The Experts below are selected from a list of 3654 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform

Isaac Gilead - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • early upper Paleolithic sites in the qadesh barnea area ne sinai
    Journal of Field Archaeology, 1993
    Co-Authors: Isaac Gilead, Ofer Baryosef
    Abstract:

    Abstract This paper describes four Upper Paleolithic sites from NE Sinai, near Quseime. Three of them are in a primary context, two of which yielded radiocarbon dates of ca. 33,000–32,000 years b.p. They are embedded in a silt-sand terrace that is attributed to a relatively wet phase of the Early Upper Paleolithic Period. The sites are small camps, remnants of living surfaces, with numerous flint artifacts, limestone anvils and hammers, ochre flecks, and ostrich eggshells. The flint assemblages are dominated by numerous fine blades, some of which were either retouched or backed. The Qadesh Barnea assemblages, along with similar assemblages from the Negev and Sinai, represent the earliest and best-documented Upper Paleolithic culture in the Levant, the Lagaman, which is broadly contemporary (ca. 40,000–30,000 b.p.) with the Early Aurignacian of Europe and the French Castel-perronian.

  • The Upper Paleolithic Period in the Levant
    Journal of World Prehistory, 1991
    Co-Authors: Isaac Gilead
    Abstract:

    The classic Upper Paleolithic sequence in the Levant was based on a series of stratified assemblages with culture-specific type fossils. Research in the last two decades has revealed numerous assemblages that cannot be accommodated within the classic sequence. The recently discovered assemblages are now regarded as representing two large entities that differ in both technology and typology. The locally developed Ahmarian is dominated by blades and bladelets, while the Levantine Aurignacian (probably an intrusive from the north) is dominated by flakes and by endscrapers or burins. The nature and contents of the sites suggest that Levantine Upper Paleolithic people were organized as small bands of mobile foragers, whose important resources were ungulate meat and plant foods. This subsistence economy and the associated settlement patterns lasted till about 13,000 B.P. and was succeeded by the Natufian culture with an entirely new socioeconomic organization.

Matthias Meyer - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • compound specific radiocarbon dating and mitochondrial dna analysis of the pleistocene hominin from salkhit mongolia
    Nature Communications, 2019
    Co-Authors: Thibaut Deviese, Diyendo Massilani, Daniel Comeskey, Sarah Nagel, Birgit Nickel, Erika Ribechini, Jung Eun Lee, Damdinsuren Tseveendorj, B Gunchinsuren, Matthias Meyer
    Abstract:

    A skullcap found in the Salkhit Valley in northeast Mongolia is, to our knowledge, the only Pleistocene hominin fossil found in the country. It was initially described as an individual with possible archaic affinities, but its ancestry has been debated since the discovery. Here, we determine the age of the Salkhit skull by compound-specific radiocarbon dating of hydroxyproline to 34,950–33,900 Cal. BP (at 95% probability), placing the Salkhit individual in the Early Upper Paleolithic Period. We reconstruct the complete mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) of the specimen. It falls within a group of modern human mtDNAs (haplogroup N) that is widespread in Eurasia today. The results now place the specimen into its proper chronometric and biological context and allow us to begin integrating it with other evidence for the human occupation of this region during the Paleolithic, as well as wider Pleistocene sequences across Eurasia. The Salkhit skull from Mongolia was initially suggested to have archaic hominin characters. Here, Deviese and colleagues date the skull to approximately 34–35 thousand years ago and reconstruct its mitochondrial genome, finding that it falls within modern human haplogroup N found across Eurasia.

Ran Barkai - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Small flake production and lithic recycling at Late Acheulian Revadim, Israel
    Quaternary International, 2015
    Co-Authors: Aviad Agam, Ofer Marder, Ran Barkai
    Abstract:

    Abstract The multi-layered Lower Paleolithic Acheulian site of Revadim Quarry provides a rare opportunity to study patterns of continuity and change within the lithic assemblages of the Late Lower Paleolithic Period in the Levant. This open-air site was excavated to a large extent (∼250 m 2 ) and yielded a wealth of lithic and faunal remains. The rich lithic assemblages are typical of the Late Acheulian in the Levant, including handaxes, but mostly dominated by flake production and flake tools. In this paper, we present the results of a technological study recently conducted in order to establish the character and scale of lithic recycling directed towards the production of small flakes (

  • Elephants at the Middle Pleistocene Acheulian open-air site of Revadim Quarry, Israel
    Quaternary International, 2012
    Co-Authors: Rivka Rabinovich, Ran Barkai, Oren Ackermann, E. Aladjem, Rebecca Biton, Ianir Milevski, Natalya Solodenko, Ofer Marder
    Abstract:

    Abstract Lower Paleolithic faunal and lithic assemblages serve as a major source of information on the behavior and capabilities of Early- and Middle Pleistocene hominins. The multi-layered Late Acheulian site of Revadim Quarry provides a rare opportunity to study hominin–elephant interactions during the Late Lower Paleolithic Period in the Levant. A large proportion of this open-air site was excavated (ca. 250 m 2 ) and yielded a wealth of lithic and faunal remains. In this paper the proboscideans from Revadim are presented for the first time within the broader geomorphological, stratigraphic and archaeological context in order to allow a better understanding of elephants within the Acheulian in the southern Levant. The unprecedented quantity of elephant remains at the site is accompanied by large and rich lithic assemblages. Of special interest are several elephant bones with cut marks, and the earliest appearance in the southern Levant of bones that seem to have been shaped to resemble tools. The site bears testimony to complex exploitation of proboscideans.

  • systematic blade production at late lower Paleolithic 400 200 kyr qesem cave israel
    Journal of Human Evolution, 2011
    Co-Authors: Ron Shimelmitz, Ran Barkai, Avi Gopher
    Abstract:

    Qesem Cave is assigned to the Acheulo-Yabrudian cultural complex of the late Lower Paleolithic Period. The 7.5 m deep stratigraphic sequence is dated to 400e200 ka (thousands of years ago). It is mostly attributed to the Amudian blade-dominated industry, one of the earliest blade production technologies in the world. In this paper, we present the results of a detailed study of five Amudian assemblages from Qesem Cave and suggest two trajectories for the production of blades at the site. We argue that the reduction sequences of blades at Qesem Cave represent an innovative and straightforward technology aimed at the systemic and serial production of predetermined blanks. We suggest that this predetermined blank technology shows planning and intensity that is not significantly different from Middle Paleolithic Mousterian technological systems. Furthermore, this well-organized serial manufacture of cutting implements mainly for butchering might indicates that a significant change in human behavior had taken place by the late Lower Paleolithic Period.

Xing Gao - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Measuring the Complexity of Lithic Technology
    Current Anthropology, 2013
    Co-Authors: Charles Perreault, P. Jeffrey Brantingham, Steven L. Kuhn, Sarah Wurz, Xing Gao
    Abstract:

    Assessments of the complexity of lithic technologies coming from different time Periods, regions, or hominid species are recurrent features of the literature on Paleolithic archaeology. Yet the notion of lithic complexity is often defined intuitively and qualitatively, which can easily lead to circular arguments and makes difficult the comparison of assemblages across different regions and time Periods. Here we propose, in the spirit of Oswalt’s techno-units, that the complexity of lithic technology can be quantified by counting the procedural units involved in tool manufacture. We define procedural units as mutually exclusive manufacturing steps that make a distinct contribution to the finished form of a technology. As a proof of concept, we use the procedural-unit approach to measure the complexity of 13 Paleolithic assemblages. While preliminary, these results provide a quantitative benchmark confirming that lithic technological complexity increased throughout the Paleolithic Period. The method to meas...

  • Heat treatment and associated early modern human behaviors in the Late Paleolithic at the Shuidonggou site
    Chinese Science Bulletin, 2013
    Co-Authors: Zhenyu Zhou, Ying Guan, Xing Gao, Chunxue Wang
    Abstract:

    Unearthed artifacts and cultural relics from the Shuidonggou site revealed extensive information and insights regarding the activities of early modern humans. A series of experimental research and physical analysis suggest that stone artifacts from Locality 2 and Locality 12 have undergone heat treatment. The utilization ratio and knapping properties of raw materials were consequently enhanced. Heat treatment technology reflects the production capacities and the survival strategies in the Upper Paleolithic Period. This discovery indicates the earliest existence of this technology in the East Asia and thus confirms a wider geographic distribution of this technology which provides new perspectives and evidence for understanding the associated early modern human behaviors.

  • Progress in the stratigraphy and geochronology of the Shuidonggou site, Ningxia, North China
    Chinese Science Bulletin, 2009
    Co-Authors: Decheng Liu, Xing Gao, Xulong Wang, Zhengkai Xia, Shuwen Pei, Fuyou Chen, Huiming Wang
    Abstract:

    In the past years we carried out further stratigraphy division in field and it is found that rich stone artifacts can be found in fluvial-shallow lake-alluvial sediments on the terrace II of Biangou River, in Shuidonggou site, Ningxia and they are SDG1, 2 and 7. More luminescence and AMS 14C dating in laboratory show that Paleolithic culture develops during the Upper Paleolithic Period with ages of 35–20 ka. The Paleolithic culture of SDG 1 is a little earlier than that of SDG 2 similar to SDG 7. The sandy sediments on terrace II of Biangou River deposits in the past 72–18 ka, corresponding to Last Glacial. SDG2 has a stable sedimentary environment, resulting in the continuous stratigraphy, thickest deposits and rich environment and culture information, which can be regarded as the important and classic paleoanthropological section of Late Pleistocene in this region.

Thibaut Deviese - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • compound specific radiocarbon dating and mitochondrial dna analysis of the pleistocene hominin from salkhit mongolia
    Nature Communications, 2019
    Co-Authors: Thibaut Deviese, Diyendo Massilani, Daniel Comeskey, Sarah Nagel, Birgit Nickel, Erika Ribechini, Jung Eun Lee, Damdinsuren Tseveendorj, B Gunchinsuren, Matthias Meyer
    Abstract:

    A skullcap found in the Salkhit Valley in northeast Mongolia is, to our knowledge, the only Pleistocene hominin fossil found in the country. It was initially described as an individual with possible archaic affinities, but its ancestry has been debated since the discovery. Here, we determine the age of the Salkhit skull by compound-specific radiocarbon dating of hydroxyproline to 34,950–33,900 Cal. BP (at 95% probability), placing the Salkhit individual in the Early Upper Paleolithic Period. We reconstruct the complete mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) of the specimen. It falls within a group of modern human mtDNAs (haplogroup N) that is widespread in Eurasia today. The results now place the specimen into its proper chronometric and biological context and allow us to begin integrating it with other evidence for the human occupation of this region during the Paleolithic, as well as wider Pleistocene sequences across Eurasia. The Salkhit skull from Mongolia was initially suggested to have archaic hominin characters. Here, Deviese and colleagues date the skull to approximately 34–35 thousand years ago and reconstruct its mitochondrial genome, finding that it falls within modern human haplogroup N found across Eurasia.