Investigations at Naḥal Roded 110: a Late Neolithic ritual site in the southern Negev

Birkenfeld, Michal; Horwitz, Liora Kolska; Mayer, Daniella E. Bar-Yosef; Bond, Jerry; Guttmann-Bond, Erika; Cummings, Linda Scott; Goldgeier, Hadas; Krakovsky, Maria; Natálio, Filipe; Nebenhaus, Keren; Neumann, Frank; Porat, Naomi; Scott, Louis; Simmons, Tal; Yashuv, Talia; Avner, Uzi

doi:10.15184/aqy.2019.6

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…The wide range of aquatic, game birds and raptors at WF16 is similar to that at Epipalaeolithic and contemporary PPNA sites in the southern Levant (Simmons, 2004;Simmons & Nadel, 1998) (Bangsgaard, 2008) while Nahel Roded II in the southern Negev has an assemblage dominated by Accipitridae, with the European honey buzzard most prevalent (Birkenfeld et al, 2019). Both assemblages have been interpreted as deriving from hunting birds on their spring and autumn migrations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

“…While an interest in raptors is evident at the early Epipalaeolithic site of Ohalo (Simmons & Nadel, 1998), WF16's focus on raptors at WF16 is shared with later (PPNB) Neolithic sites. At Shkarat Msaied, 30 km south from WF16, 295 of the 300 avian bird bones were from raptors (Bangsgaard, 2008) while Nahel Roded II in the southern Negev has an assemblage dominated by Accipitridae, with the European honey buzzard most prevalent (Birkenfeld et al, 2019). Both assemblages have been interpreted as deriving from hunting birds on their spring and autumn migrations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The bird remains from WF16, an early Neolithic settlement in southern Jordan: Assemblage composition, chronology and spatial distribution

White

Finlayson

Makarewicz

et al. 2021

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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Excavations at the early Neolithic settlement of WF16 in Faynan, southern Jordan, 11.84–10.24 ka BP, recovered 17,700 bird bones, of which 7808 could be identified to at least family level. Sixty‐three different bird taxa are present from 18 families, representing a mix of resident and migrant birds, based on present‐day ecology. We describe the settlement context for the assemblage, its taxonomic composition, spatial and chronological distribution, identifying its similarities and differences to avian assemblages from broadly contemporary sites in the region.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 63%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The bird remains from WF16, an early Neolithic settlement in southern Jordan: Assemblage composition, chronology and spatial distribution

White

Finlayson

Makarewicz

et al. 2021

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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show abstract

“…This encompasses a large proportion of published avifaunal assemblages spanning the timeframe when human societal groups shifted from hunting towards agriculture. Important PPNB assemblages have not yet been fully published so inclusion of this period awaits reports on sites such Nahal Roded (Birkenfeld et al 2019(Birkenfeld et al , 2020. Figure 7 shows location of sites included in the analysis as well as secondary sites mentioned but not included in the statistical analysis as they are outside the geographical focus of this analysis or only a small number of bird bones were identi ed (<20).…”

Section: Scope Of Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Human-bird interactions in the Levant during the Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene: Multi-scalar analysis of avifaunal remains

Yeomans,

Mazzucato

2023

Preprint

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This paper describes analyses of avifauna from Levantine Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene sites at contrasting scales. Firstly, we present avian osteological data from a sequence of occupation at Shubayqa, in northeast Jordan, illustrating changing human-bird-environment interactions over 4000 years offering interpretations of environmental change on avifaunal communities and nature of multi-species relationships at this wetland environment. Secondly, we compare published avifaunal assemblages to investigate the nature of bird-human relationships across a broader temporal and geographical span. During the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene our species gradually transitioned to an agricultural mode of subsistence. Whilst explanations of long-term human behavioural dynamics are frequently sought, disparity between correlation and causation obscures interpretation of trajectories in the human past. People hunted birds for subsistence but extensive evidence for the symbolic importance of birds suggests complex relationships between species. Avifaunal evidence, therefore, presents insights into two commonly suggested primary causes for the shift from hunter-foragers to agriculturalists – resource pressure and symbolic expression. Here we argue that actions of humans gradually modified the landscape and ecological system but this was not a reactionary response to resource stress. Nevertheless, this resulted in the productivity of the landscape increasing and allowed further intensification. Feathers and talons of birds were used for millennia preceding the shift to agriculture and the increase in bird hunting towards the end of the Pleistocene cannot be explained by the increased role of birds in the symbolic realm.

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Human-bird interactions in the Levant during the Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene: Multi-scalar analysis of avifaunal remains

Yeomans,

Mazzucato

2024

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

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This paper describes analyses of avifauna from Levantine Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene sites at contrasting scales. We present avian osteological data at Shubayqa, in northeast Jordan, illustrating human-bird-environment interactions over 4000 years offering interpretation of environmental change on avifaunal communities and reorientation in the nature of multi-species relationships at a wetland environment. Comparisons to published avifaunal assemblages investigates bird-human relationships across a broader temporal and geographical span. During the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene, some of our species gradually transitioned to agriculture. People hunted birds for subsistence but extensive evidence for the symbolic importance of birds suggests complex relationships between species. Avifaunal evidence, therefore, presents insights into two commonly suggested primary causes for the shift from hunter-foragers to agriculturalists – resource pressure and symbolic expression. In this paper, we investigate and try to clarify the relationship between humans and birds at this transitional period in human history, furthering discussions of the shift towards agriculture. We argue humans gradually modified the landscape but this was not a reactionary response to resource stress. Nevertheless, this resulted in the productivity of the landscape increasing and allowed further intensification. Feathers and talons of birds were used for millennia preceding the shift to agriculture and the increase in bird hunting towards the end of the Pleistocene cannot be explained by the increased role of birds in the symbolic realm. The evidence from the avifauna adds weight to the idea of ecological niche construction activities, as people invested in specific locations, increasing productivity of habitats, thus encouraging further investment within some environments.

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Investigations at Naḥal Roded 110: a Late Neolithic ritual site in the southern Negev

Abstract: Abstract

Cited by 3 publications

References 4 publications

The bird remains from WF16, an early Neolithic settlement in southern Jordan: Assemblage composition, chronology and spatial distribution

The bird remains from WF16, an early Neolithic settlement in southern Jordan: Assemblage composition, chronology and spatial distribution

Human-bird interactions in the Levant during the Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene: Multi-scalar analysis of avifaunal remains

Human-bird interactions in the Levant during the Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene: Multi-scalar analysis of avifaunal remains

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