Yoav Avni | IGS - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Yoav Avni

EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, Apr 1, 2017

Quaternary Research, Jul 12, 2023

Open-air surface accumulations and scatters of material cultural remains often are perceived as l... more Open-air surface accumulations and scatters of material cultural remains often are perceived as less-reliable archaeological archives, where it is difficult to distinguish anthropogenic versus geogenic formation processes or to assess their specific effects on the integrity of archaeological records. Here we analyze the depositional histories of three Middle Paleolithic open-air sites in the Negev desert of Israel, combining archaeological and geomorphological methods to create a conceptual model of multi-scale effects on the archaeological remains. Relying on the long research history in archaeology and geomorphology in the Negev, we show that integration of archaeological and geomorphological methodologies provides nuanced insights to our understanding of the archaeological record. The links established between regional and local geomorphic processes and lithic taphonomy by applying such a multi-scale analysis further allow back-tracking environmental processes from flint taphonomic attributes. Placing each site within the range of regional and local processes of exposure and burial by using informed and critically evaluated data helps to create a robust regional archaeological data base. We suggest that our approach is useful in other arid zone contexts and may have implications for understanding Pleistocene population movements across such regions.

... Yitzchak Gutterman, Blaustein Institute of Desert Research, Ben Gurion University, Israel; Dr... more ... Yitzchak Gutterman, Blaustein Institute of Desert Research, Ben Gurion University, Israel; Dr.Eli Zaady, Blaustein Institute of Desert Research, Ben Gurion ... The soil samples were collected before the beginning of the rainy season, November-March in order to characterize it and ...

Scientific Reports, Mar 16, 2022

Marine Isotopic Stage 5 is associated with wetter climatic conditions in the Saharo-Arabian deser... more Marine Isotopic Stage 5 is associated with wetter climatic conditions in the Saharo-Arabian deserts. This stage also corresponds to the establishment of Middle Paleolithic hominins and their associated material culture in two geographical provinces in southwest Asia-the Eastern Mediterranean woodland and the Arabian Peninsula desert. The lithic industry of the Eastern Mediterranean is characterized by the centripetal Levallois method, whereas the Nubian Levallois method characterizes the populations of the Arabian desert. The Negev Desert, situated between these regions is a key area to comprehend population movement in correlation to climatic zones. This investigation addresses the nature of the Middle Paleolithic settlement in the Negev Desert during MIS 5 by studying the site of Nahal Aqev. High resolution chronological results based on luminescence dating and cryptotephra show the site was occupied from MIS 5e to MIS 5d. The lithic industries at Nahal Aqev are dominated by centripetal Levallois core method. These data demonstrate that Nahal Aqev is much closer in its cultural attributes to the Eastern Mediterranean Middle Paleolithic than to the Arabian Desert entity. We conclude that Nahal Aqev represents an expansion of Middle Paleolithic groups from the Mediterranean woodland into the desert, triggered by better climatic conditions. These groups possibly interacted with hominin groups bearing the Nubian core tradition from the vast region of Arabia. The eastern Saharo-Arabian desert is a major physical barrier between East Africa and Southwest Asia; two regions which played a key role in the evolution and spread of modern humans: (Fig. 1A) 1,2. Multidisciplinary studies carried out over the last two decades have shown that this arid belt was subjected to several wet episodes, which narrowed its geographical boundaries 3-7. The strongest and most recognized episode, evident in various records, occurred in MIS 5 (130-80 kya), which is the timespan associated with hominin and faunal expansions to south Arabia and the Levantine corridor 8-14. During this phase, the Arabian desert sustained lakes and wetlands which attracted hominins, most likely from African origins, bearing Nubian Levallois core technology 15-19. Some of these populations are thought to have expanded further to the Thar Desert to the east, whereas others presumably diffused north to the Negev Desert 20,21. Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 5 hominins are well represented in the adjoining region to the north of Arabia, the Levant, and in particular the Mediterranean woodland region. Independent studies of several cave sites i.e., Skhul, Qafzeh and Geula show continuous Middle Paleolithic occupation during MIS 5 22-27 (Fig. 1B). Other sites, such as the open-air site of Nesher Ramla, display earlier occupational continuity from MIS 6 28-30. Notably, the

Journal of Arid Environments, Mar 1, 2023

Journal of Arid Environments, Nov 1, 2012

Abstract Ancient agricultural systems based on runoff harvesting techniques are abundant in the N... more Abstract Ancient agricultural systems based on runoff harvesting techniques are abundant in the Negev Highlands. The current study examined traditional classification and investigated the distribution of ancient agricultural systems around the Roman-Byzantine “Negev Towns” Avdat and Shivta, and across the terrain located between these sites and Makhtesh Ramon in the south. It led to an elaboration of the traditional classification of runoff agricultural systems in the Negev desert of southern Israel. We found that the key factors for building these types of agricultural systems were the geological and geomorphological characteristics of the specific site locations and the geographic distance from nearby towns and roads. Depending on these factors, a multitude of types of agricultural systems were constructed in accordance with the physical characteristics of the local desert environment. This clearly indicates the continuation of the current desert climate throughout historical times. Furthermore, the large diversity of agriculture installations indicates that they were constructed by local farmers and not by an external plan imposed by the central government.

Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems, Dec 1, 2022

The formation of divergent plate boundaries involves the opening of continental basins and uplift... more The formation of divergent plate boundaries involves the opening of continental basins and uplift of plate margins accompanied by seawater ingression and the reorganization of surface and groundwater drainage systems. These processes drive water‐rock reactions, resulting in the deposition of epigenetic minerals in the country rock adjacent to the plate boundary. Here, we study the isotopic geochemical record of epigenetic dolomite and ferric‐oxide minerals that occur along tectonic lines in the Negev (southern Israel), which border the Cenozoic rift system that developed between the African and Arabian plates. The observed ranges of new and published O, C, Sr, Mo, Fe, and Pb isotope compositions indicate mixing between the country rock, seawater and deep‐seated groundwater source‐solutions. We suggest that mineralization occurred as brines migrated from their marine source, mixed with groundwater in a deep siliciclastic aquifer environment, and subsequently upwelled along tectonic lines and reacted with the overlying carbonate rocks. Relative and U‐Pb dating of epigenetic minerals suggest that mineralization occurred at 31.4 ± 4.6 Ma in the central Negev sites and at 46 ± 12 Ma and again at 14.5 ± 2.3 Ma in the northeast Negev. The younger two ages overlap the timing of pre‐ Red Sea Rift doming of northeastern Africa and Arabia, driven by the Afar Plume, and lateral‐movement along the Dead Sea Transform (DST), respectively. We associate the youngest mineralization event with a time‐interval in which the DST already hosted a marine lagoon, while the transform's western margin has remained a low relief landscape.

Israel Journal of Plant Sciences, Dec 5, 2018

Twenty-three olive trees were found to grow in traditional orchard sites in the Negev Highlands d... more Twenty-three olive trees were found to grow in traditional orchard sites in the Negev Highlands desert, southern Israel. Their location was marked on maps, and their growth, morphology, biology, preservation and survival was monitored. Some of them are presently maintained by the Bedouin population of the Negev, whereas others seemed to have survived from earlier periods. The average annual rainfall in this region is 90–130 mm. Most of the orchards were deliberately planted in pre-existing agricultural plots, built during the Byzantine and Early Muslim era (3rd–8th centuries CE). They were irrigated by harvesting runoff water. The Byzantine era was the most populated period in the Negev Highlands, when wine and olive oil were the main horticultural products. A variety of domesticated fruit trees are found in the present abandoned orchards: olive, fig, grapevine, pomegranate, almond, date palm, carob, pistachio and bitter orange. The trees have not been artificially irrigated for at least seven decades. Nevertheless, most of them continue to flourish and bear fruit. We focused on understanding the abandoned olive trees’ survival and adaptation mechanisms. Olive trees growing was a favorite crop to Byzantine farmers due to the significant economic value of olive oil and good adaptation to the environmental conditions in the Negev Highlands.

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

Frontiers in Earth Science, 2020

Magnetochronology of the Kuntila Sediments Desert concurred, regardless of the age correlation, w... more Magnetochronology of the Kuntila Sediments Desert concurred, regardless of the age correlation, with periods of lake expansion in East Africa and clusters of short-lived expansions of the savannah throughout much of the Sahara. This would have facilitated the biogeographic connection between Africa and Eurasia, greening the path for the initial out-of-Africa dispersal of Homo. Further research on the Kuntila Lake sediments will be necessary to better determine the timing, extent and significance of such biogeographic connection.

Geomorphology, 2016

One of the most significant environmental processes that occurred at the transition from the last... more One of the most significant environmental processes that occurred at the transition from the last glacial phase into the present inter-glacial phase in arid regions was the shift from aggradation to incision in the drainage systems. This is evident by the sharp transition from a fluvial regime depositing fine-grained sediment within the wadis to intensive incision which formed gullies and narrow channels that dissected the late Pleistocene sediments. In order to investigate this transition, we studied three small-scale basins in the arid region of the Negev Highlands, southern Israel. Although the selected basins drain toward different base levels, their geomorphological parameters, particle size distribution of alluvial units and their OSL ages are similar. Sediments from the penultimate glacial cycle are found in patches in the bigger catchments. Fluvial loess was widely deposited since at least 67 ka until after 28 ka, covering valleys and slopes. Between~28 and~24 ka, loess was washed from the slopes into the channels, exposing the underlying colluvium. At~24 ka erosion began with the transport of slope colluvium as gravels into the valleys that eroded the underlying loess sediments. Incision became dominant at~12 ka and is still ongoing and intensifying. Dust and reworked loess continued to be deposited during the main incision stages. It is proposed that the transition from aggradation to incision was controlled by rates of loess supply and removal. Until~24 ka dust choked the drainage system and only after reduction in dust supply was erosion and incision possible. It began first on the slopes and then in the channels. Our results show that an increase in precipitation is not a prerequisite for initiation of incision as is often assumed. Similar processes are described in other arid zones around the world.

Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel, 2016

The construction of terraces for dry farming constitutes a major technological innovation in the ... more The construction of terraces for dry farming constitutes a major technological innovation in the history of agriculture, allowing for the exploitation of previously uncultivated slopes and expanding the carrying capacity of the land. The terracing of the highlands of Judea and Samaria is traditionally associated with the settlement of the "Israelites". In this article we present the results of a terrace dating project in the highlands of Jerusalem and show that they become a dominant agricultural feature only in classical times. We also discuss the implication of the results for understanding the realia behind some of the biblical text.

GSA Bulletin

Crustal deformation and seismicity in the Levant region are mainly related to the plate-boundary ... more Crustal deformation and seismicity in the Levant region are mainly related to the plate-boundary Dead Sea Fault (DSF) and the intraplate Carmel−Gilboa−Faria Fault System (CGFS). The intersection between these two major fault systems is generally treated as a ∼35-km-wide deformation belt stretched between the Faria and Gilboa Faults. Here, we present spatial and temporal analysis of faulting near this intersection. Our analysis is based on new geological mapping, new high-resolution airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data, and seismic reflection profiles and indicates northward migration and localization of the intersection over time since the early Miocene. We discovered and mapped outcrops of Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene rock units as well as faults and reconstructed the evolution of deformation. Three main tectonic phases were identified in this area covering the following periods: the early−middle Miocene, the late Miocene−Pliocene, and the Quaternary. During the ...

AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts, Dec 1, 2020

Israel Journal of Earth Sciences, 1993

Journal of Landscape Ecology, 2017

Sparsely vegetated bedrock slopes in deserts coincide with slope parameters, thus they have impor... more Sparsely vegetated bedrock slopes in deserts coincide with slope parameters, thus they have important implications on biological, chemical, hydrological and geomorphological processes. Spatial variations in these vegetation patterns, density and communities indicates on relatively humid habitats, which correspond with sinks for high runoff. Relations between the bedrock runoff generation and vegetation patterns may imply on the spatial locations of Byzantine – Early Muslim (400-1000 C.E.; 1600-1000 y BP) agriculture installations. These installations are widespread in the Negev Desert, Israel, utilized sophisticated runoff harvesting techniques by the ancient farmers. Applying a multi-disciplinary approach, we tested vegetation patterns as a precursor for runoff generation along bedrock slopes in the Negev Desert Highlands, and correlated them to the spatial distribution of the Byzantine – Early Muslim runoff agriculture installations. Integrating vegetation patterns, geological sub...