a reanalysis of fossil and lithic material from Garrod's 1928 excavation at Shukbah Cave, identifying the presence of Nubian Levallois cores and points in direct association with a Neanderthal molar. The authors argue that this demonstrates the Nubian reduction strategy forms a part of the wider Middle Palaeolithic lithic repertoire, therefore its role as a cultural marker for Homo sapiens population movements is invalid. We raise the following four major concerns: (1) we question the assumptions made by the authors about the integrity and homogeneity of the Layer D assemblage and (2) the implications of this for the association of the Neanderthal tooth with any specific component of the assemblage, (3) we challenge the authors' attribution of lithic material to Nubian Levallois technology according to its strict definition, and (4) we argue that the comparative data presented derive from a biased sample of sites. These points critically undermine the article's conclusion that Shukbah's Neanderthals made Nubian cores and thus the argument that Neanderthals might have made Nubian technology elsewhere is unsubstantiated.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2021
The Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) is a crucial lithic assemblage type in the archaeology of sou... more The Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) is a crucial lithic assemblage type in the archaeology of southwest Asia because it marks a dramatic shift in hominin populations accompanied by technological changes in material culture. This phase is conventionally divided into two chronocultural phases based on the Boker Tachtit site, central Negev, Israel. While lithic technologies at Boker Tachtit are well defined, showing continuity from one phase to another, the absolute chronology is poorly resolved because the radiocarbon method used had a large uncertainty. Nevertheless, Boker Tachtit is considered to be the origin of the succeeding Early Upper Paleolithic Ahmarian tradition that dates in the Negev to ∼42,000 y ago (42 ka). Here, we provide 14C and optically stimulated luminescence dates obtained from a recent excavation of Boker Tachtit. The new dates show that the early phase at Boker Tachtit, the Emirian, dates to 50 through 49 ka, while the late phase dates to 47.3 ka and ends by 44....
The Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in the southern Levant: New insights from the late Middle Paleolithic site of Far’ah II, Israel
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2020
Abstract Far’ah II is an open-air site in the north western Negev desert (Israel). Previous excav... more Abstract Far’ah II is an open-air site in the north western Negev desert (Israel). Previous excavations in the 1970’s revealed a rich, in situ Middle Paleolithic (MP) assemblage composed of flint and limestone artifacts, animal bones and charcoal. Renewed excavation at the site were undertaken in 2017, to re-date it and provide a more accurate constrain to the sites’ age, as well as collect samples for paleoclimatic proxies. Our new Optically Stimulated Luminescence and 14C ages together with the stable oxygen isotope signature of the loess sediments, constrain the age of the upper archaeological horizon to
Quaternary International, 2016
Nubian Levallois cores, now known from sites in eastern Africa, the Nile Valley and Arabia, have ... more Nubian Levallois cores, now known from sites in eastern Africa, the Nile Valley and Arabia, have been used as a material culture marker for Upper Pleistocene dispersals of hominins out of Africa. The Levantine corridor, being the only land route connecting Africa to Eurasia, has been viewed as a possible dispersal route. We report here on lithic assemblages from the Negev highlands of Israel that contain both Levallois centripetal and Nubian-type cores. Wetter conditions over the Sahara and Negev deserts during MIS 6ae5e provided a generally continuous environmental corridor into the Levant that enabled the dispersal of hominin groups bearing the Nubian variant of prepared core technologies. The Negev assemblages draw renewed attention to the place of the Levant as one of the dispersal routes out of Africa during the Late Pleistocene and could suggest that processes of human dispersals and cultural diffusion resulted in the spread of Nubian technology across eastern Africa, the western Sahara and the Nile Valley, the southern Levant and Arabia.
Not just a corridor. Human occupation of the Nile Valley and neighbouring regions between 75,000 and 15,000 years ago
The end of the Pleistocene (~75-15 ka) is a key period for the prehistory of the Nile Valley. The... more The end of the Pleistocene (~75-15 ka) is a key period for the prehistory of the Nile Valley. The climatic fluctuations documented during this period have led human populations from the Middle and Late Palaeolithic to adapt to a changing Nile. In particular, the global shift to more arid conditions regionally translated into the expansion of the Sahara, the lowering of sea levels and the desiccation of some major eastern African lakes. These climatically-induced environmental changes influenced the behaviour of the Nile – although how exactly is still debated – and its role as an ecological refugium for human populations living in its vicinity. Genetic and fossil evidence highlight a strong population substructure in Africa during this period, suggesting the alternation of phases of major dispersals of modern humans within the continent, as well as out-of and back-into Africa, with phases of relative isolation of populations, which might be linked to the creation of environmental re...
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2017
Heat treatment of flint changes its mechanical properties and improves its knappability. Here we ... more Heat treatment of flint changes its mechanical properties and improves its knappability. Here we examine flint artifacts from two occupational levels at the site of Boker Tachtit (Israel). Boker Tachtit is an important site for understanding the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in the Levant. The thin and stratified archeological levels together with a well-defined lithic technology make the site suitable for addressing the issue of heat treatment of raw materials for tool production. We use Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to assess heat treatment of flint artifacts and compare them to geogenic flint nodules collected in Wadi Zin, b 20 m, from the site. We demonstrate that even though the broadening of the 512 and 467 cm −1 peaks can be used to detect heating of these types of flint, we found no evidence that the archeological flint artifacts had been heated in such a way as to cause peak broadening. The observed potlids and cracking of flint, which are sometimes used to visually identify heating, do not generally correlate with peak broadening.
JOURNAL OF THE ISRAEL PREHISTORIC SOCIETY Mitekufat Haeven Volume 51, 2021
ABSTRACT
This paper presents the results of the salvage excavations at Netzer Sereni in the Medit... more ABSTRACT
This paper presents the results of the salvage excavations at Netzer Sereni in the Mediterranean Coastal Plain of Israel.
The site was uncovered within alluvial sand. The sand infills a depression between two aeolianite (kurkar) ridges, where
local runoff accumulated probably due to local sand damming, redepositing sandy and clay-rich sediments. Slow to
standing water flow created a series of thin laminations indicating seasonal fluctuation in the water level. The size of the
sand unit is estimated at 30 x 60 m. Based on the flint artifact scatter, the approximate extent of the site was a minimum
of 300 m2. A rich lithic assemblage retrieved during excavations is affiliated with the Epipaleolithic Geometric Kebaran
culture (18.5–15 ka Cal BP). Geologically in situ, the majority of artifacts were recovered from the finely laminated
sandy sediments. With 43,109 flint artifacts, the industry is dominated by bladelet production from single platform cores.
Microliths, and more specifically geometric microliths, characterize the tool assemblage. Also found were endscrapers
on blades that were knapped off-site. The ___location of sites on the edge of a seasonal water-body associated with dune
damming of watercourses is a known phenomenon during the Epipaleolithic in the Coastal Plain, the northern Sinai
and the northwestern Negev dune fields. Netzer Sereni is a rich site that constitutes an important tier in constructing the
Epipaleolithic period in the Mediterranean Coastal Plain and in the southern Levant in general.
A technotypological analysis of the Ahmarian and Levantine Aurignacian assemblages from Manot Cave (area C) and the interrelation with site formation processes
Journal of Human Evolution, 2020
For more than a century, prehistoric research has focused on cave sites and rock shelters, mostly... more For more than a century, prehistoric research has focused on cave sites and rock shelters, mostly because
of good preservation of organic remains associated with stratified anthropogenic layers. Manot Cave in
the Western Galilee, Israel offers the possibility of studying prehistoric assemblages in pristine condition
because of the collapse of the cave entrance some 30 thousand years ago. Nine years of excavations have
uncovered an Early Upper Paleolithic archaeological sequence. Area C, situated at the bottom of the talus,
was exposed to fast and slow depositional and postdepositional processes affecting sediment accumulation.
The central part of area C was selected for this study, as it was least disturbed. Following a
technotypological analysis, and taking postdepositional processes into consideration, the assemblages
were defined and assigned to the Levantine Aurignacian, and Ahmarian traditions. The two archaeological
horizons are separated by a mixed horizon within which indicative artifacts of both traditions
alternately appear. The Ahmarian assemblage, dated to 46e42 ka cal BP, fits within the northern Mediterranean
Ahmarian sites, which technotypologically differs from and is currently dated earlier than the
southern desert region Ahmarian sites. The main technotypological characteristics of the assemblage
from the Levantine Aurignacian Horizon, dated to 38e34 ka cal BP, are comparable to those from Manot
Cave area E layers V-VI, and Ks^ar ‘Akil levels VII-VIII. Yet, several technotypological elements seem more
compatible with the unnamed assemblage from Ks^ar ‘Akil levels XI-XIII and possibly layer IX from area E.
Novel chrono-cultural constraints for the Middle Paleolithic site of Rosh Ein Mor (D15), Israel
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2019
Abstract The site of Rosh Ein Mor is constantly used as a cultural marker for the presence of “Ta... more Abstract The site of Rosh Ein Mor is constantly used as a cultural marker for the presence of “Tabun D” type industries in the Negev. A re-analysis of the lithic assemblage shows that the techno-typological characteristics fit better within the late Middle Paleolithic variability than within the early Middle Paleolithic. Using the powerful tool of U-series for dating calcite crusts on the artifacts a cluster of dates between ~70–35 ka has been obtained. Taking into consideration the central Negev highlands paleoclimate record and the geomorphological setting, this study presents valid data to suggest that Rosh Ein Mor was occupied during MIS 4 and possibly into MIS 3.
This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the a... more This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues.
Chrono-cultural Considerations of Middle Paleolithic Occurrences at Manot Cave (Western Galilee), Israel
Manot Cave is situated within the Levantine Mediterranean region. The site has an extensive Upper... more Manot Cave is situated within the Levantine Mediterranean region. The site has an extensive Upper Paleolithic sequence, also manifesting the presence of a Middle Paleolithic occupation. This study will present the Middle Paleolithic assemblage from the cave. One of the Levallois centripetal cores from the assemblage exhibits, what seems to be non- utilitarian engravings on its cortex covered dorsal face. These incisions were performed prior to the last removals from the flaking surface. The Levallois techno-typological traits of the artifacts indicate their resemblance to other mid-late Middle Paleolithic techno-complexes present in the region.
Personal ornaments from Hayonim and Manot caves (Israel) hint at symbolic ties between the Levantine and the European Aurignacian
Journal of Human Evolution, 2020
Situated at the crossroads of Africa and Eurasia, the Levant is a crucial region for understandin... more Situated at the crossroads of Africa and Eurasia, the Levant is a crucial region for understanding the origins and spread of Upper Paleolithic (UP) traditions associated with the spread of modern humans. Of the two local Early Upper Paleolithic technocomplexes, the Ahmarian and the Levantine Aurignacian, the latter appears to be unique in the endemic UP sequence, exhibiting greater similarity to the West European 'classic' Aurignacian than to the local preceding and proceeding UP entities. Previous publications have mostly focused on the similarities between the two lithic industries and less on studies conducted on Levantine Aurignacian bone tools and ornaments. Here, we present an archaeozoological, technological and use-wear study of ornaments on animal teeth from the Levantine Aurignacian layers at Manot and Hayonim caves (the Galilee, Israel). The selection of taxa, the choice of teeth, the mode of modification, and the use-wear analysis exhibit clear similarities with the European Aurignacian. This, with the technology of the osseous raw material exploitation, the presence of antler simple-base points, and some lithic typotechnological features, suggest a link between the symbolic spheres of the Levantine and the European Aurignacian cultural entities. Such similarity also supports some contribution of European Aurignacians groups to the local cultural entities, intermingling with the local material culture features.
Site formation processes at Manot Cave, Israel: Interplay between strata accumulation in the occupation area and the talus
Journal of Human Evolution, 2020
Manot Cave contains important human fossils and archaeological assemblages related to the origin ... more Manot Cave contains important human fossils and archaeological assemblages related to the origin and dispersal of anatomically modern humans and the Upper Paleolithic period. This record is divided between an elevated in situ occupation area and a connecting talus. We, thus, investigated the interplay between the accumulation of the sediments and their associated artifacts in the occupation areas and the translocation of part of these sediments and artifacts down the talus. We examined the lithostratigraphy of two excavation locations in the occupation area (areas E and I), and two in the talus (areas C and D). We also assessed the diagenetic processes that have affected all these areas. A linear array of stalagmites and stalactites separates the occupation area from the talus, demarcating a major topographic barrier between the two. We infer that during human occupation, sediment accumulation of soil, wood ash, and bone was rapid and that some sediments with their associated artifacts overflowed the barrier and translocated down the talus. During periods of nonoccupation, the ash in the occupation area partially dissolved owing to the release of acid from the degrading bat and bird guano, and the layer thicknesses decreased. The south side of the talus (area C) has a normally stratified archaeological record, with the older archaeological materials underlying the younger materials. This suggests that the barrier between the occupation area and area C was relatively shallow and allowed a fairly continuous sediment accumulation in the talus. In the central part of the talus (area D), the stratigraphy is complex and shows mixing, presumably owing to the steep underlying bedrock topography and the mixing that occurs when sediments move down a steep slope. Finally, the distribution of secondary phosphates is consistent with the ___location of a main cave entrance to the south of the Paleolithic occupation area.
Preliminary observations on the Levantine Aurignacian sequence of Manot Cave: Cultural affiliations and regional perspectives
Journal of Human Evolution, 2019
A well-preserved sequence of Early Upper Paleolithic (EUP) occupations has been revealed in the p... more A well-preserved sequence of Early Upper Paleolithic (EUP) occupations has been revealed in the past decade in Manot Cave, the studies of which shed light on the cultural dynamics and subsistence patterns and paleoenvironment. Most intriguing is the series of overlying Levantine Aurignacian occupation layers, exposed near the entrance to the cave. Area E is considered the inner part of the main activity area in Manot Cave. Remains of intact combustion features, as well as numerous flint artifacts and faunal remains, were found, indicating a high level of preservation. Within a 2.5 m sequence, nine distinct occupation layers were defined. The presence of characteristic flint and osseous industries alongside a rich mollusk assemblage led to the initial association of the sequence as a whole to the Levantine Aurignacian. However, as research advanced and variability in the material culture became apparent, it became clear that a division of the sequence into two phases, early and late, is required. A preliminary study of the assemblage variability implies distinct changes in human behavior between the two phases. Most prominently, these are indicated by a change in bladelet production method and morphology alongside an increase in the significance of the bladelet component within the flint assemblage, the disappearance of composite osseous industries, and a steep decrease in mollusk shell representation in the late occupation phase. Radiocarbon dating indicates a short time span between the two phases. The earlier phase defined as, Levantine Aurignacian, was ascribed an age range of 38-34 ka cal BP with a more constrained age range of 37-35 ka cal BP suggested based on Bayesian models. In the late phase, which is temporarily referred to as "post-Levantine Aurignacian," an age range of 36-33 ka cal BP is suggested.
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Papers by Mae Goder-Goldberger
hominins, fuelling discussions concerning the origin and implications of such complex behaviours. A key component in these
discussions is the aesthetic and symbolic character of intentionally incised artefacts. In this study, we emphasize the geometry
of the incisions as clues to intentionality. Using 3D surface analysis, we characterised incisions found on a Levallois core from
Manot cave, and on a flake and retouched blade from Amud cave. In addition, we applied the same methodology to the previously
published engraved Levallois core from Qafzeh and the plaquette from Quneitra. The incisions on the Manot, Qafzeh and Quneitra
artefacts show similar geometric characteristics. Notably in each of these cases, the incisions form patterns that align with the
artefact’s surface topography and shape. In contrast, the incisions on the Amud artefacts are shallower, with no clear orientation
or patterning. The methodology applied thus creates a comparative context for MP incised items, reinforcing the interpretation
of the Manot, Qafzeh and Quneitra artefacts as deliberate engravings, whereas the marks on the items from Amud are consistent
with their functional use as abraders. While the Qafzeh, Quneitra and Manot items are isolated initiatives in their chronological
and geographic contexts, the shared traits of the intentional engravings underscore their predetermined nature.
This paper presents the results of the salvage excavations at Netzer Sereni in the Mediterranean Coastal Plain of Israel.
The site was uncovered within alluvial sand. The sand infills a depression between two aeolianite (kurkar) ridges, where
local runoff accumulated probably due to local sand damming, redepositing sandy and clay-rich sediments. Slow to
standing water flow created a series of thin laminations indicating seasonal fluctuation in the water level. The size of the
sand unit is estimated at 30 x 60 m. Based on the flint artifact scatter, the approximate extent of the site was a minimum
of 300 m2. A rich lithic assemblage retrieved during excavations is affiliated with the Epipaleolithic Geometric Kebaran
culture (18.5–15 ka Cal BP). Geologically in situ, the majority of artifacts were recovered from the finely laminated
sandy sediments. With 43,109 flint artifacts, the industry is dominated by bladelet production from single platform cores.
Microliths, and more specifically geometric microliths, characterize the tool assemblage. Also found were endscrapers
on blades that were knapped off-site. The ___location of sites on the edge of a seasonal water-body associated with dune
damming of watercourses is a known phenomenon during the Epipaleolithic in the Coastal Plain, the northern Sinai
and the northwestern Negev dune fields. Netzer Sereni is a rich site that constitutes an important tier in constructing the
Epipaleolithic period in the Mediterranean Coastal Plain and in the southern Levant in general.
of good preservation of organic remains associated with stratified anthropogenic layers. Manot Cave in
the Western Galilee, Israel offers the possibility of studying prehistoric assemblages in pristine condition
because of the collapse of the cave entrance some 30 thousand years ago. Nine years of excavations have
uncovered an Early Upper Paleolithic archaeological sequence. Area C, situated at the bottom of the talus,
was exposed to fast and slow depositional and postdepositional processes affecting sediment accumulation.
The central part of area C was selected for this study, as it was least disturbed. Following a
technotypological analysis, and taking postdepositional processes into consideration, the assemblages
were defined and assigned to the Levantine Aurignacian, and Ahmarian traditions. The two archaeological
horizons are separated by a mixed horizon within which indicative artifacts of both traditions
alternately appear. The Ahmarian assemblage, dated to 46e42 ka cal BP, fits within the northern Mediterranean
Ahmarian sites, which technotypologically differs from and is currently dated earlier than the
southern desert region Ahmarian sites. The main technotypological characteristics of the assemblage
from the Levantine Aurignacian Horizon, dated to 38e34 ka cal BP, are comparable to those from Manot
Cave area E layers V-VI, and Ks^ar ‘Akil levels VII-VIII. Yet, several technotypological elements seem more
compatible with the unnamed assemblage from Ks^ar ‘Akil levels XI-XIII and possibly layer IX from area E.
hominins, fuelling discussions concerning the origin and implications of such complex behaviours. A key component in these
discussions is the aesthetic and symbolic character of intentionally incised artefacts. In this study, we emphasize the geometry
of the incisions as clues to intentionality. Using 3D surface analysis, we characterised incisions found on a Levallois core from
Manot cave, and on a flake and retouched blade from Amud cave. In addition, we applied the same methodology to the previously
published engraved Levallois core from Qafzeh and the plaquette from Quneitra. The incisions on the Manot, Qafzeh and Quneitra
artefacts show similar geometric characteristics. Notably in each of these cases, the incisions form patterns that align with the
artefact’s surface topography and shape. In contrast, the incisions on the Amud artefacts are shallower, with no clear orientation
or patterning. The methodology applied thus creates a comparative context for MP incised items, reinforcing the interpretation
of the Manot, Qafzeh and Quneitra artefacts as deliberate engravings, whereas the marks on the items from Amud are consistent
with their functional use as abraders. While the Qafzeh, Quneitra and Manot items are isolated initiatives in their chronological
and geographic contexts, the shared traits of the intentional engravings underscore their predetermined nature.
This paper presents the results of the salvage excavations at Netzer Sereni in the Mediterranean Coastal Plain of Israel.
The site was uncovered within alluvial sand. The sand infills a depression between two aeolianite (kurkar) ridges, where
local runoff accumulated probably due to local sand damming, redepositing sandy and clay-rich sediments. Slow to
standing water flow created a series of thin laminations indicating seasonal fluctuation in the water level. The size of the
sand unit is estimated at 30 x 60 m. Based on the flint artifact scatter, the approximate extent of the site was a minimum
of 300 m2. A rich lithic assemblage retrieved during excavations is affiliated with the Epipaleolithic Geometric Kebaran
culture (18.5–15 ka Cal BP). Geologically in situ, the majority of artifacts were recovered from the finely laminated
sandy sediments. With 43,109 flint artifacts, the industry is dominated by bladelet production from single platform cores.
Microliths, and more specifically geometric microliths, characterize the tool assemblage. Also found were endscrapers
on blades that were knapped off-site. The ___location of sites on the edge of a seasonal water-body associated with dune
damming of watercourses is a known phenomenon during the Epipaleolithic in the Coastal Plain, the northern Sinai
and the northwestern Negev dune fields. Netzer Sereni is a rich site that constitutes an important tier in constructing the
Epipaleolithic period in the Mediterranean Coastal Plain and in the southern Levant in general.
of good preservation of organic remains associated with stratified anthropogenic layers. Manot Cave in
the Western Galilee, Israel offers the possibility of studying prehistoric assemblages in pristine condition
because of the collapse of the cave entrance some 30 thousand years ago. Nine years of excavations have
uncovered an Early Upper Paleolithic archaeological sequence. Area C, situated at the bottom of the talus,
was exposed to fast and slow depositional and postdepositional processes affecting sediment accumulation.
The central part of area C was selected for this study, as it was least disturbed. Following a
technotypological analysis, and taking postdepositional processes into consideration, the assemblages
were defined and assigned to the Levantine Aurignacian, and Ahmarian traditions. The two archaeological
horizons are separated by a mixed horizon within which indicative artifacts of both traditions
alternately appear. The Ahmarian assemblage, dated to 46e42 ka cal BP, fits within the northern Mediterranean
Ahmarian sites, which technotypologically differs from and is currently dated earlier than the
southern desert region Ahmarian sites. The main technotypological characteristics of the assemblage
from the Levantine Aurignacian Horizon, dated to 38e34 ka cal BP, are comparable to those from Manot
Cave area E layers V-VI, and Ks^ar ‘Akil levels VII-VIII. Yet, several technotypological elements seem more
compatible with the unnamed assemblage from Ks^ar ‘Akil levels XI-XIII and possibly layer IX from area E.
Inter assemblage variability within the late Middle Paleolithic sites of the Southern Levant, i.e. the Avdat /Aqev sites and the central Negev highland sites suggest the presence of more than one technological tradition. Inter-regional comparisons of these technological packages suggest the existence of social networks that facilitated the diffusion of technological and stylistic traits across the southern Levant, Arabia and the Nile valley
Mae Goder 1, Erella Hovers1, Rivka Rabinovich
Background:
GIS has been used mostly for landscape archaeology and inter-site spatial mapping and analysis, and to a lesser extent for intra-site spatial analysis. Despite the analytical constraints typically originating from the limited size and distorted shapes of excavation areas, the majority of onsite GIS work has been confined to using the software’s visualization tools at the expense of more analytical studies (for some exceptions see: Birkenfeld and Goring-Morris 2011; Mills 2009; Moyes 2002). Amud Cave is a late Middle Paleolithic site in Israel (68-55 thousand years ago), presenting a stratigraphic sequence of dense human occupations coupled with complex site formation processes, While differential use of space has been documented for some find classes in the cave, the digital treatment of the various data sets presents us with methodological as well as archaeological challenges (Hovers et al., 2011).
Aims
The most recent excavations at the site ended in 1994, prior to the now-common practice of applying digital methods of data collection, documentation and analysis Consequently, our aims in this study are twofold: 1) developing a methodology to translate analogical field documents to GIS files using ArcGIS generic software, and 2) addressing the issue of spatial differences in artifact distributions and assessing their anthropogenic or taphonomic origins.
Once digitization was complete, we used the nArcMap’s native statistical tools to validate emerging spatial patterns of lithic artifacts, taking into account the constrains of the shape and size of the excavated area. When integrated with geochemical, faunal and lithic analysis results, this allows addressing questions about spatial behaviors of the Neandertal occupants of Amud Cave, with special emphasis on trash disposal behavior.
References:
Birkenfeld, Michal., and Nigel. Goring-Moris. 2011. A methodological approach, using GIS applications, to stratigraphy and spatial analysis at PPNB Kfar HaHoresh. In Studies in the State of the Stone Terminologies, Continuities and Contexts, eds. E. Healey, S. Campbell and O. Maeda, 277-291. Near Eastern Lithics Studies in Early Near Eastern Production, Subsistence, and Environment 13, Berlin.
Hovers, Erella., Malinsky-Buller Ariel., Goder-Goldberger, Mae. and Ravid. Ektshtain. 2011. Capturing a Moment: Identifying Short-lived Activity Locations in Amud Cave, Israel. In The Lower and Middle Palaeolithic in the Middle East and Neighbouring Regions, eds. Le Tensorer J.-M., Jagher R. and M. Otte M.. 101-114. Proceedings of the Basel symposium (mai 8-10 2008). ERAUL 126, Liège,
Mills, Tammi., 2009. A GIS Approach to the Spatial Analysis of the Fincastle Bison Kill Site (D10x-5), MA Thesis, University of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
Moyes, Holley. 2002. The use of GIS in the spatial analysis of an archaeological cave site. Journal of Cave and Karst Studies 64(1): 9-16.
Other sites which reflect similar raw material variability and technological traditions are the BNS and KHS sites in the Omo Kibish Formation (Ethiopia) dated to ~100 Ka and ~190 Ka respectively. Based on a lithic comparative study conducted, site 1017 can be seen as representing behavioral patterns which are diagnostic of East African Middle Stone Age (MSA), adding support to the hypothesis that the Nile Valley was an important dispersal route used by modern humans prior to the long cooling and dry trend beginning with the onset of OIS 4.
The explanations for processes and causes underlying lithic variability focus on two main sets of interpretations, functional and social/cultural. The first set assumes a passive interaction between humans and their environment, meaning that they 'react' and 'adapt' to changing environmental conditions mainly (or only) by shifting and redefining subsistence strategies, toward which lithic artifacts are geared. The second set draws on behavioral and social dynamics as the agents behind variability and adaptability to the changing environment. The contribution of each of these sets of explanations to assemblage variability must be assessed through lithic analysis prior to a study of inter-assemblage variability. In this study, the past behavioral strategies of human interaction with their physical as well as social environments are inferred through the chaîne opératoire concept. Once this was done for each of the assemblage an inter-assemblage comparison was conducted and patterns of inter-group contacts were deduced.
In comparative studies a common language needs to be created. In this study a common set of attributes and measurements were observed and recorded for each assemblage. These variables were then used to analyze the lithic assemblages quantitatively and qualitatively, to infer technological processes. On the premise that technology is a social product, the chaîne opératoire concept was used to interpret behavioral processes and choices made by the knappers. These were inferred from the quantified techno-typological traits of the studied assemblages.
The first article outlines interactions between the Nile valley and Ethiopia. The Khormusan industry is a discrete Nile Valley lithic tradition. The industry has two distinctive characteristics that set it apart from other MP industries within its vicinity. One is the use of a wide variety of raw materials; the second is an apparent correlation between raw material and technology used, suggesting a cultural aspect to raw material management. Other sites which reflect similar raw material variability and technological traditions are the BNS and KHS sites in the Omo Kibish Formation (Ethiopia) dated to ~100 ka and ~190 ka respectively. Based on a lithic comparative study conducted, it is suggested that Khormusan site 1017 can be seen as representing behavioral patterns which are indicative of East African Middle Stone Age (MSA) technology, adding support to the hypothesis that the Nile Valley was an important dispersal route used by modern humans prior to the long cooling and dry trend beginning with the onset of MIS 4.
The second article looks at the Nubian technology as a possible indicator for modern human dispersals during the end of MIS 6 through MIS 5. If archaeological assemblages are used to infer population movements and diffusion of technological knowledge, then “technological packages” need to be identified. These packages consist of distinct technological practices and their particular combinations. The Nubian technology has been recognized in several assemblages from the Negev Highlands, which also have a different “technological package” compared to well-known Middle Paleolithic assemblages from the central Negev (the Avdat/Aqev sites). The Negev Highlands sites seem to have closer ties with the Late Nubian Complex sites from the Nile Valley and to a lesser extent to the Nubian assemblages from Arabia. Identifying the permutations of the technological packages within the Negev Highland assemblages is a step in recognizing past human interactions and networks during MIS 5, between the Nile Valley, the Negev and Arabia.
The third article presents an in-depth study of MSA lithic assemblages from Ethiopia. This has enabled the identification of regional lithic technological packages as well as the diffusion of technological traits between prehistoric groups. Incorporating the technological relations of the Khormusan industry with these MSA industries, as well as the broad geographical span of the Nubian technology has enabled the mapping of 'interaction spheres'. These spheres are thought to reflect social networks and possible movement trajectories across the landscape, and are formulated based on recognized lithic variability. Following the current study across eastern Africa, the Nile Valley, the southern Levant and Arabia several different interaction spheres are recognized, during the late Pleistocene (end of MIS6 to initial MIS4). These spheres are thought to portray complex sets of interactions that allowed for the diffusion of technological traits, both by range expansions and dispersals as well as the maintenance of social networks. It seems that the Nile Valley displays a large amplitude of variability when compared to neighboring areas, adding support to the hypothesis that this region was an important dispersal route used by modern humans prior to the long cooling and dry trend beginning with the onset of MIS 4.
Nile Valley prehistory. The global shift to more arid conditions regionally
translated into the lowering of the Mediterranean Sea level, the desiccation
of some major eastern African lakes and the expansion of the
Sahara. These climatically induced environmental changes influenced the
behavior of the Nile river and the valley's role as an ecological refugium
for human populations living in its vicinity. Genetic studies suggest that
this period saw several dispersals of modern humans “out-of” and “backinto” Africa. Although the Nile Valley constitutes one of the possible routes for these dispersals, archeological evidence for contacts between the Nile Valley and its neighboring regions remain scarce and debated.
animal bones and charcoal. Renewed excavation at the site were undertaken in 2017, to re-date it and provide a more accurate constrain to the sites’ age, as well as collect samples for paleoclimatic proxies.
Our new Optically Stimulated Luminescence and 14C ages together with the stable oxygen isotope signature of the loess sediments, constrain the age of the upper archaeological horizon to <49 ka. This age agrees with the younger limit of 60-50 ka, obtained by Electron Spin Resonance ages, measured in the 1990’s. The heavy d18O values in carbonates point to cooler climatic conditions than those that prevailed during the preceding short, warm episode between 58 and 49 ka. The fauna, pollen and charcoal collected during the excavation portray a savanna-like environment with a mix of Irano-Turanian and Saharo-Arabian elements and a minor Mediterranean component. The lithic assemblage
exhibits large technological variability typical of the Late MP (LMP), among which are technological traits that are clearly present in the Initial Upper Paleolithic (IUP) assemblages at the nearby, and roughly
contemporaneous, site of Boker Tachtit. If population replacement was the trigger to the MP-UP transition, we would have expected to see a clear break in the cultural material at the onset of the Upper
Paleolithic. The semi-arid north western Negev, as an interim region between the Mediterranean and Saharo-Arabian ecozones could have facilitated interaction between populations moving north or south
due to fluctuating climatic conditions and changes in population pressures, possibly leading to the emergence of new technological traditions that are observed in the later UP.