Radiocarbon chronology of Manot Cave, Israel and Upper Paleolithic dispersals

Alex, Bridget; Barzilai, Omry; Hershkovitz, Israel; Marder, Ofer; Berna, Francesco; Caracuta, Valentina; Abulafia, Talia; Davis, Lauren Evoy; Goder‐Goldberger, Mae; Lavi, Ron; Mintz, Eugenia; Regev, Lior; Mayer, Daniella E. Bar-Yosef; Tejero, José-Miguel; Yeshurun, Reuven; Ayalon, Avner; Bar‐Matthews, M.; Yasur, Gal; Frumkin, Amos; Latimer, Bruce; Hans, Mark G.; Boaretto, Elisabetta

doi:10.1126/sciadv.1701450

Cited by 68 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…The presence, at least in Satsurblia, of red deer teeth pendants from the early phases of the UP occupation on site appear to share behaviours in the symbolic sphere of the Caucasus UP societies with their counterpart groups in the Levant [ 142 , 143 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New insights into the Upper Palaeolithic of the Caucasus through the study of personal ornaments. Teeth and bones pendants from Satsurblia and Dzudzuana caves (Imereti, Georgia)

et al. 2021

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The region of western Georgia (Imereti) in the Southern Caucasus has been a major geographic corridor for human migrations during the Middle and Upper Paleolithic. Data of recent research and excavations in this region display its importance as a possible route for the dispersal of anatomically modern humans (AMH) into northern Eurasia. Nevertheless, within the local research context, bone-working and personal ornaments have yet contributed but little to the Upper Palaeolithic (UP) regional sequence’s characterization. Here we present an archaeozoological, technological and use-wear study of pendants from two local UP assemblages, originating in the Dzudzuana Cave and Satsurblia Cave. The ornaments were made mostly of perforated teeth, though some specimens were made on bone. Both the manufacturing marks made during preparation and use-wear traces indicate that they were personal ornaments, used as pendants or attached to garments. Detailed comparison between ornament assemblages from northern and southern Caucasus reveal that they are quite similar, supporting the observation of cultural bonds between the two regions, demonstrated previously through lithic techno-typological affinities. Furthermore, our study highlights the importance attributed to red deer (Cervus elaphus) by the UP societies of the Caucasus in sharing aesthetic values and/or a symbolic sphere.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

New insights into the Upper Palaeolithic of the Caucasus through the study of personal ornaments. Teeth and bones pendants from Satsurblia and Dzudzuana caves (Imereti, Georgia)

et al. 2021

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“…The 55-43 ka BP time range representing the first manifestation of AMH in the Middle East [9,11,12], the subsequent Early Ahmarian illustrates eight millennia of further expansion and successful consolidation of AMH in the area between 45 ka-37 ka BP. Consequently, the set of behavioral and technological properties unique to the Early Ahmarian techno-cultural unit must have played a role in the sustainable adaptation and consolidation of AMH populations to post-45 ka BP Middle East environments.…”

Section: Research Questionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Due to limited sample volumes at Al-Ansab 1, the Acid-Base-Oxidation (ABOx) protocol, which has occasionally delivered older dates than competitive protocols [44,45], was not applied because ABOx would have enhanced the risk of sample volumes loss of Al-Ansab 1 that in turn may have increased dating uncertainties (for detailed comparison of ABOx and competitive protocols see Wang in [46]; for recent criticism of ABOx see e.g. Rebollo [47] and Alex [11]). All samples underwent combustion and graphitisation (Automatic Graphitisation Equipment linked to an Elementar VarioMicroCube element analyser with a combustion tube and a reduction tube).…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

“…During the last decade, the Early Ahmarian has attracted particular attention given its role as the first techno-cultural unit in the Near East clearly related to AMH and not Neanderthals [ 6 – 8 ]. Its chronological position, after the Neanderthal/AMH chronological boundary (around 55 ka BP [ 9 – 11 ]), and its onset concurrent with the earliest AMH occurrence in Europe (45–43 ka BP [ 12 ]) rise questions regarding the adaptational system connected with the Early Ahmarian [ 13 , 14 ]. Both the anthropological and cultural puzzle of the initial dispersal of AMH in the Middle East and the subsequent Early Ahmarian technocultural phenomenon, exclusively connected with AMH have provoked extensive research into the environmental and climatic context at mid-MIS 3 [cf.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Al-Ansab and the Dead Sea: Mid-MIS 3 archaeology and environment of the early Ahmarian population of the Levantine corridor

et al. 2020

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Our field data from the Upper Palaeolithic site of Al-Ansab 1 (Jordan) and from a pollen sequence in the Dead Sea elucidate the role that changing Steppe landscapes played in facilitating anatomically modern human populations to enter a major expansion and consolidation phase, known as the "Early Ahmarian", several millennia subsequent to their initial Marine Isotope Stage 4/3 migration from Africa, into the Middle East. The Early Ahmarian techno-cultural unit covers a time range between 45 ka-37 ka BP. With so far more than 50 sites found, the Early Ahmarian is the first fully Upper Palaeolithic techno-cultural unit exclusively and undisputedly related to anatomically modern human populations. In order to better understand the potentially attractive features of the Early Ahmarian environmental context that supported its persistence for over 8,000 years, we carried out a decennial research program in Jordan and in the Dead Sea. This included (1) a geoscientific and archaeological survey program in the Wadi Sabra (Jordan) with a particular focus on excavations at the Early Ahmarian site of Al-Ansab 1 alongside the detailed analysis of Quaternary sediments from the same area and (2) palaeobotanical research based on Quaternary lake deposits from the Dead Sea. Our pollen data from the Dead Sea indicate slow, low frequency vegetational variation with expanding Artemisia steppe, from 60 to 20 ka BP (MIS 3-2). Here, we see a reciprocal assimilation of southern and northern Levantine vegetation zones thereby enhancing a long-lasting south-to-north steppe corridor. The same integration process accelerated about 40 ka ago, when forested areas retreated in the Lebanese Mountains. The process then extended to encompass an area from Southern Lebanon to

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“…1-3). According to the latest radiocarbon dates, the Levantine variety, termed "Levantine Aurignacian," seems, at least in part, contemporaneous with the European Evolved Aurignacian (4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10). Still, linking the Levantine Aurignacian with any particular phase of the European Aurignacian facies is rather problematic, as, in fact, it shares certain features with both the Early Aurignacian and the Evolved Aurignacian.…”

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confidence: 99%

Symbolic emblems of the Levantine Aurignacians as a regional entity identifier (Hayonim Cave, Lower Galilee, Israel)

Tejero

Belfer‐Cohen

Bar‐Yosef

et al. 2018

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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The Levantine Aurignacian is a unique phenomenon in the local Upper Paleolithic sequence, showing greater similarity to the West European classic Aurignacian than to the local Levantine archaeological entities preceding and following it. Herewith we highlight another unique characteristic of this entity, namely, the presence of symbolic objects in the form of notched bones (mostly gazelle scapulae) from the Aurignacian levels of Hayonim Cave, Lower Galilee, Israel. Through both macroscopic and microscopic analyses of the items, we suggest that they are not mere cut marks but rather are intentional (decorative?) human-made markings. The significance of this evidence for symbolic behavior is discussed in its chrono-cultural and geographical contexts. Notched bones are among the oldest symbolic expressions of anatomically modern humans. However, unlike other Paleolithic sites where such findings were reported in single numbers, the number of these items recovered at Hayonim Cave is sufficient to assume they possibly served as an emblem of the Levantine Aurignacian.

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Radiocarbon chronology of Manot Cave, Israel and Upper Paleolithic dispersals

Abstract: Manot Cave radiocarbon dates establish Levantine chronology, which is critical for understanding Upper Paleolithic dispersals.

Cited by 68 publications

References 80 publications

New insights into the Upper Palaeolithic of the Caucasus through the study of personal ornaments. Teeth and bones pendants from Satsurblia and Dzudzuana caves (Imereti, Georgia)

New insights into the Upper Palaeolithic of the Caucasus through the study of personal ornaments. Teeth and bones pendants from Satsurblia and Dzudzuana caves (Imereti, Georgia)

Al-Ansab and the Dead Sea: Mid-MIS 3 archaeology and environment of the early Ahmarian population of the Levantine corridor

Symbolic emblems of the Levantine Aurignacians as a regional entity identifier (Hayonim Cave, Lower Galilee, Israel)

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