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26 - Hayonim Cave

from Part III: - Archaeology of Human Evolution

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 May 2017

By
Ofer Bar-Yosef ,
Baruch Arensburg ,
Anna Belfer-Cohen ,
Paul Goldberg ,
Liliane Meignen ,
Mary C. Stiner ,
Natalie D. Munro  and
Stephen Weiner
Edited by
Yehouda Enzel  and
Ofer Bar-Yosef
Yehouda Enzel
Affiliation:
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Ofer Bar-Yosef
Affiliation:
Harvard University, Massachusetts
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Summary

Layer A in the Hayonim Cave in the western Galilee is an accumulation of ashes and dung caused by penned flocks since the 3rd century AD. A 2nd century AD glass furnace was found, dug into the Natufian deposits below (Layer B). Five Natufian occupation phases were characterized by a series of small rounds built from brought-in rocks. Burials including decorated individuals, a collection of incised limestone slabs and bone objects, rich assemblages of marine shells, bone pendants bone tools together with abundant lithics characterize the Natufian remains. At the entrance to the cave the Natufian dug into the Kebaran deposit (Layer C) and inside the cave into Aurignacian occupation (Layer D). Fortunately the later preserved a typical European-style lithic industry and an assemblage of bone and antler objects. The Late Mousterian, poorly represented, overlies rich occupations with lithic assemblages resembling Qafzeh cave. The latter cover with minimal interruptions a rich Early Mousterian deposit characterized by (many) retouched elongated blade blanks and points, (Layers E and F). Layer G, an Acheulo-Yabrudian, was tested in the deep sounding but bedrock was not attained.

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Chapter
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Quaternary of the Levant
Environments, Climate Change, and Humans
 , pp. 231 - 240
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2017

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