Larnite‐Bearing Rock—The Discovery of a New Source of Raw Material in the Production of Neolithic and Chalcolithic Bifacial Tools

Abstract

Recently, large-scale production sites for the production of bifacial tools (axes and adzes) were discovered in the Judean desert. The waste piles have resulted from the numerous knapping procedures carried out at these sites, extend over thousands of square metres and include, in addition to the waste, a profusion of unfinished tools. The raw material procured for their fabrication is larnite-bearing rock. The larnite-bearing rock is extremely rare in the Levant. It occurs only in the exposures of the Hatrurim geological formation. The use of larnite for the production of chipped stone tools was entirely unknown until now. This newly discovered production area produced thousands of bifacial tools, the destination of which is as yet unknown.

The organization of basanite bifacial production at Giv’at Kipod Quarry, Israel: Towards an ‘Alyawara Day’ model of extraction

“…The use of a variety of raw materials to manufacture a specific tool type characterized the production of bifacial tools in the southern Levant. Although primarily made of flint (e.g., Barkai 2005), some were produced on basaltic rocks, limestone, and other more 'exotic' raw materials (e.g., Garfinkel & Dag 2006;Rosenberg et al 2008;Rosenberg & Gopher 2010;Gluhak & Rosenberg 2013;Rosenberg and Gluhak 2015;Vardi 2015).…”

“…Similar sites, exploiting non-flint resources, are also rare and include three larnite quarry and bifacial production sites in the Negev of Israel (Vardi 2015), and others, much northern sites in Turkey, Thrace (e.g., Özbek 2000Özbek , Özbek & Erol 2001. On the other hand, quarry and production sites with flint bifacial manufacture are common in the southern Levant (e.g., Ronen and Davis 1970;Barkai 2005;Schyle 2007;Shimelmitz & Mendel 2008;).…”

“…By way of comparison with other quarry and production sites in the southern Levant, differences in the organization and exploitation of raw materials are then defined. It is argued that unlike other quarry sites, in which a wide range of tool types were produced (e.g., Wreschner 1963;Ronen & Davis 1970;Gopher & Barkai 2011;; however see Vardi 2015), the production sequences at Giv'at Kipod are indicative of solely of bifacial manufacture. Moreover, there is no evidence that any other activity took place at the site.…”

Landscape Alteration by Pre-Pottery Neolithic Communities in the Southern Levant – The Kaizer Hilltop Quarry, Israel

“…Previously, Lower Paleolithic quarry sites [ 7 – 9 ] and a single Middle Paleolithic occurrence [ 10 – 12 ] have been reported. Late Neolithic quarries are known from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B [ 13 , 14 ] including the recently reported remarkable larnite quarry [ 15 ]. The study of the Hatula PPNA landscape revealed, in addition to cupmarks, an array of features related to the extraction of slabs of limestone ( caliche ).…”