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Microlithic tools found in association with the plaquettes. 1–8: trapeze/rectangles; 9, 15–18: arch-backed bladelets; 10, 14: truncated bladelets; 11–13: backed and truncated bladelets (Kebara points). 1, 2, 6–8: L5020; 3–5, 12–13: L5012; 9–10: L7026; 11, 14–15: L7054; 16–18: L7051. The scale is 5mm in each case.
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Three engraved limestone plaquettes from the recently excavated Epipaleolithic open-air site Ein Qashish South in the Jezreel Valley, Israel comprise unique evidence for symbolic behavior of Late Pleistocene foragers in the Levant. The engravings, uncovered in Kebaran and Geometric Kebaran deposits (ca. 23ka and ca. 16.5ka BP), include the image of...
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... chevron plaquette was found during sieving of the sandy matrix deriving from a spot about 1.5m east of this installation (L7026, Figs 5 and 7). The microlithic assemblages derived from different loci in the area, and in particular from L7054 and L7026, are dominated by non-geometric forms such as arch-backed bladelets (Fig 8: 15-18), truncated bladelets (Fig 8: 10, 14) and Kebara points (Fig 8: 11-13). These corroborate the radiocarbon readings in the area affiliating the findings to the Kebaran culture [34][35]. ...
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Three engraved limestone plaquettes from the recently excavated Epipaleolithic open-air site Ein Qashish South in the Jezreel Valley, Israel comprise unique evidence for symbolic behavior of Late Pleistocene foragers in the Levant. The engravings, uncovered in Kebaran and Geometric Kebaran deposits (ca. 23ka and ca. 16.5ka BP), include the image of...
Citations
... It is even thought that such scratches, engravings or marks may form part of communication systems or social interactions, both within social groups and as records for future generations Langley et al. 2020;Ruiz-Redondo et al. 2020). There are increasing reports of scratched artefacts being documented throughout the "Old World" regions and the existence of such artefacts have become a topic of global debate (Henshilwood et al. 2002(Henshilwood et al. , 2009(Henshilwood et al. , 2018Yaroshevich et al. 2016;Dutkiewicz et al. 2020). Such markings, often found in association with other complex artefacts such as microliths and jewellery, demonstrates that symbolic behaviour was a part of the behavioural package of early modern humans that left Africa after the Toba eruption, although this topic remains heavily debated (see Petraglia et al. 2009;Hiscock et al. 2011;Mellars et al. 2013;Clarkson et al. 2018). ...
Since the recent discovery of Late Pleistocene rock art in Island Southeast Asia was announced, evidence for symbolic behaviour in the region has become a focus of international archaeological interest. South Sulawesi is one region that hold much evidence for this important human activity. In addition to the cave paintings, several engraved stone artefacts have also been recovered in the same area, nearly all of which date back to the Late Pleistocene. However, while cave use by ‘hunter-gatherer’ societies continued into the Holocene period, archaeological evidence for symbolic expression during this Toalean period is extremely rare. Here, we report for the first time on engraved stone artefacts from the Middle Holocene period, associated with six human burials. Of ten incised artefacts recovered, eight are stone flakes and two are stone plaquettes, all made of hematite material. Our study suggests that unlike comparative Pleistocene engraved stones, the incisions on the Cappalombo artefacts are more likely the result of use-wear that occurs from producing red pigment powder than portable artworks. As no Toalean-age cave art has yet been identified, it is suspected that pigment powder was applied to the corpses as part of a burial practice or perhaps smeared on the body of the person/s performing the ceremony itself as part of a symbolic ritualistic activity.
Sejak penemuan gambar cadas Pleistosen Akhir terbaru diumumkan di Pulau Asia Tenggara, bukti perilaku simbolis di wilayah tersebut telah menjadi fokus kajian arkeologis internasional. Sulawesi Selatan adalah salah satu wilayah yang menyimpan banyak bukti aktivitas manusia yang penting ini. Selain lukisan gua, beberapa artefak batu berukir juga telah ditemukan di daerah yang sama, hampir semuanya berasal dari Pleistosen Akhir. Namun, ketika penggunaan gua oleh masyarakat 'pemburu-pengumpul' berlanjut hingga periode Holosen, bukti arkeologis untuk ekspresi simbolis selama periode Toalean ini sangat langka. Di sini, kami melaporkan untuk pertama kalinya tentang artefak batu berukir dari periode Holosen Tengah, yang terkait dengan enam penguburan manusia. Dari sepuluh artefak gores yang ditemukan, delapan berupa serpihan batu dan dua berupa plakat batu, semuanya terbuat dari bahan hematit. Studi kami menunjukkan bahwa tidak seperti batu terukir Pleistosen, sayatan pada artefak Cappalombo lebih mungkin hasil dari penggunaan yang terjadi dari memproduksi bubuk pigmen merah daripada karya seni portabel. Karena seni gua periode Toalean belum dapat diidentifikasi, diduga bubuk pigmen dioleskan pada mayat sebagai bagian dari praktik penguburan atau mungkin dioleskan pada tubuh orang yang melakukan upacara itu sendiri sebagai bagian dari aktifitas ritual simbolis.
... In some places, the flows along the alluvial fan cut the MP landscape, depositing large gravel in channels, whereas in other places the area was covered with reddishbrown clay. This period of exposure is also documented at the nearby Epi-Paleolithic site of Ein Qashish South [44]. This site, which is located a few hundred meters south of the MP site and further away from the Qishon stream, was occupied by Kebaran, Geometric Kebaran and Natufian settlements (Units 6, 5, 4 in Fig 3 within [44]), radiocarbon and OSL dated between 25 and 14 ka. ...
... This in turn caused backward inundation. This inland wetland was drained when stream flows of increased flood magnitudes breached the blocking sand [19] during cooler and drier Heinrich events (H6 and H4) associated with low Lake Lisan levels [44]. Isotope values of Unit 3b soil carbonates indicate that they formed under cooler and wetter conditions in comparison to Units 4 and 5 [34,66]. ...
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 m 2 , 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-PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.
... Mediterranean marine molluscs are usually present, but are not particularly abundant in most sites; in addition to Dentalia (Antalis sp.), common species include Nassa sp. and Columbella rustica (Bar-Yosef Mayer 2005, Chapter 44 of this volume). Art objects during the Early Epipalaeolithic occur only sporadically, as with the lightly engraved stone plaques from Kebaran Urkan e-Rubb II and 'En Qashish (Fig. 71.2;Hovers 1990;Yaroshevich et al. 2014Yaroshevich et al. , 2016. ...
... Mediterranean marine molluscs are usually present, but are not particularly abundant in most sites; in addition to Dentalia (Antalis sp.), common species include Nassa sp. and Columbella rustica (Bar-Yosef Mayer 2005, Chapter 44 of this volume). Art objects during the Early Epipalaeolithic occur only sporadically, as with the lightly engraved stone plaques from Kebaran Urkan e-Rubb II and 'En Qashish (Fig. 71.2;Hovers 1990;Yaroshevich et al. 2014Yaroshevich et al. , 2016. ...
