The use of stone at Ohalo II, a 23,000 year old site in the Jordan Valley, Israel
A wide range of stones were found at the 22,000-24,000 year old lakeshore camp of Ohalo II, the Sea of Galilee, Israel. The well-preserved camp includes the floors of six brush huts, several open-air hearths, a grave, a midden, and small installations. Stones were found in all excavated loci. These...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Edinburgh
2016-10-01
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| Series: | Journal of Lithic Studies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journals.ed.ac.uk/lithicstudies/article/view/1646 |
| _version_ | 1818036625074028544 |
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| author | Polina Spivak Dani Nadel |
| author_facet | Polina Spivak Dani Nadel |
| author_sort | Polina Spivak |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A wide range of stones were found at the 22,000-24,000 year old lakeshore camp of Ohalo II, the Sea of Galilee, Israel. The well-preserved camp includes the floors of six brush huts, several open-air hearths, a grave, a midden, and small installations. Stones were found in all excavated loci. These include a small assemblage of basalt and limestone tools, among which bowls, grinding implements and weights are the most common. Use-wear analysis supports the identification of the grinding tools, suggesting that cereals were indeed processed with them, but not in an intensive manner. The presence of thousands of cereal grains as well as several sickle blades accord well these finds. Bowls were all shallow and only their fragments were found. Weights were likely used as fishing net sinkers. Limestone and basalt flakes indicate local knapping. Basalt and limestone fragments, shattered from heat, were abundant in all the excavated loci. Their original use is yet to be verified, but their shattering from heat was affirmed by a series of experiments. Stones were also used as wall supports. The range of types, contexts and activities reflected by stone tools and natural stones is unprecedented in other contemporaneous sites in the southern Levant. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T07:13:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e4bdbe5d2a3b46c9b3b3f5be9e885dc6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2055-0472 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T07:13:55Z |
| publishDate | 2016-10-01 |
| publisher | University of Edinburgh |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Lithic Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-e4bdbe5d2a3b46c9b3b3f5be9e885dc62022-12-22T01:58:00ZengUniversity of EdinburghJournal of Lithic Studies2055-04722016-10-013310.2218/jls.v3i3.16461646The use of stone at Ohalo II, a 23,000 year old site in the Jordan Valley, IsraelPolina Spivak0Dani Nadel1Israel Antiquities AuthorityThe University of HaifaA wide range of stones were found at the 22,000-24,000 year old lakeshore camp of Ohalo II, the Sea of Galilee, Israel. The well-preserved camp includes the floors of six brush huts, several open-air hearths, a grave, a midden, and small installations. Stones were found in all excavated loci. These include a small assemblage of basalt and limestone tools, among which bowls, grinding implements and weights are the most common. Use-wear analysis supports the identification of the grinding tools, suggesting that cereals were indeed processed with them, but not in an intensive manner. The presence of thousands of cereal grains as well as several sickle blades accord well these finds. Bowls were all shallow and only their fragments were found. Weights were likely used as fishing net sinkers. Limestone and basalt flakes indicate local knapping. Basalt and limestone fragments, shattered from heat, were abundant in all the excavated loci. Their original use is yet to be verified, but their shattering from heat was affirmed by a series of experiments. Stones were also used as wall supports. The range of types, contexts and activities reflected by stone tools and natural stones is unprecedented in other contemporaneous sites in the southern Levant.http://journals.ed.ac.uk/lithicstudies/article/view/1646Ohalo IIground stone toolsLate Upper Palaeolithicsubmerged sitepreservation |
| spellingShingle | Polina Spivak Dani Nadel The use of stone at Ohalo II, a 23,000 year old site in the Jordan Valley, Israel Journal of Lithic Studies Ohalo II ground stone tools Late Upper Palaeolithic submerged site preservation |
| title | The use of stone at Ohalo II, a 23,000 year old site in the Jordan Valley, Israel |
| title_full | The use of stone at Ohalo II, a 23,000 year old site in the Jordan Valley, Israel |
| title_fullStr | The use of stone at Ohalo II, a 23,000 year old site in the Jordan Valley, Israel |
| title_full_unstemmed | The use of stone at Ohalo II, a 23,000 year old site in the Jordan Valley, Israel |
| title_short | The use of stone at Ohalo II, a 23,000 year old site in the Jordan Valley, Israel |
| title_sort | use of stone at ohalo ii a 23 000 year old site in the jordan valley israel |
| topic | Ohalo II ground stone tools Late Upper Palaeolithic submerged site preservation |
| url | http://journals.ed.ac.uk/lithicstudies/article/view/1646 |
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