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This study investigates faunal remains from the site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, analyzing how hominins may have utilized vertebrates and exploring paleoenvironments during the Early and Middle Pleistocene. Based on analyses of a range of vertebrates, results show that the species distribution of terrestrial vertebrates (microvertebrates and mammals)...
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Context 1
... animal and hominin modifications occurred (Table 4). Surface modifications are rare in Area B layers: rodent modifications were observed on bones from Layers II-6 L7 U (N ¼ 1), and II-6 L1 (N ¼ 1), and carnivore modifications on bones from Layers II-6 L7 S (N ¼ 3) and II-6 L1 (N ¼ 2). ...
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... Located in the Great African Rift system, the 0.79 Ma site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov (GBY) is bedded in the Benot Ya'akov Formation, deposited by the paleo-Lake Hula during the Early-Middle Pleistocene. The stratigraphic sequence includes lake and lake-margin deposits in which evidence of human activities is provided by a series of 15 archaeological horizons rich in paleontological, paleobotanical, and archaeological assemblages, all assigned to MIS 18 (Goren-Inbar et al. 2000;Feibel 2004; Alperson-Afil 2008; Alperson-Afil et al. 2009;Rabinovich and Biton 2011;Sharon et al. 2011;Spiro et al. 2011;Zohar and Biton 2011). Since the beginning of excavations at GBY (in four major areas of excavation; see Goren-Inbar et al. 2000: fig.1), the remains of its Acheulian material culture have been continuously studied, demonstrating affinities with the African Large Flake Acheulian tradition and revealing various technological and behavioral traits of the ancient hominins. ...
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 contingency.
... Located in the Great African Rift system, the 0.79 Ma site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov (GBY) is bedded in the Benot Ya'aqov Formation, deposited by the paleo-Lake Hula during the Early-Middle Pleistocene. The stratigraphic sequence includes lake and lake-margin deposits in which evidence of human activities is provided by a series of 15 archaeological horizons rich in paleontological, paleobotanical, and archaeological assemblages, all assigned to MIS 18 (Goren-Inbar et al. 2000;Feibel 2004; Alperson-Afil 2008;Alperson-Afil et al. 2009;Rabinovich and Biton 2011;Sharon et al. 2011;Spiro et al. 2011;Zohar and Biton 2011). Since the beginning of excavations at GBY (in four major areas of excavation; see Goren-Inbar et al. 2000: Fig. 1), the remains of its Acheulean material culture have been continuously studied, demonstrating affinities with the African Large Flake Acheulean tradition and revealing various technological and behavioral traits of the ancient hominins. ...
... Located in the Great African Rift system, the 0.79 Ma site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov (GBY) is bedded in the Benot Ya'aqov Formation, deposited by the paleo-Lake Hula during the Early-Middle Pleistocene. The stratigraphic sequence includes lake and lake-margin deposits in which evidence of human activities is provided by a series of 15 archaeological horizons rich in paleontological, paleobotanical, and archaeological assemblages, all assigned to MIS 18 (Goren-Inbar et al. 2000;Feibel 2004; Alperson-Afil 2008;Alperson-Afil et al. 2009;Rabinovich and Biton 2011;Sharon et al. 2011;Spiro et al. 2011;Zohar and Biton 2011). Since the beginning of excavations at GBY (in four major areas of excavation; see Goren-Inbar et al. 2000: Fig. 1), the remains of its Acheulean material culture have been continuously studied, demonstrating affinities with the African Large Flake Acheulean tradition and revealing various technological and behavioral traits of the ancient hominins. ...
In-depth study of Acheulean
limestone
artifacts from Gesher Benot Ya'aqov
(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 illustrate that individual artifacts go 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 interrelated consecutive 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 contingency
. The consistent homogeneity of the limestone
assemblages demonstrates conservatism of knowledge
, transmission of the
chaîne opératoire
, specific raw materials
, and flexible variations
within them – all typical of a “complex” culture.
... The lithic tradition of the site was assigned to the large flake phase of the Acheulian techno- complex [38], with typical handaxes and cleavers produced on large basalt flakes [39] . Rich palaeontological assemblages display a great diversity of species, some in abundance404142, as well as an extremely rich palaeobotanical assemblage434445. GBY furnishes the earliest evidence in Eurasia for continual fire-making [46,47]. ...
... [37]). Similarly, while level 1 is rich in faunal remains, the others are very poor [40,56]. The presence of the thin basalt anvils in each of the levels is therefore highly informative and shows that they played a very important role within the diversified activities that took place on these archaeological horizons. ...
... They were involved in a variety of tasks, making them an important component of the GBY Acheulian tool kit. At present, we cannot associate any particular use to the damage markings on the anvils, but they may have included nut cracking [55], possibly nut popping [64], bone fragmentation for the extraction of marrow, which is very common at the site [40,42], cracking open the shells of crabs and bivalves [6], fruit smashing (as practised by chimpanzees [65]) and possibly the preparation of otherTable 4. Location and intensity of pitting damage on thin basalt anvils at GBY. plant foodstuffs such as underground storage organs. The presence of Gorgon nuts (Euryale ferox; Fox nuts) in all the archaeological horizons and the interpretation of their mode of processing ( popping; for details see [64]) provide further support for the use of the thin basalt anvils in the preparation of plant foods. ...
We report here on the identification and characterization of thin basalt anvils, a newly discovered component of the Acheulian lithic inventory of Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov (GBY). These tools are an addition to the array of percussive tools (percussors, pitted stones and anvils) made of basalt, flint and limestone. The thin anvils were selected from particularly compact, horizontally fissured zones of basalt flows. This type of fissuring produces a natural geometry of thick and thin slabs. Hominins at GBY had multiple acquisition strategies, including the selection of thick slabs for the production of giant cores and cobbles for percussors. The selection of thin slabs was carried out according to yet another independent and targeted plan. The thinness of the anvils dictated a particular range of functions. The use of the anvils is well documented on their surfaces and edges. Two main types of damage are identified: those resulting from activities carried out on the surfaces of the anvils and those resulting from unintentional forceful blows (accidents de travaille). Percussive activities that may have been associated with the thin anvils include nut cracking and the processing of meat and bones, as well as plants.
... The pattern and causes of hominin dispersal have been the focus of intense, recent interest. Discussion typically focuses on dispersal as a macro-scale phenomenon, and on global or continental-scale constraints or opportunities imposed by large-scale variations in climate, vegetation, fauna, and changes in the cognitive, technological and social abilities of different hominin taxa (e.g., Mithen and Reed, 2002;Holmes, 2007;Maslin and Christensen, 2007;Potts, 2007;Agustí et al., 2009;Carto et al., 2009;deMenocal, 2011;Leroy et al., 2011;Martinez-Navarro and Rabinovich, 2011;Abbate and Sagri, 2012;Bar-Yosef and Belfer-Cohen, 2013;Dennell, 2013). The effect of interactions between hominins and other mammals in this process was a particular interest of Alan Turner (Turner, 1992(Turner, , 1999Turner and O'Regan, 2007), and we follow that interest here, but with a different focus. ...
... Faunal remains are dominated (numerically and in terms of dietary contribution) by elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus) and fallow deer (Dama sp.) (Goren-Inbar et al., 1994;Tchernov et al., 1994;Rabinovich and Biton, 2011;Rabinovich et al., 2011). Many other herbivore species are present, including hippopotamus, steppe rhinoceros, horse, warthog, pig, giant and red deer, gazelle and large bovids. ...
... Unlike many potential migration-hunting sites, the migratory animals are not the only resource (Goren-Inbar et al., 1992, 2000Shoshani et al., 2001;Rosenfeld et al., 2004;Rabinovich et al., 2011). Because of its lake-side/riverine location, non-migratory animals (pigs, fallow deer, even hippopotamus) were available locally, so that hominin groups arriving to exploit the spring or autumn herd migration could not only support themselves while they waited, but support themselves if the migration, for whatever reason, failed to materialise (Rabinovich and Biton, 2011). Given this remarkable concatenation of advantages, it is not surprising to find more than one site, several periods, and indications of repetitive use of the site not only for perhaps 100 ka in the Acheulean period, but at many other periods as well. ...
We explore the relationship between the edaphic potential of soils and the mineral properties of the
underlying geology as a means of mapping the differential productivity of different areas of the Pleistocene
landscape for large herbivores. These factors strongly control the health of grazing animals
irrespective of the particular types of vegetation growing on them, but they have generally been
neglected in palaeoanthropological studies in favour of a more general emphasis on water and vegetation,
which provide an incomplete picture. Taking the CarmeleGalileeeGolan region as an example, we
show how an understanding of edaphic potential provides insight into how animals might have
exploited the environment. In order to simplify the analysis, we concentrate on the Lower Palaeolithic
period and the very large animals that dominate the archaeofaunal assemblages of this period. Topography
and the ability of soils to retain water also contribute to the differential productivity and accessibility
of different regions and to patterns of seasonal movements of the animals, which are essential to
ensure a supply of healthy fodder throughout the year, especially for large animals such as elephants,
which require substantial regions of good grazing and browsing. Other animals migrating in groups have
similar needs. The complex topography of the Southern Levant with frequent sudden and severe changes
in gradient, and a wide variety of landforms including rocky outcrops, cliffs, gorges, and ridges, places
major limits on these patterns of seasonal movements. We develop methods of mapping these variables,
based on the geology and our substantial field experience, in order to create a framework of landscape
variation that can be compared with the locations and contents of archaeological sites to suggest ways in
which early hominins used the variable features of the landscape to target animal prey, and extend the
analysis to the consideration of smaller mammals that were exploited more intensively after the
disappearance of the elephants. We consider some of the ways in which this regional-scale approach can
be further tested and refined, and advocate the development of such studies as an essential contribution
to understanding the wider pattern of hominin dispersal.
... The low-density, species-poor and fragmentary Nesher Ramla assemblage differs markedly in nature from other known micromammalian faunas from Pleistocene sites in southwestern Asia, including both cave and open-air sites (Tchernov, 1981(Tchernov, , 1988Weissbrod et al., 2005;Belmaker and Hovers, 2011;Rabinovich and Biton, 2011). This suggests a unique formation process most likely related to the nature of the depositional environment of the site. ...
We report the discovery of a new type of hominin site in the Levant, inhabited during MIS 6-5. The site, found within a karst depression at Nesher Ramla, Israel, provides novel evidence for Middle Paleolithic lifeways in an environmental and depositional setting that is previously undocumented in the southern Levant. The carbonate bedrock in the area is characterized by surface depressions formed by gravitational sagging of the rock into underlying karst voids. In one such depression, an 8 m thick sequence comprising rich and well-preserved lithic and faunal assemblages, combustion features, hundreds of manuports and ochre was discovered. Here we focus on the geological and environmental setting and present optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages for the 8 m sequence, aiming to place the site within a firm chronological framework and determine its significance for a more complete reconstruction of cultural developments in the Levantine Middle Paleolithic. To that end, preliminary results of the lithic and faunal studies are also presented.
... This reconstructed scenario, which integrates species of diverse origin [36,37], is particularly rich in food resources, both floral [38] and faunal [39]. The environmental and dietary data shed light on the ability of the local communities to forgo their ancestral African adaptations and to adjust to a Mediterranean environment with its particular ecology and habitats. ...
... (a) Exploitation of biological resources Skeletal animal remains found at the site reflect carcass processing of large and medium-sized animals, ranging from elephant, large bovids and rhinoceros to gazelle [36,39,40], together with smaller animals like fishes and crabs [32]. There are preferences for particular species, with an emphasis on elephant (Paleoloxodonta antiquus) and fallow deer (Dama sp.) [41]. ...
... Perhaps among our most striking conclusions is that giant cores are present in a variety of occupation types that clearly reflect different tasks and activities carried out simultaneously. These include, among others, hunting, fishing, meat and bone processing, nut and fruit gathering, and fire making (e.g., Goren-Inbar et al., 1994; Goren-Inbar et al., 2002; Alperson-Afil, 2007; Rabinovich et al., 2008; Alperson et al., 2009; Alperson-Afil and Goren-Inbar, 2010; Rabinovich et al., in press; Rabinovich and Biton, 2011; Zohar and Biton, 2011). The association of the giant cores with their products in the different horizons, coupled with the indications for a composite group structure, call for a novel view (on which we will focus in our future research) of a variety of activities carried out on the lake margin at GBY, integrating various behavioral patterns in the same sites. ...
... This reconstructed scenario, which integrates species of diverse origin [36,37], is particularly rich in food resources, both floral [38] and faunal [39]. The environmental and dietary data shed light on the ability of the local communities to forgo their ancestral African adaptations and to adjust to a Mediterranean environment with its particular ecology and habitats. ...
... (a) Exploitation of biological resources Skeletal animal remains found at the site reflect carcass processing of large and medium-sized animals, ranging from elephant, large bovids and rhinoceros to gazelle [36,39,40], together with smaller animals like fishes and crabs [32]. There are preferences for particular species, with an emphasis on elephant (Paleoloxodonta antiquus) and fallow deer (Dama sp.) [41]. ...
The Acheulian presence in the Dead Sea Rift and its environs is characterized by the discontinuity of its cultural manifestations. Nevertheless, the long stratigraphic sequences of the Acheulian Technocomplex provide a unique opportunity for synergetic examination along a temporal trajectory. Hominin cognitive and cultural behaviour are studied at Gesher Benot Ya'aqov through analyses of lithic, palaeontological and palaeobotanical assemblages, as well as the Early-Middle Pleistocene environment, ecology and climate. The study attempts to reconstruct reduction sequences of some major artefact groups at the site, which include raw material acquisition, production, technology, typology, usage and discard. Experimental archaeology illustrates artefact mobility on the palaeo-landscape. Strategies of biomass-exploitation are studied in detail, with other aspects yielding additional information on hominin subsistence and adaptive responses to their environment. The cultural marker of fire and the spatial association of selected categories of finds are integrated in the general synthesis, allowing reconstruction of the cultural and cognitive realm of Acheulian hominins. The synthesis attempts to reassess the abilities, social structure, subsistence and adaptability to the changing environment of hominins in the Levantine Corridor.
... The Levant itself is at the meeting point of the Eurasian and African continents, the Saharan-Arabian deserts and the Mediterranean Sea, making it ideal for tracing climate variability. The question of the impact of climate change on the dispersal of hominins at that time needs to be addressed in light of the rapidly growing number of marine and land records world-wide and especially in the Levant, and the increasing importance and breadth of paleoanthropological discoveries in the region (Goren-Inbar et al., 2000; Martínez-Navarro and Rabinovich, 2011; Rabinovich and Biton, 2011; Yeshurun et al., 2011). In order to understand the role of climate change on hominin behavior during the transition, this study explores and synthesizes Early to Middle Pleistocene marine and non-marine records (Fig. 1). ...
Climate change is frequently considered an important driver of hominin evolution and dispersal patterns. The role of climate change in the last phase (900-700 ka) of the Middle Pleistocene Transition (MPT) in the Levant and northeast Africa was examined, using marine and non-marine records. During the MPT the global climate system shifted from a linear 41 k.yr. into a highly non-linear 100 k.yr. system, considerably changing its global modulation. Northeast Africa aridity further intensified around 950ka, as indicated by a sharp increase in dust flux, and a jump to overall higher levels thereafter, coinciding with a lack of sapropels in the deep eastern Mediterranean (930-690ka). The increased dust flux centering at ∼800ka corresponds to the minima in 400 k.yr. eccentricity, a minima in 65 °N solar forcing and in the weakest African monsoon precession periodicity. This resulted in expansion of hyper-arid conditions across North Africa, the lowest lake levels in eastern Africa and the lowest rainfall in the Nile River headwaters. In the eastern Mediterranean an increasing continental signature is seen in glacial stages 22 (∼880ka) and 20 (∼800ka). Lower arboreal pollen values also indicate arid conditions during these glacial stages. The southern and eastern parts of the Negev Desert, unlike its northern part, were hyper-arid during the MPT, making them highly unsustainable. The fluctuations in the stands of Lake Amora follow global climate variability but were more moderate than those of its last glacial Lake Lisan successor. In the northern Jordan-Valley Hula Lake, frequent fluctuations in lake level coincide with both global climate changes and minor changes in water salinity varying from fresh to oligohaline. It appears therefore that the most pronounced and widespread deterioration in climate occurred in northeast Africa from 900 to 700ka, whereas in the Levant the corresponding climatic changes were more moderate.
