Pubblicazione scientifica

Persistent Neanderthal occupation of the open-air site of ‘Ein Qashish, Israel

FILONE TECNOLOGICO	TEMA
economia circolare e sostenibilità

RIASSUNTO

Over the last two decades, much of the recent efforts dedicated to the Levantine Middle Paleolithic has concentrated on the role of open-air sites in the settlement system in the region. Here focus on the site of ‘Ein Qashish as a cases study. Located in present-day northern Israel, the area of this site is estimated to have been >1300 m2, of which ca. 670 were excavated. The site is located at the confluence of the Qishon stream with a small tributary running off the eastern flanks of the Mt. Carmel. At the area of this confluence, water channels and alluvial deposits created a dynamic depositional environment. Four Archaeological Units were identified in a 4.5-m thick stratigraphic sequence were dated by Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) to between—71 and 54 ka, and probably shorter time span–~70-~60 ka. Here we present the diverse material culture remains from the site (lithics, including refitted sequences; modified limestone pieces; molluscs; faunal remains) against their changing paleogeographic backdrop. Skeletal evidence suggests that these remains were associated with Neanderthals. The large-scale repeated accumulation of late Middle Paleolithic remains in the same place on the landscape provides a unique opportunity to address questions of occupation duration and intensity in open-air sites. We find that each occupation was of ephemeral nature, yet presents a range of activities, suggesting that the locale has been used as a generalized residential site rather than specialized task-specific ones. This role of ‘Ein Qashish did not change through time, suggesting that during the late Middle Paleolithic settlement system in this part of the southern Levant were stable.

DATA

Data di pubblicazione: 26/06/2019

AUTORI

EKSHTAIN RAVID
MALINSKY-BULLER ARIEL
GREENBAUM NOAM
MITKI NETTA
STAHLSCHMIDT MAREIKE C
SHAHACK-GROSS RUTH
NIR NADAV
PORAT NAOMI
BAR-YOSEF MAYER DANIELLA E
YESHURUN REUVEN
BEEN ELLA
RAK YOEL
AGHA NUHA
BRAILOVSKY LENA
KRAKOVSKY MASHA
SPIVAK POLINA
ULLMAN MICKA
VERED ARIEL
BARZILAI OMRY
HOVERS ERELLA

ENTE DI AFFERENZA

INST ARCHAEOLOGY HEBREW UNIV JERUSALEM JERUSALEM ISRAEL
MONREPOS ARCHAEOLOGICAL RSCH CTR & MUSEUM FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOURAL EVOLUTION GERMANY
DEPT GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES UNIV HAIFA HAIFA ISRAEL
SCHOOL OF ARCHAEOLOGY UNIV COLLEGE DUBLIN DUBLIN IRELAND
DEPT MARITIME CIVILIZATIONS RECANATI INST MARITIME STUDIES CHARNEY SCHOOL OF MARINE SCIENCES UNIV HAIFA HAIFA ISRAEL
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ISRAEL JERUSALEM ISRAEL
STEINHARDT MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY TEL AVIV UNIV TEL AVIV ISRAEL
ZINMAN INST ARCHAEOLOGY UNIV HAIFA HAIFA ISRAEL
FACULTY OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS ONO ACAD COLLEGE KIRYAT ONO ISRAEL
DEPT ANATOMY & ANTHROPOLOGY SACKLER FACULTY OF MEDICINE TEL AVIV UNIV TEL AVIV ISRAEL
ISRAEL ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY JERUSALEM ISRAEL
DEPT BIBLE ARCHAEOLOGY & ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN STUDIES BEN GURION UNIV NEGEV BEER SHEVA ISRAEL
MAX PLANCK INST SCIENCE OF HUMAN HISTORY GERMANY

RIVISTA

PLoS ONE, 14(6), e0215668

IMPACT FACTOR

2,870

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