Gonen Sharon

Nuts, nut cracking, and pitted stones at Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov, Israel

The Acheulian site of Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov (Israel) has revealed a unique association of edible nuts with pitted hammers and anvils. Located in the Dead Sea rift, on the boundary between the Arabian and African plates, the site dates to the Early-Middle Pleistocene, oxygen isotope stage 19. In a series of strata, seven species of nuts, most of which can be cracked open only by a hard hammer, were uncovered. Five of the species are extant terrestrial nuts, and two are aquatic nuts now extinct in the Levant. In addition, the site yielded an assemblage of pitted hammers and anvils similar in pit morphology to those used by chimpanzees and contemporary hunter–gatherers. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that a site has offered both paleobotanical and lithic evidence of plant foods eaten by early hominins and technologies used for processing these foods. The evidence also sheds light on the structure of the community: ethnographic analogies suggest that mixedgender groups may have been active on the shores of paleoLake Hula.

Spatial Organization of Hominin Activities at Gesher Benot Ya’aqov, Israel

Home Is Where the Hearth Is One 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-Afil et 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. The spatial distribution of artifacts implies that living space was organized by use as early as 800,000 years ago. The spatial designation of discrete areas for different activities reflects formalized conceptualization of a living space. The results of spatial analyses of a Middle Pleistocene Acheulian archaeological horizon (about 750,000 years ago) at Gesher Benot Ya’aqov, Israel, indicate that hominins differentiated their activities (stone knapping, tool use, floral and faunal processing and consumption) across space. These were organized in two main areas, including multiple activities around a hearth. The diversity of human activities and the distinctive patterning with which they are organized implies advanced organizational skills of the Gesher Benot Ya’aqov hominins.

A new type of anvil in the Acheulian of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, Israel.

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.

3D Modeling: New Method for Quantifying Post-depositional Damages

We discuss the results of an experiment which was designed to explore post-depositional damage observed on prehistoric bifaces. Often, post-depositional damages are inflicted when the artifacts are rolled by rivers or waves, and their edges are chipped off by battering. This process was simulated in the experiment, where the damage history was recorded by 3D scanning of the artifacts. The resulting data set was analyzed and the damage patterns were established. To anchor our findings in the Archaeological context, we scanned an assemblage of lithic tools which are known to have undergone battering and damage in a river bed. The implications of our findings to the study of the morphology of lithic tools and their typology are discussed.

The Limestone Component

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.

A Week in the Life of the Mousterian Hunter

Eight excavation seasons at the Mousterian site of Nahal Mahanyeem Outlet (NMO) on the banks of the Upper Jordan River offer a glimpse into the life ways of MP people during a hunting expedition in the Northern Dead Sea Rift. This open-air site, OSL dated to ca. 60ky BP, is interpreted as recording a series of short-term hunting events. The NMO horizons, with their small number of lithic artifacts, unique typological composition and evidence for task specific hunting and butchering activity fit within Binford’s definition of a “task location”. Many of the models suggested to describe site pattern and mobility activity, such as the foraging and logistical models, are based primarily upon theoretical consideration and ethnographic evidence. NMO gives us the opportunity to test such models based on archaeological evidence.

The Basalt Component

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.

The Flint Component

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.

The Lithic Assemblages in Context

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.

The Site of Gesher Benot Yaʻaqov

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.