Geoarchaeology and new research at Jerf al-Ajla Cave, Syria

Abstract

This study reviews geoarchaeological research on several Paleolithic sites in the Syrian steppe‐desert, and reports on renewed geoarchaeological investigations at the cave site of Jerf al‐Ajla, near the oasis town of Palmyra in central Syria. Major Middle Paleolithic complexes are associated with extensive exposed Eocene and Cretaceous chert‐bearing formations, particularly at sites near permanent water sources. Renewed field investigations at Jerf al‐Ajla refined previously reported stratigraphic relationships and Paleolithic industries, particularly for the Middle to Upper Paleolithic boundary. Analysis of burned Middle Paleolithic flints/chert indicate the latter are sufficiently heated for TL dating. Thermoluminescence dates were obtained on five heated flint artifacts from the Mousterian layer C1, giving a weighted mean of 35.6 ± 3.4 ka. This dating of a late Middle Paleolithic industry (Moustérien tardif) at Jerf al‐Ajla is in agreement with data from the adjacent El Kowm basin in east‐central Syria at the site of Umm el‐Tlel, indicating a new aspect of Middle Paleolithic in Levantine Paleolithic research. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The Middle Paleolithic of the East Mediterranean Levant

“…These sites include Yabrud Shelter 1 (Rust, 1950;Solecki and Solecki, 1986), Douara Cave (Akazawa and Sakaguchi, 1987), Jerf Ajla (Coon, 1957;Julig et al, 1999;Richter et al, 2001;Schroeder, 1969), and Dederiyeh Cave (Akazawa and Muhesen, 2003;Akazawa et al, 1995aAkazawa et al, ,b, 1999 as well as the Umm el Tlel open-air site complex (Boëda et al, 2001;Boëda and Muhesen, 1993). On the Golan Heights, a shallow, but rich deposit of lithics and faunal remains has been excavated along the southern shore of Biqat Quneitra (Goren-Inbar, 1990b).…”

Employing Tl Methods for the Verification of Macroscopically Determined Heat Alteration of Flint Artefacts From Palaeolithic Contexts

“…Such experiments, carried out mostly on flint or chert, demonstrate that high temperatures (~350-500°C) often cause macroscopically identifiable alterations that are visible with the naked eye, such as discoloration, crazing (cracking, craquelation), potlid fractures, crenation and fragmentation (shattering) (Purdy and Brooks 1971;Purdy 1975Purdy , 1982Julig et al 1999;Sergant et al 2006). Such experiments, carried out mostly on flint or chert, demonstrate that high temperatures (~350-500°C) often cause macroscopically identifiable alterations that are visible with the naked eye, such as discoloration, crazing (cracking, craquelation), potlid fractures, crenation and fragmentation (shattering) (Purdy and Brooks 1971;Purdy 1975Purdy , 1982Julig et al 1999;Sergant et al 2006).…”

Were Western European Neandertals Able to Make Fire?

“…Based on these results, fires of this size, temperature, and duration can heat underlying sediments to approximately 300°C to a depth of 4 cm, with higher temperatures reached at shallower depths. At temperatures of around 300°C, both lithics and bones are visibly altered (e.g., Julig et al 1999;Stiner et al 1995). Parenthetically, although Sorensen (2017a: 123) suggests that different fuel types would affect the rate of heat transfer, our understanding of the physics of heat transfer is that it relates almost exclusively to temperature differential and conductivity, not to the source of heat.…”