Naama Goren-Inbar | The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (original) (raw)
Papers by Naama Goren-Inbar
Vertebrate paleobiology and paleoanthropology series, 2018
On a regional basis, census data can be used for a general depiction of patterns of population an... more On a regional basis, census data can be used for a general depiction of patterns of population and job densities. These patterns are largely as expected: central Toronto has by far the highest residential and job densities in the region. Some smaller, older centres such as Hamilton and Kitchener also stand out, but beyond the central GTA, both population and employment densities are generally low, although there are scattered areas of newly developed residential areas with relatively high densities, certainly more than 40 people/ha. These densities occur in dissemination areas that, in effect, measure net densities because boundaries are tightly defined around subdivisions of very small-lot, ground-related housing. Other higher-density areas may be obscured by how census boundaries are drawn and the inclusion of large amounts of nonresidential land. In studying density beyond generalized patterns or the density of small areas, census data should be used very carefully. Measured densities depend on such things as the quality and consistency of data, how density is defined and measured, the size of the units of measurement, and where the boundaries of census tracts and dissemination areas happen to be drawn. In this section, we review some of these issues and make some observations and recommendations for improving density calculations. Section 4.1 discusses general issues with defining and measuring density. Section 4.2 focuses on the use of census data. Section 4.3 recommends using parcel data to overcome some of the limitations of census data.
Springer eBooks, 2010
The previous chapter presented data on the presence and spatial distribution of burned flint ite... more The previous chapter presented data on the presence and spatial distribution of burned flint items throughout the stratigraphic sequence at GBY. It demonstrated that, while burned flint occurs in all the studied archaeological horizons, the burned flint microartifacts are not evenly distributed throughout the excavated surface and denser concentrations of burned material are observed (Table 4.1).
PLOS ONE, 2022
The research of the Kaizer Hill site (the Hilltop and its Terraces), recognized as a Pre Pottery ... more The research of the Kaizer Hill site (the Hilltop and its Terraces), recognized as a Pre Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) quarry site, involved studies of the rock damage associated with the quarrying activities as well as of the recovered material remains, mostly chipped stone artifacts. We present here the results of our on-site explorations (excavations, surveys and surface-collections), focusing on the findings deriving from the Terraces. Diverse rock damage patterns were identified and described, portraying systematic rock mass-exploitation through quarrying fronts, natural rock joints and fissures enlargement, drilling and chiseling. There are multiple indications that the local bedrock (Bi’na Formation, Turonian) comprising flint and limestone was quarried under a systematic quality evaluation, leaving residual flint unsuitable for exploitation. Of interest to note that nearly all of the flint artifacts excavated and collected on the Terraces were made on raw material transported f...
Chapter 2 presents the history of the archaeological discoveries and excavations at Gesher Benot ... more Chapter 2 presents the history of the archaeological discoveries and excavations at Gesher Benot Yaʻaqov, from as early as the 1930s to very recently. Throughout these years, the area of the site was subjected to recurrent activities of construction, destruction, and drainage. The chapter provides a detailed account of the history of research on Gesher Benot Yaʻaqov and the Benot Yaʻakov Formation by scholars such as D. Garrod, M. Stekelis, and D. Gilead. Furthermore, as this volume is dedicated to the lithic assemblages originating from recent (1989 onwards) archaeological excavations at the site, an account of this phase of archaeological research is provided, as well as a summary of the main scientific achievements derived from it.
Journal of Anthropological Research, 2020
Chapter 7 aims to provide a comprehensive description of the basalt assemblages, a major componen... more Chapter 7 aims to provide a comprehensive description of the basalt assemblages, a major component of the archaeological horizons of Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov. Analyses consist of taphonomic, morphological, technological, and typological observations, which enable characterization and reconstruction of the operational sequences of basalt. These involve percussive tools (anvils, percussors, and pitted stones) and the use of giant cores for the production of large flakes, which required minimal modification for their transformation into bifaces.
This study presents an attempt to distinguish between flakes experimentally produced by soft and ... more This study presents an attempt to distinguish between flakes experimentally produced by soft and hard percussors through a morphotechnological analysis. An identical analysis was also carried out on an archaeological assemblage of flint flakes originating from an Acheulian horizon at the site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, Israel. Through comparison of the experimental and archaeological assemblages we attempted to determine the kind of percussor used at the site. The article describes the problems encountered while quantifying the morphological qualities of the flakes and the difficulties in using experimental data to analyze archaeological assemblages. The results demonstrate that the archaeological assemblage is indeed derived from biface modification. The preliminary quantitative analysis, though applied to a small sample, gives some indications for the possible use of soft percussors in the process of knapping flint bifaces in Gesher Benot Ya'aqov as early as 780,000 years ago.
Chapter 6 aims to provide a comprehensive description of the flint assemblages, a major component... more Chapter 6 aims to provide a comprehensive description of the flint assemblages, a major component of the archaeological horizons of Gesher Benot Yaʻaqov. Analyses consist of taphonomic, morphological, technological, and typological observations, which enable characterization and reconstruction of the operational sequences of flint.
Chapter 5 presents a detailed account of the excavated archaeological layers at Gesher Benot Yaʻa... more Chapter 5 presents a detailed account of the excavated archaeological layers at Gesher Benot Yaʻaqov. It provides data on the location and stratigraphic position of each excavated unit in the study area, as well as details of the surface exposed, thickness and volume of the layers, and their sedimentological characteristics. When available, the results of faunal and floral analyses are summarized and references are provided. The description of the excavated units is accompanied by a series of illustrations, including photographs, cross-sections, and field maps.
Chapter 3 is concerned with the geography, geology, stratigraphy, and chronology of the site of G... more Chapter 3 is concerned with the geography, geology, stratigraphy, and chronology of the site of Gesher Benot Yaʻaqov. The geographical landmarks of the study area are presented in detail and the structural, morphotectonical, and geomorphological processes of the area are discussed. The different exposures of the Benot Yaʻakov Formation, in which the archaeological material is bedded, are described. The stratigraphic sequence of the study area is provided, together with a composite section of 34 meters. In addition, the various attempts to determine the age of the site are discussed, followed by a description of the different types of raw material found at the site.
In-depth study of Acheulian limestone artifacts from Gesher Benot Yaʻaqov (0.79 Ma) has revealed ... more In-depth study of Acheulian limestone artifacts from Gesher Benot Yaʻaqov (0.79 Ma) has revealed that limestone nodules procured from fluvial deposits were transported to the lake margin and exploited throughout the occupational sequence (ca. 50 ka). Analyses of the limestone assemblages show that individual artifacts went through several use-stages or complex life-histories within a single reduction sequence. This reduction sequence began with the targeting of nodules suitable for use as percussors. Use of the percussors sometimes resulted in breakage that produced flakes typical of working accidents. Broken percussors were shaped into a second morphotype, chopping tools, while cores comprise a third morphotype. These morphotypes are viewed as consecutive, interrelated options. Once a morphotype was inadequate for use it was transformed into another, resulting in gradual reduction of dimensions from one type to the next. The ability to renovate/recycle implies flexibility and conti...
Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology, 2018
G esher Benot Ya'aqov (GBY), an open-air, water-logged, Middle Pleistocene locality with excellen... more G esher Benot Ya'aqov (GBY), an open-air, water-logged, Middle Pleistocene locality with excellent preservation and stratigraphy, is one of the world's most important Lower Paleolithic sites. Goren-Inbar et al. present the GBY's lithic assemblages in their fourth volume on the site (Volumes 1 , 2 [Alperson-Afil and Goren-Inbar 2010], and 3 ] dealt with the wood assemblage, fire, and mammalian taphonomy, respectively). One cannot help but admire the GBY team's dedication to full, systematic publication of the excavations and data. The four volumes, when taken together, are a veritable site encyclopedia that, in a perfect world, would be produced for every major archaeological field research project. Chapter 1 introduces the volume, the site, and the site's modern geography, climate, vegetation, fauna, and geology. Chapter 2 presents a brief history of the area surrounding GBY, and a detailed history of research at the site. This reviewer thoroughly enjoyed reading about all the major players' work at the site, including that by Dorothy Garrod, Moshe Stekelis, David Gilead, Naama Goren-Inbar, to name a few. Chapter 3 expands upon GBY's geography, geology, stratigraphy, and chronology. Here, the use of color images-which are present throughout the volume-is a boon for the reader's understanding of the site context. Chapter 3 also discusses the lithic raw materials used by hominins at the site, including basalt, flint, and limestone, as well as these toolstones' provenance, geographical distribution, and weathering. Chapter 4 is the last preparatory chapter, which describes field and laboratory methods used at GBY. This chapter is thorough-even presenting procedures for how stratigraphic cross-sections were drawn! The authors also explain their reasoning for using "3D technology" for illustrating the artifacts. This reviewer is currently less convinced that the time or cost of 3D scanning is worth the trouble unless a question actually requires it. While the 3D scans of artifacts presented throughout the volume do look nice, high-resolution photographs would have also served. Chapter 5, 6, 7, and 8 present the core, so to speak, of the volume, reporting on the context of the lithic assemblages, the flint artifacts, the basalt artifacts, and limestone artifacts. These four chapters present data galore in 271 tables (!), and are almost entirely descriptive, resulting in inductive conclusions typical of excavation and assemblage site reports. Stone tool implements are mostly described as Bordes (1961) types, the use of which has been debated
Quaternary International, 2016
Abstract Analyses of the flint assemblages of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov have provided new insights... more Abstract Analyses of the flint assemblages of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov have provided new insights into the technological and typological characteristics of its Acheulian Technocomplex. As these assemblages are products of small flint nodules, the flakes and flake tools are small in size. Analysis of the striking platforms of these flakes showed that modifications of different types occurred at their proximal end, resulting in the removal of the striking platform and its periphery. This phenomenon is so common that we were able to identify five distinct morphotypes of proximal modifications. We suggest that the precise and difficult task of removing a topographical high relief from the ventral face of a small flake was a specific planned goal that was aimed at acquiring a desired surface, in this case even and flat. The precision and repetition required for this, as well as the morphological diversity of the proximal ends, imply that these modifications should be interpreted as preparation for hafting.
PLoS ONE, 2012
Cylindrical objects made usually of fired clay but sometimes of stone were found at the Yarmukian... 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.'' Reexamination 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.
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2010
A red-stained flint crescent found in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (ca. 9000 BC) site of Gesher, I... more A red-stained flint crescent found in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (ca. 9000 BC) site of Gesher, Israel, provides us with a unique opportunity to study the hafting technology of a particular tool type in the Levant. We present here a reconstruction, based on chemical and mineralogical analyses, of the hafting technologies and materials employed in the process. Use will also
Current Anthropology, 2007
... Stocks's experiments showed that bow drilling was five times faster than drilling wi... more ... Stocks's experiments showed that bow drilling was five times faster than drilling with a twist/reverse‐twist drill (Ashton, Harrell, and Shaw 2000). ... References Cited. Ashton, BC, JA Harrell, and I. Shaw. 2000. Inorganic materials: Stone. ...
Archaeometry, 2011
The reconstruction of past human use of fire is often based on the presence of fire in archaeolog... more The reconstruction of past human use of fire is often based on the presence of fire in archaeological sites as evidenced by alterations of lithic material. Here, a simple test based on thermoluminescence (TL) methods is used as a verification tool for the macroscopic identification of burning damage on flint microartefacts from the Early and early Middle Pleistocene site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov (Israel). The small dimensions of the microartefacts often prevented the removal of the outer surface, for which the TL signal might have been altered (bleached) by exposure to light during excavation. Bleaching of the TL signal by sunlight was found for fresh raw material, but appeared to be less problematic for the archaeological material, presumably due to patination. However, TL results for some samples are ambiguous and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish heating from post-depositional bleaching, especially for samples that are macroscopically considered as not having been heated. A qualitative interpretation of the TL data is compared with the macroscopic assessment. The general agreement of the TL analyses with the macroscopic observations provides an independent verification of the observed burning and thus supports the assumption that fire was used and controlled throughout the long occupational sequence of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov.
Science, 2009
Home Is Where the Hearth IsOne aspect of human intelligence is the ability to organize our living... more Home Is Where the Hearth IsOne aspect of human intelligence is the ability to organize our living and working spaces. It was generally thought that this capability arose with modern humans in the past 100,000 years or so. However,Alperson-Afilet al.(p.1677) found evidence of domestic organization 800,000 years ago at a Pleistocene hominin campsite in the Jordan Valley. Around patches of burnt debris, the remains of a wide range of plant and animal foodstuffs were found, including fruits and seeds, as well as remnants of turtles, elephants, and small rodents. Specific types of stone tools appear to have been made around the hearths, where there was also evidence of nut roasting and consumption of crabs and fish. In a more distant area there were signs of intensive flint knapping and food chopping.
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2018
Evidence for climatic changes around the Matuyama-Brunhes Boundary (MBB) inferred from a multi-pr... more Evidence for climatic changes around the Matuyama-Brunhes Boundary (MBB) inferred from a multi-proxy palaeoenvironmental study of the GBY#2 core, Jordan River Valley, Israel. The address for the corresponding author was captured as affiliation for all authors.
Vertebrate paleobiology and paleoanthropology series, 2018
On a regional basis, census data can be used for a general depiction of patterns of population an... more On a regional basis, census data can be used for a general depiction of patterns of population and job densities. These patterns are largely as expected: central Toronto has by far the highest residential and job densities in the region. Some smaller, older centres such as Hamilton and Kitchener also stand out, but beyond the central GTA, both population and employment densities are generally low, although there are scattered areas of newly developed residential areas with relatively high densities, certainly more than 40 people/ha. These densities occur in dissemination areas that, in effect, measure net densities because boundaries are tightly defined around subdivisions of very small-lot, ground-related housing. Other higher-density areas may be obscured by how census boundaries are drawn and the inclusion of large amounts of nonresidential land. In studying density beyond generalized patterns or the density of small areas, census data should be used very carefully. Measured densities depend on such things as the quality and consistency of data, how density is defined and measured, the size of the units of measurement, and where the boundaries of census tracts and dissemination areas happen to be drawn. In this section, we review some of these issues and make some observations and recommendations for improving density calculations. Section 4.1 discusses general issues with defining and measuring density. Section 4.2 focuses on the use of census data. Section 4.3 recommends using parcel data to overcome some of the limitations of census data.
Springer eBooks, 2010
The previous chapter presented data on the presence and spatial distribution of burned flint ite... more The previous chapter presented data on the presence and spatial distribution of burned flint items throughout the stratigraphic sequence at GBY. It demonstrated that, while burned flint occurs in all the studied archaeological horizons, the burned flint microartifacts are not evenly distributed throughout the excavated surface and denser concentrations of burned material are observed (Table 4.1).
PLOS ONE, 2022
The research of the Kaizer Hill site (the Hilltop and its Terraces), recognized as a Pre Pottery ... more The research of the Kaizer Hill site (the Hilltop and its Terraces), recognized as a Pre Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) quarry site, involved studies of the rock damage associated with the quarrying activities as well as of the recovered material remains, mostly chipped stone artifacts. We present here the results of our on-site explorations (excavations, surveys and surface-collections), focusing on the findings deriving from the Terraces. Diverse rock damage patterns were identified and described, portraying systematic rock mass-exploitation through quarrying fronts, natural rock joints and fissures enlargement, drilling and chiseling. There are multiple indications that the local bedrock (Bi’na Formation, Turonian) comprising flint and limestone was quarried under a systematic quality evaluation, leaving residual flint unsuitable for exploitation. Of interest to note that nearly all of the flint artifacts excavated and collected on the Terraces were made on raw material transported f...
Chapter 2 presents the history of the archaeological discoveries and excavations at Gesher Benot ... more Chapter 2 presents the history of the archaeological discoveries and excavations at Gesher Benot Yaʻaqov, from as early as the 1930s to very recently. Throughout these years, the area of the site was subjected to recurrent activities of construction, destruction, and drainage. The chapter provides a detailed account of the history of research on Gesher Benot Yaʻaqov and the Benot Yaʻakov Formation by scholars such as D. Garrod, M. Stekelis, and D. Gilead. Furthermore, as this volume is dedicated to the lithic assemblages originating from recent (1989 onwards) archaeological excavations at the site, an account of this phase of archaeological research is provided, as well as a summary of the main scientific achievements derived from it.
Journal of Anthropological Research, 2020
Chapter 7 aims to provide a comprehensive description of the basalt assemblages, a major componen... more Chapter 7 aims to provide a comprehensive description of the basalt assemblages, a major component of the archaeological horizons of Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov. Analyses consist of taphonomic, morphological, technological, and typological observations, which enable characterization and reconstruction of the operational sequences of basalt. These involve percussive tools (anvils, percussors, and pitted stones) and the use of giant cores for the production of large flakes, which required minimal modification for their transformation into bifaces.
This study presents an attempt to distinguish between flakes experimentally produced by soft and ... more This study presents an attempt to distinguish between flakes experimentally produced by soft and hard percussors through a morphotechnological analysis. An identical analysis was also carried out on an archaeological assemblage of flint flakes originating from an Acheulian horizon at the site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, Israel. Through comparison of the experimental and archaeological assemblages we attempted to determine the kind of percussor used at the site. The article describes the problems encountered while quantifying the morphological qualities of the flakes and the difficulties in using experimental data to analyze archaeological assemblages. The results demonstrate that the archaeological assemblage is indeed derived from biface modification. The preliminary quantitative analysis, though applied to a small sample, gives some indications for the possible use of soft percussors in the process of knapping flint bifaces in Gesher Benot Ya'aqov as early as 780,000 years ago.
Chapter 6 aims to provide a comprehensive description of the flint assemblages, a major component... more Chapter 6 aims to provide a comprehensive description of the flint assemblages, a major component of the archaeological horizons of Gesher Benot Yaʻaqov. Analyses consist of taphonomic, morphological, technological, and typological observations, which enable characterization and reconstruction of the operational sequences of flint.
Chapter 5 presents a detailed account of the excavated archaeological layers at Gesher Benot Yaʻa... more Chapter 5 presents a detailed account of the excavated archaeological layers at Gesher Benot Yaʻaqov. It provides data on the location and stratigraphic position of each excavated unit in the study area, as well as details of the surface exposed, thickness and volume of the layers, and their sedimentological characteristics. When available, the results of faunal and floral analyses are summarized and references are provided. The description of the excavated units is accompanied by a series of illustrations, including photographs, cross-sections, and field maps.
Chapter 3 is concerned with the geography, geology, stratigraphy, and chronology of the site of G... more Chapter 3 is concerned with the geography, geology, stratigraphy, and chronology of the site of Gesher Benot Yaʻaqov. The geographical landmarks of the study area are presented in detail and the structural, morphotectonical, and geomorphological processes of the area are discussed. The different exposures of the Benot Yaʻakov Formation, in which the archaeological material is bedded, are described. The stratigraphic sequence of the study area is provided, together with a composite section of 34 meters. In addition, the various attempts to determine the age of the site are discussed, followed by a description of the different types of raw material found at the site.
In-depth study of Acheulian limestone artifacts from Gesher Benot Yaʻaqov (0.79 Ma) has revealed ... more In-depth study of Acheulian limestone artifacts from Gesher Benot Yaʻaqov (0.79 Ma) has revealed that limestone nodules procured from fluvial deposits were transported to the lake margin and exploited throughout the occupational sequence (ca. 50 ka). Analyses of the limestone assemblages show that individual artifacts went through several use-stages or complex life-histories within a single reduction sequence. This reduction sequence began with the targeting of nodules suitable for use as percussors. Use of the percussors sometimes resulted in breakage that produced flakes typical of working accidents. Broken percussors were shaped into a second morphotype, chopping tools, while cores comprise a third morphotype. These morphotypes are viewed as consecutive, interrelated options. Once a morphotype was inadequate for use it was transformed into another, resulting in gradual reduction of dimensions from one type to the next. The ability to renovate/recycle implies flexibility and conti...
Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology, 2018
G esher Benot Ya'aqov (GBY), an open-air, water-logged, Middle Pleistocene locality with excellen... more G esher Benot Ya'aqov (GBY), an open-air, water-logged, Middle Pleistocene locality with excellent preservation and stratigraphy, is one of the world's most important Lower Paleolithic sites. Goren-Inbar et al. present the GBY's lithic assemblages in their fourth volume on the site (Volumes 1 , 2 [Alperson-Afil and Goren-Inbar 2010], and 3 ] dealt with the wood assemblage, fire, and mammalian taphonomy, respectively). One cannot help but admire the GBY team's dedication to full, systematic publication of the excavations and data. The four volumes, when taken together, are a veritable site encyclopedia that, in a perfect world, would be produced for every major archaeological field research project. Chapter 1 introduces the volume, the site, and the site's modern geography, climate, vegetation, fauna, and geology. Chapter 2 presents a brief history of the area surrounding GBY, and a detailed history of research at the site. This reviewer thoroughly enjoyed reading about all the major players' work at the site, including that by Dorothy Garrod, Moshe Stekelis, David Gilead, Naama Goren-Inbar, to name a few. Chapter 3 expands upon GBY's geography, geology, stratigraphy, and chronology. Here, the use of color images-which are present throughout the volume-is a boon for the reader's understanding of the site context. Chapter 3 also discusses the lithic raw materials used by hominins at the site, including basalt, flint, and limestone, as well as these toolstones' provenance, geographical distribution, and weathering. Chapter 4 is the last preparatory chapter, which describes field and laboratory methods used at GBY. This chapter is thorough-even presenting procedures for how stratigraphic cross-sections were drawn! The authors also explain their reasoning for using "3D technology" for illustrating the artifacts. This reviewer is currently less convinced that the time or cost of 3D scanning is worth the trouble unless a question actually requires it. While the 3D scans of artifacts presented throughout the volume do look nice, high-resolution photographs would have also served. Chapter 5, 6, 7, and 8 present the core, so to speak, of the volume, reporting on the context of the lithic assemblages, the flint artifacts, the basalt artifacts, and limestone artifacts. These four chapters present data galore in 271 tables (!), and are almost entirely descriptive, resulting in inductive conclusions typical of excavation and assemblage site reports. Stone tool implements are mostly described as Bordes (1961) types, the use of which has been debated
Quaternary International, 2016
Abstract Analyses of the flint assemblages of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov have provided new insights... more Abstract Analyses of the flint assemblages of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov have provided new insights into the technological and typological characteristics of its Acheulian Technocomplex. As these assemblages are products of small flint nodules, the flakes and flake tools are small in size. Analysis of the striking platforms of these flakes showed that modifications of different types occurred at their proximal end, resulting in the removal of the striking platform and its periphery. This phenomenon is so common that we were able to identify five distinct morphotypes of proximal modifications. We suggest that the precise and difficult task of removing a topographical high relief from the ventral face of a small flake was a specific planned goal that was aimed at acquiring a desired surface, in this case even and flat. The precision and repetition required for this, as well as the morphological diversity of the proximal ends, imply that these modifications should be interpreted as preparation for hafting.
PLoS ONE, 2012
Cylindrical objects made usually of fired clay but sometimes of stone were found at the Yarmukian... 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.'' Reexamination 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.
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2010
A red-stained flint crescent found in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (ca. 9000 BC) site of Gesher, I... more A red-stained flint crescent found in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (ca. 9000 BC) site of Gesher, Israel, provides us with a unique opportunity to study the hafting technology of a particular tool type in the Levant. We present here a reconstruction, based on chemical and mineralogical analyses, of the hafting technologies and materials employed in the process. Use will also
Current Anthropology, 2007
... Stocks's experiments showed that bow drilling was five times faster than drilling wi... more ... Stocks's experiments showed that bow drilling was five times faster than drilling with a twist/reverse‐twist drill (Ashton, Harrell, and Shaw 2000). ... References Cited. Ashton, BC, JA Harrell, and I. Shaw. 2000. Inorganic materials: Stone. ...
Archaeometry, 2011
The reconstruction of past human use of fire is often based on the presence of fire in archaeolog... more The reconstruction of past human use of fire is often based on the presence of fire in archaeological sites as evidenced by alterations of lithic material. Here, a simple test based on thermoluminescence (TL) methods is used as a verification tool for the macroscopic identification of burning damage on flint microartefacts from the Early and early Middle Pleistocene site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov (Israel). The small dimensions of the microartefacts often prevented the removal of the outer surface, for which the TL signal might have been altered (bleached) by exposure to light during excavation. Bleaching of the TL signal by sunlight was found for fresh raw material, but appeared to be less problematic for the archaeological material, presumably due to patination. However, TL results for some samples are ambiguous and it is sometimes difficult to distinguish heating from post-depositional bleaching, especially for samples that are macroscopically considered as not having been heated. A qualitative interpretation of the TL data is compared with the macroscopic assessment. The general agreement of the TL analyses with the macroscopic observations provides an independent verification of the observed burning and thus supports the assumption that fire was used and controlled throughout the long occupational sequence of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov.
Science, 2009
Home Is Where the Hearth IsOne aspect of human intelligence is the ability to organize our living... more Home Is Where the Hearth IsOne aspect of human intelligence is the ability to organize our living and working spaces. It was generally thought that this capability arose with modern humans in the past 100,000 years or so. However,Alperson-Afilet al.(p.1677) found evidence of domestic organization 800,000 years ago at a Pleistocene hominin campsite in the Jordan Valley. Around patches of burnt debris, the remains of a wide range of plant and animal foodstuffs were found, including fruits and seeds, as well as remnants of turtles, elephants, and small rodents. Specific types of stone tools appear to have been made around the hearths, where there was also evidence of nut roasting and consumption of crabs and fish. In a more distant area there were signs of intensive flint knapping and food chopping.
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 2018
Evidence for climatic changes around the Matuyama-Brunhes Boundary (MBB) inferred from a multi-pr... more Evidence for climatic changes around the Matuyama-Brunhes Boundary (MBB) inferred from a multi-proxy palaeoenvironmental study of the GBY#2 core, Jordan River Valley, Israel. The address for the corresponding author was captured as affiliation for all authors.
Multidisciplinary research on the Early-Middle Pleistocene site of Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov has yield... more Multidisciplinary research on the Early-Middle Pleistocene site of Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov has yielded abundant climatic, environmental, ecological and behavioral records. The 15 archaeological horizons form a sequence of Acheulian occupational episodes on the shore of the paleo-Lake Hula. These enable us to reconstruct numerous aspects of the survival and adaptation of ancient hominins, leading to a better understanding of their evolution and behavior. This book presents the faunal analyses of medium-sized and large mammals, providing taxonomic, taphonomic and actualistic data for the largest faunal assemblages. The study of modes of animal exploitation reveals valuable information on hominin behavior.