- Prof. Danny Rosenberg
Laboratory for Ground Stone Tools Research
Zinman Institute of Archaeology, University of Haifa,
199 Abba Khousy Ave. Mount Carmel, Haifa, 3498838, Israel
E-mail: [email protected]
The Tel Tsaf Research Project web-site: http://teltsaf.haifa.ac.il/index.php?lang=en
Tel. 00-972-4-8280766
Cel. 00-972-54-3093666
Danny Rosenberg
University of Haifa, Archaeology, Faculty Member
- Ground Stone Technology, Archaeological Science, Anthropology, Archaeological Chemistry, Anthropology of Death, Prehistoric Archaeology, and 7 moreNear Eastern Archaeology, Residue and Use-Wear Analysis, Archaeometry, Metallurgy, Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, Bioarchaeology, Biological Anthropology, Archaeology, and Stone toolsedit
Wood and basketry artefacts rarely survive in the prehistoric record since they require exceptional conditions for preservation; as a result, the current knowledge about when and how prehistoric societies used these basic organic raw... more
Wood and basketry artefacts rarely survive in the prehistoric record since they require
exceptional conditions for preservation; as a result, the current knowledge about when and how
prehistoric societies used these basic organic raw materials is limited. Focusing on the southern
Levant, we discuss for the first time a collection of 16 late prehistoric organic artefacts found in
underwater research conducted in the last forty years off the coast of the Carmel Ridge (Israel).
The waterlogged finds, including bowls, shafts, a wedge, a trough, a pitchfork, logs, a mat, and a
basket, were found at sites spanning from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic to Middle Chalcolithic periods
(ninth–seventh millennia cal. BP), constituting an unprecedented record of prehistoric wood and
other perishable materials, providing us with new information about raw material preferences and
manufacturing technologies.
exceptional conditions for preservation; as a result, the current knowledge about when and how
prehistoric societies used these basic organic raw materials is limited. Focusing on the southern
Levant, we discuss for the first time a collection of 16 late prehistoric organic artefacts found in
underwater research conducted in the last forty years off the coast of the Carmel Ridge (Israel).
The waterlogged finds, including bowls, shafts, a wedge, a trough, a pitchfork, logs, a mat, and a
basket, were found at sites spanning from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic to Middle Chalcolithic periods
(ninth–seventh millennia cal. BP), constituting an unprecedented record of prehistoric wood and
other perishable materials, providing us with new information about raw material preferences and
manufacturing technologies.
The Early Bronze Age in the southern Levant is associated with the onset of urbanization processes, expressed through the emergence of walled, densely populated settlements. The local agro-pastoral economy faced new challenges regarding... more
The Early Bronze Age in the southern Levant is associated with the onset of urbanization processes, expressed through the emergence of walled, densely populated settlements. The local agro-pastoral economy faced new challenges regarding subsistence of the aggregated communities. We compare ground stone tool assemblages involved in food processing from rural, fortified non-urban, and urban settlements in an attempt to understand the impact of the urbanization process on foodways during that period. Additionally, we explore food processing technologies and preferences as indicators of social complexity and urban development. The results point to specialized production and wide distribution of high-quality, standardized grinding implements and, consequently, an intensification of staple food provision. We propose that this phenomenon is associated with a change of socioeconomic priorities that comes with the onset of urbanism, causing a decline of the basalt bowl industry and reorganization of the food processing habitus within growing settlements. We also propose that the enhanced organization of food production concerned mainly the early urban centers, whereas villages display higher variability in modes of food processing and tendencies to utilize easily accessible materials. This indicates an opportunistic approach regarding food processing technologies and/or higher variability of local staple food resources in the rural peripheries.
The Late Chalcolithic period of the southern Levant is frequently regarded as a tipping point, with a notable increase in social and technological complexity. This time span also features many examples of 'special' classes of artefacts... more
The Late Chalcolithic period of the southern Levant is frequently regarded as a tipping point, with a notable increase in social and technological complexity. This time span also features many examples of 'special' classes of artefacts that first appeared during this period and changed or disappeared during the transition to the Early Bronze Age. One of the oddest Late Chalcolithic tool types, which has no parallels in earlier or later periods, is the perforated flint disc. This paper presents a group of perforated objects and related items found at the Late Chalcolithic site of Fazael in the Jordan Valley. This assemblage attributes the site, recently acknowledged as a significant metallurgical center, additional importance. In the current paper we discuss the significance of the new finds in the context of the site and of the Chalcolithic period of the southern Levant.
Recent survey and excavation at Tel 'Ein Jezreel, located in the Jezreel Valley directly above the spring of 'Ein Jezreel, revealed evidence for settlement from the Neolithic Period through the modern era.
Fish are a prominent source of nutrients, yet in the southern Levant, clear evidence for fishing was scarce before the historic periods. In the current paper, we present the evidence for Natufian (ca. 15,000-11,700 cal BP) fishing with an... more
Fish are a prominent source of nutrients, yet in the southern Levant, clear evidence for fishing was scarce before the historic periods. In the current paper, we present the evidence for Natufian (ca. 15,000-11,700 cal BP) fishing with an emphasis on fishhooks, representing one of the best examples of an artefact that reached its morphological optimum thousands of years ago and continued to be widely used today. While fishing using various techniques and implements was probably in use well before the Natufian, this innovation seems to represent a new technique, more restricted and controlled, for obtaining this food source.
Fiber technology (cordage and textile) has played a central role in all human societies for thousands of years, and its production, application and exchange have deep roots in prehistory. However, fiber remains have only rarely been... more
Fiber technology (cordage and textile) has played a central role in all human societies for thousands of years, and its production, application and exchange have deep roots in prehistory. However, fiber remains have only rarely been observed in prehistoric sites because they tend to decay quickly in normal environmental conditions. To overcome preservation problems of macroscopic remains, we employed microbotanical analysis on soils from anthropogenic sediments in activity areas at Tel Tsaf in the Jordan Valley, Israel (ca. 5,200–4,700 cal BC), and recovered fiber microremains. This includes at least two types of bast fibers and the earliest evidence of cotton in the Near East, some of which were dyed in various colors. Some of these fibers likely represent the remnants of ancient clothing, fabric containers, cordage, or other belongings. The cotton remains, probably derived from wild species originating in South Asia, predate the oldest known cotton domestication in the Indus Valle...
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Eight olivine beads found at the Middle Chalcolithic site of Tel Tsaf (ca. 5,200–4,700 cal. BC), Jordan Valley, Israel, underscore a new facet of interregional exchange for this period. The current paper presents the olivine beads... more
Eight olivine beads found at the Middle Chalcolithic site of Tel Tsaf (ca. 5,200–4,700 cal. BC), Jordan Valley, Israel, underscore a new facet of interregional exchange for this period. The current paper presents the olivine beads assemblage, its morphometric and technological characteristics, and chemical composition. The results of the chemical analysis suggest that all eight beads derive from the same source. By means of comparison with the chemical characteristics of known olivine sources, we argue for a northeastern African–western Arabian provenience and cautiously suggest Ethiopia as a probable origin. Finally, we discuss the significance of the assemblage, its possible origin, and the mechanisms that may have brought the beads to the site.
Research Interests:
It has long been recognized that the use of beads for bodily adornment was a powerful means of creating and expressing social identities. Their symbolic significance and meaning-making lies in the intersection of how and where they are... more
It has long been recognized that the use of beads for bodily adornment was a powerful means of creating and expressing social identities. Their symbolic significance and meaning-making lies in the intersection of how and where they are worn, their life histories of production and ownership, the time and skill invested in their manufacture, plus the cosmological import and values accorded their raw materials. While obsidian is known to have traveled to the southern Levant from various Anatolian sources since the Epipalaeolithic period, its use to make beads is rare. Over eight seasons, excavations at Tel Tsaf (ca. 5,200-4,700 cal. BC) in the Jordan Valley, Israel, have produced the richest obsidian bead assemblage in the southern Levant, part of a larger set of objects, and raw materials that attest to this Middle Chalcolithic community's participation in long-distance exchange networks. This paper details the obsidian bead assemblage, its morphometric and technological characteristics, and raw material sources based on their chemical compositions. It then discusses the assemblage's broader socioeconomic significance, and the possible means through which members of the community came to procure them.
Research Interests:
How hunter-gatherers manipulated and utilised their natural surroundings is a widely studied topic among anthropologists and archaeologists alike. This focuses on the Natufian culture of the Late Epipalaeolithic period (c.15–11.7 kyr),... more
How hunter-gatherers manipulated and utilised their natural surroundings is a widely studied topic among anthropologists and archaeologists alike. This focuses on the Natufian culture of the Late Epipalaeolithic period (c.15–11.7 kyr), the last Levantine hunter-gatherer population, and specifically on the earliest composite tools designed for harvesting. These tools are widely referred to as sickles. They consisted of a haft into which a groove was cut and flint inserts affixed. This revolutionised harvesting and established it on new grounds. While the plants manipulated by these tools are yet to be identified with certainty, it is evident that these implements were rapidly integrated and dispersed throughout the Natufian interaction sphere, suggesting that they provided a significant advantage, which probably constituted a critical step toward agriculture. At the same time, the Natufian haft assemblage demonstrates high morphometric variability. We review the available data concer...
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Late Chalcolithic metallurgy developed in the southern Levant simultaneously with other crafts and new social institutions, reflecting advances in social organization, cults and technology. Until recently, copper items were mostly found... more
Late Chalcolithic metallurgy developed in the southern Levant simultaneously with other crafts and new social institutions, reflecting advances in social organization, cults and technology. Until recently, copper items were mostly found in the Negev and Judean Desert, while other areas, specifically the Jordan Valley, were considered poor, with limited copper finds. Recent excavations at Late Chalcolithic Fazael in the Jordan Valley yielded dozens of copper items that allow for the first time a comprehensive study of copper items from this area. The assemblage is one of the largest of any site in the Late Chalcolithic period and includes most of the known components of the Late Chalcolithic copper industry. The current paper presents the new metallurgical discoveries from the Fazael Basin and discusses their significance to our understanding of the Late Chalcolithic copper industry.
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Abstract Recent excavations at the protohistoric (5200–4600 cal BC) site of Tel Tsaf in the Jordan Valley (Israel) revealed an unusual clay model, found in a room surrounded by several large grain-storage silos. It provides the first... more
Abstract Recent excavations at the protohistoric (5200–4600 cal BC) site of Tel Tsaf in the Jordan Valley (Israel) revealed an unusual clay model, found in a room surrounded by several large grain-storage silos. It provides the first insight into the manner in which the superstructures of the silos at Tel Tsaf may have been constructed. More importantly, this find adds a new dimension to understanding the link between large-scale storage and the symbolism related to grain storage, burial and the regeneration of life. It also illustrates the early appearance of distinct strategies for controlling the means of production and for accumulating wealth—factors that led to the creation of social hierarchies in the ancient Near East.
Research Interests: History, Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, Neolithic & Chalcolithic Archaeology, and 13 moreChalcolithic Pottery, Chalcolithic Archaeology, Ancient Near East, Antiquity, Social Complexity, Social Complexity (Archaeology), Chalcolithic, Archaeology of the Southern Levant, Silo, Food Storage, Neolithic and Chalcolithic, Food Processing and Storage, and Innovation and Technical Change
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Within the Late Chalcolithic of the Levant, the issues of specialization, regionality, and new dimensions of social complexity are long debated. In this article, we focus on the appearance of perforated flint objects that reflect specific... more
Within the Late Chalcolithic of the Levant, the issues of specialization, regionality, and new dimensions of social complexity are long debated. In this article, we focus on the appearance of perforated flint objects that reflect specific patterns of production and distribution, clustering in northern Israel and southern Syria. We discuss this phenomenon in the contexts of Chalcolithic craft production and intraregional exchange networks. We demonstrate that the production and circulation of these unique objects differ from those associated with any other types of prestige objects that either characterize other parts of the southern Levant or do not have clear distribution boundaries.
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The discovery of a basalt vessel workshop at Tel Hazor, one of the most important Iron Age sites in the Near East, marks a turning point in our understanding of stone artifact production and distribution during the1st millennium BCE. It... more
The discovery of a basalt vessel workshop at Tel Hazor, one of the most important Iron Age sites in the Near East, marks a turning point in our understanding of stone artifact production and distribution during the1st millennium BCE. It offers a rare opportunity to characterize ancient raw material sources, production sites, and study production, trade and distribution systems. The basalt vessel workshop, the only one of its kind in the Levant, produced large quantities of bowl preforms and production waste. To better understand the production and distribution systems behind this specialized production center, in 2011 we initiated a focused geochemical project that concentrated on the products of this unique workshop. We measured the major and trace element composition of 44 unfinished basalt vessels from the workshop and other contexts at Hazor, and can demonstrate that the majority of these objects were derived from one specific, geochemically well-constrained, basaltic rock sour...
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Ground stone tools served in many physical and social contexts through millennia, reflecting a wide variety of functions. Although ground stone tool studies were neglected for much of early archaeology, the last few decades witnessed a... more
Ground stone tools served in many physical and social contexts through millennia, reflecting a wide variety of functions. Although ground stone tool studies were neglected for much of early archaeology, the last few decades witnessed a notable international uptick in the way archaeologists confront this multifaceted topic. Today, with the advance of archaeology as a discipline, research into ground stone artefacts is moving into a new phase that integrates high resolution documentation with new methodological, analytical techniques, and technological approaches. These open new vistas for an array of studies and wide-ranging interpretive endeavours related to understanding ground stone tool production and use. Inspired by these diverse analytical approaches and interpretive challenges, we founded the international Association for Ground Stone Tools Research (AGSTR) in order to promote dialogue and create an optimal, inclusive arena for scholars studying various aspects of ground ston...
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Burial and commemorative rites form significant components of many routines and activities accompanying the disposal and remembrance of the dead in numerous past and present societies. Various artifacts seem to have had an important role... more
Burial and commemorative rites form significant components of many routines and activities accompanying the disposal and remembrance of the dead in numerous past and present societies. Various artifacts seem to have had an important role in burial and commemorative rituals and may have been used to reflect social unity and strengthen group identity. Burial-related paraphernalia clearly gained special importance in the southern Levant with the onset of the Natufian culture (ca. 15,000–11,500 calBP), a culture exhibiting cardinal changes in subsistence economy, social behavior, and symbolism. One hallmark of this culture is the appearance of large boulder mortars, massive implements frequently associated with burials and burial grounds, long accepted as a manifestation of technological skill and petrological knowledge. We report the results of a new study of Natufian boulder mortars and their contexts and present novel relevant data. Our conclusions suggest that Natufian boulder mortars share specific traits that go beyond size as well as use contexts. We suggest that they reflect common practices pertaining to Natufian burial and commemorative ceremonies and can be held as indicators of a south Levantine tradition overriding a variety of territorial and group-specific social and symbolic traits.
Abstract The discovery of a Neolithic quarry and production site for basanite bifacial tools at Giv‘at Kipod in Israel has provided new insights into these socially significant artefacts. Geochemical analysis of material from the quarry... more
Abstract The discovery of a Neolithic quarry and production site for basanite bifacial tools at Giv‘at Kipod in Israel has provided new insights into these socially significant artefacts. Geochemical analysis of material from the quarry distinguishes it from other basaltic rock sources in Israel, allowing stone tools from a variety of sites and dated contexts to be assigned a provenance. Results suggest that Giv‘at Kipod was an important production centre for over several millennia. It operated primarily on a local, regional level and independently of the parallel manufacture-and-distribution mechanisms of flint bifacials. While flint tools developed in response to the practical requirements of the transition to agriculture in the region, ground-stone bifacials appear to have been a product of economic changes and evolving social structures.
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Evidence for the production of basalt vessels is virtually unknown from archaeological sites in the Levant. Several unfinished basalt vessels were discovered at Tel Hazor, Israel, during excavations directed by Y. Yadin in the 1950s and... more
Evidence for the production of basalt vessels is virtually unknown from archaeological sites in the Levant. Several unfinished basalt vessels were discovered at Tel Hazor, Israel, during excavations directed by Y. Yadin in the 1950s and in 1968, and 25 more were identified during the analysis of the large ground stone assemblage excavated at Hazor 1990–2003, suggesting that a workshop must have been located at the site. The 2010 discovery of a 9th century b.c.e. workshop for manufacturing basalt vessels in the context of a public building in Area M at Hazor confirms that basalt vessels were produced at the site and has the potential to shed new light on this little-known industry. This paper offers a preliminary descriptive account of the context of the basalt vessel workshop, the unfinished basalt vessel preforms or blanks found within it and in other archaeological contexts at Hazor, and the significance of this discovery for our understanding of basalt vessel manufacture in antiquity.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Near Eastern Archaeology, Geology, Archaeology of Ancient Israel, Levantine Archaeology, and 12 moreSyro-Palestinian archaeology, Ground Stone Technology, Ancient Technology (Archaeology), Field Archaeology, Stone Vessels, Stone tools, Artefact Assemblage Studies (archaeology), Excavation, Ground stone tools, Archaeology of the Southern Levant, Basalt, and Hazor
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The site of Beisamoun in the Hula Basin in Northern Israel is well known for its prehistoric finds dated mostly to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB). Nevertheless, this site also contains remains of the Pottery Neolithic (PN) Period,... more
The site of Beisamoun in the Hula Basin in Northern Israel is well known for its prehistoric finds dated mostly to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB). Nevertheless, this site also contains remains of the Pottery Neolithic (PN) Period, mostly of the Wadi Rabah culture. This paper briefly presents the Wadi Rabah aspect of Beisamoun. Though retrieved from the surface of the site, the amount and diversity of the finds suggests the existence of a substantial Wadi Rabah settlement on the western edge of the Hula marshes. The Wadi Rabah occurrence at Beisamoun is yet another northern manifestation of this cultural entity joining other Wadi Rabah sites in the Hula Valley indicating that the northern part of the Israeli rift valley was an important Wadi Rabah 'province'.
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Ab stract A pre lim i nary sur vey on the slopes of Nahal Galim and its trib u tary, Nahal Ornit (Mt. Car mel, Is rael), shows that lo cal high-qual ity flint out crops were in ten sively used for flint quar ry ing and tool pro duc tion... more
Ab stract A pre lim i nary sur vey on the slopes of Nahal Galim and its trib u tary, Nahal Ornit (Mt. Car mel, Is rael), shows that lo cal high-qual ity flint out crops were in ten sively used for flint quar ry ing and tool pro duc tion at least since the Mid dle Palaeo lithic. The pa per of fers ini tial ob ser va tions re gard ing the ge ol ogy, geo mor phol ogy and ar chae ol ogy of these lo cales, and pres ents first in sights into the scale and meth ods of past quar ry ing ac tiv i ties.
Research Interests:
Ab stract It has been sug gested since the be gin ning of pre his toric re search in the Lev ant, that the Natufians used stone mor tars for the pro cess ing of ce re als and/or other veg e tal re sources, though di rect ev i dence is... more
Ab stract It has been sug gested since the be gin ning of pre his toric re search in the Lev ant, that the Natufians used stone mor tars for the pro cess ing of ce re als and/or other veg e tal re sources, though di rect ev i dence is still lack ing. A re cent de tailed study of more than 100 bed rock mor tars and cupmarks in di cates that, a) they are found in many Late Natufian sites, re gard less of their size and eco log i cal set ting, b) the va ri ety of di men sions and types is wide, c) in some cases flint cores and stone ob jects were bur ied in them, d) some spec i mens seem to have been de lib er ately pierced through their bot tom, e) in some cases a stone was firmly lodged into the shaft, f) it seems that cer tain types could not have served for food pro cess ing, or at least do not of fer a con ve nient set ting for pro cess ing flo ral ma te rial, nor to ex tract the pro cessed sub stance from the shaft, and g) at least at one site these fea tures ap pear to be as so ci ated with hu man buri als. We sug gest that the new data re gard ing the Natufian pro duc tion and use of bed rock fea tures should not be viewed solely in the tech no log i cal and pro duc tion spheres. Rather, we ten ta tively pro pose that by the Late Natufian, the man u fac ture of some large/deep stone holes may have had an ad di tional so cial or even sym bolic role.
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ABSTRACT This paper presents a detailed study of a unique groundstone (henceforth-stone) tool—the fl aked stone disc. The study presents the result of an attribute analysis conducted on 703 fl aked discs found in stratifi ed contexts... more
ABSTRACT This paper presents a detailed study of a unique groundstone (henceforth-stone) tool—the fl aked stone disc. The study presents the result of an attribute analysis conducted on 703 fl aked discs found in stratifi ed contexts during excavations and as surface fi nds, all from sites in northern Israel. The discs are described in detail and some provisional suggestions regarding their function are discussed. Résumé : Cette étude détaillée présente un outil de pierre particulier : le disque retouché. L'analyse porte sur 703 disques retouchés, provenant aussi bien de contextes stratifi és que de ramassages de surface, tous les sites étant situés dans le nord d'Israël. Ces artefacts sont décrits en détail et des suggestions relatives à leur fonction sont discutées.
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Research Interests:
Fiber technology (cordage and textile) has played a central role in all human societies for thousands of years, and its production, application and exchange have deep roots in prehistory. However, fiber remains have only rarely been... more
Fiber technology (cordage and textile) has played a central role in all human societies for thousands of years, and its production, application and exchange have deep roots in prehistory. However, fiber remains have only rarely been observed in prehistoric sites because they tend to decay quickly in normal environmental conditions. To overcome preservation problems of macroscopic remains, we employed microbotanical analysis on soils from anthropogenic sediments in activity areas at Tel Tsaf in the Jordan Valley, Israel (ca. 5,200-4,700 cal BC), and recovered fiber microremains. This includes at least two types of bast fibers and the earliest evidence of cotton in the Near East, some of which were dyed in various colors. Some of these fibers likely represent the remnants of ancient clothing, fabric containers, cordage, or other belongings. The cotton remains, probably derived from wild species originating in South Asia, predate the oldest known cotton domestication in the Indus Valley by about two millennia. Tel Tsaf played a pivotal role in trans-regional trade and exchange networks in the southern Levant, and the presence of cotton at the site points to possible connections with the Indus Valley as early as 7,200 years ago.
Eight olivine beads found at the Middle Chalcolithic site of Tel Tsaf (ca. 5,200-4,700 cal. BC), Jordan Valley, Israel, underscore a new facet of interregional exchange for this period. The current paper presents the olivine beads... more
Eight olivine beads found at the Middle Chalcolithic site of Tel Tsaf (ca. 5,200-4,700 cal. BC), Jordan Valley, Israel, underscore a new facet of interregional exchange for this period. The current paper presents the olivine beads assemblage, its morphometric and technological characteristics, and chemical composition. The results of the chemical analysis suggest that all eight beads derive from the same source. By means of comparison with the chemical characteristics of known olivine sources, we argue for a northeastern African-western Arabian provenience and cautiously suggest Ethiopia as a probable origin. Finally, we discuss the significance of the assemblage, its possible origin, and the mechanisms that may have brought the beads to the site.
It has long been recognized that the use of beads for bodily adornment was a powerful means of creating and expressing social identities. Their symbolic significance and meaning-making lies in the intersection of how and where they are... more
It has long been recognized that the use of beads for bodily adornment was a powerful means of creating and expressing social identities. Their symbolic significance and meaning-making lies in the intersection of how and where they are worn, their life histories of production and ownership, the time and skill invested in their manufacture, plus the cosmological import and values accorded their raw materials. While obsidian is known to have traveled to the southern Levant from various Anatolian sources since the Epipalaeolithic period, its use to make beads is rare. Over eight seasons, excavations at Tel Tsaf (ca. 5,200-4,700 cal. BC) in the Jordan Valley, Israel, have produced the richest obsidian bead assemblage in the southern Levant, part of a larger set of objects, and raw materials that attest to this Middle Chalcolithic community's participation in long-distance exchange networks. This paper details the obsidian bead assemblage, its morphometric and technological characteristics, and raw material sources based on their chemical compositions. It then discusses the assemblage's broader socioeconomic significance, and the possible means through which members of the community came to procure them.
A recently excavated early Pottery Neolithic (PN) site, Tel Izhaki (Jezreel Valley, Israel) revealed clear evidence for the collecting and recycling of Pre-Pottery Neolithic B blades. This technological behavior, common during the... more
A recently excavated early Pottery Neolithic (PN) site, Tel Izhaki (Jezreel Valley, Israel)
revealed clear evidence for the collecting and recycling of Pre-Pottery Neolithic B blades.
This technological behavior, common during the period, occurred along with some on-site
production of bidirectional blades, the latter a technological feature characteristic for an
early phase of some Yarmukian sites in the central Jordan Valley, e.g. Sha‘ar Hagolan and
Hamadiya. Other aspects indicating affinity between Tel Izhaki and key Yarmukian sites
in central Jordan Valley constitute a rare incised decoration on a stone vessel, the planoconvex shape of mudbricks as well as some flint raw material.
The variability of the material culture at Tel Izhaki, including the presence of both
Yarmukian and Jericho IX traits in pottery decoration and flint technology is compared to
that of other early PN sites in the area. This variability in combination with the particular
location of the sites, reveal a pattern supporting the Yarmukian PN expansion from the
Jordan Valley into the Jezreel Valley and subsequently into the Lower Galilee. While
radiocarbon dates available from a few sites at the area, including Tel Izhaki, correlate
with that scenario of PN distribution, more studies are needed to investigate chronological
and spatial aspects of variability defining the early PN in the Levant
revealed clear evidence for the collecting and recycling of Pre-Pottery Neolithic B blades.
This technological behavior, common during the period, occurred along with some on-site
production of bidirectional blades, the latter a technological feature characteristic for an
early phase of some Yarmukian sites in the central Jordan Valley, e.g. Sha‘ar Hagolan and
Hamadiya. Other aspects indicating affinity between Tel Izhaki and key Yarmukian sites
in central Jordan Valley constitute a rare incised decoration on a stone vessel, the planoconvex shape of mudbricks as well as some flint raw material.
The variability of the material culture at Tel Izhaki, including the presence of both
Yarmukian and Jericho IX traits in pottery decoration and flint technology is compared to
that of other early PN sites in the area. This variability in combination with the particular
location of the sites, reveal a pattern supporting the Yarmukian PN expansion from the
Jordan Valley into the Jezreel Valley and subsequently into the Lower Galilee. While
radiocarbon dates available from a few sites at the area, including Tel Izhaki, correlate
with that scenario of PN distribution, more studies are needed to investigate chronological
and spatial aspects of variability defining the early PN in the Levant
Foodways in the late prehistoric southern Levant evolved alongside changes in the social and economic organization of the communities occupying the region. In this paper, we present a comprehensive study of culinary practices from the... more
Foodways in the late prehistoric southern Levant evolved alongside changes in the social and economic organization of the communities occupying the region. In this paper, we present a comprehensive study of culinary practices from the Pottery Neolithic to the Late Chalcolithic period (ca. 6,400-3,800 cal. BC). The research examines changes and continuity in foodrelated organic residues preserved within ceramic and stone vessels along diachronic and interregional climatic lines in Israel. The results of lipid biomarker and compound-specific isotope analyses, together with the faunal and botanic records, indicate that while this timespan witnessed significant social and economic developments (including most notably the introduction of pottery and later copper metallurgy), there was a fairly uniform diet. Dietary preferences included meat, originating mainly from domestic ruminants, and cultivated vegetal resources, usually regardless of chronological, cultural, or environmental differences. Some chronological and potentially environmental variation was noted in the use of dairy products, which chemical residue analysis detected from samples dating to the Middle Chalcolithic period onwards in semi-arid regions. The overarching general uniformity in diet during the Pottery Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods suggests that the timespan was one long economic continuum separated by distinct cultural entities sharing a core dietary tradition. The socioeconomic processes of the timespan had no significant effect on what people ate and how they used vessels to prepare and consume food.
Research Interests: Archaeology and Geology
Abstract. The Late Chalcolithic period of the Southern Levant is marked by increased regional behaviour. Despite this, there is an increased production and distribution of finely made basalt vessels. These were frequently adorned with a... more
Abstract. The Late Chalcolithic period of the Southern Levant is marked by increased regional behaviour. Despite this, there is an increased production and distribution of finely made basalt vessels. These were frequently adorned with a single row of incised triangles along the rim. This motif is widely distributed throughout the Southern Levant and was formed according to specific morphometric guidelines and standardisation. These include a preference for symmetrical acute triangles filled with hatches. This standardisation attests to a somewhat specialised production and perhaps a shared significance behind the design, tied directly to the value of basalt or the basalt vessels. The triangle design then acts as a commentary on the Chalcolithic socio-economic system.
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A strainer is an autonomous utensil (sieve or colander) or an integral part (filter) of a utensil designed to separate mixtures based on grain size. In the southern Levant, strainer vessels made of clay are known since the Early... more
A strainer is an autonomous utensil (sieve or colander) or an integral part (filter) of a utensil designed to separate mixtures based on grain size. In the southern Levant, strainer vessels made of clay are known since the Early Chalcolithic period, albeit few in number. The onset of the Late Chalcolithic period reflects a significant increase in the numbers and distribution of these particular vessels even though their numbers per site remain relatively low. This paper surveys foremost Late Chalcolithic strainer vessels from the southern Levant, discussing their morphology, significance and possible role as straining and sifting devices for liquids (e.g., olive or other oils, herbal or botanical mixtures, and alcoholic beverages) and solid substances (e.g., fats and flour). While results from our ongoing organic residue analysis concerning this and other types of Late Chalcolithic vessels are yet to come, we can already suggest that these vessels entail a variety of tasks and that they were used in a number of different contexts based on the variability of strainer vessel types and the strainer morphology.
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this is the discussion at the end of a long and detailed final excavation report on the ground-stone Industry of Shaar Hagolan, a Pottery Neolithic site in the central Jordan Valley, Israel.