Papers by Ravid Ekshtain
![Research paper thumbnail of Friesem, D.E., Malinsky-Buller, A., Ekshtain, [...]., and Hovers, E. 2019. New data from Shovakh Cave and Its implications for reconstructing Middle Paleolithic settlement patterns in the Amud drainage, Israel. Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology 2: 298-337.](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/59961905/thumbnails/1.jpg)
This study presents the geoarchaeological and geochronological aspects of Shovakh Cave and the fi... more This study presents the geoarchaeological and geochronological aspects of Shovakh Cave and the first comparative context to the nearby Amud Cave (~ 500 m downstream), providing an exceptional opportunity to explore the range of human behaviours within a small geographic area. Sediment samples from two newly excavated areas at the rear and entrance of the cave were analysed using infrared spectroscopy, micromorphology and phytolith analysis and dated through uranium-thorium and luminescence techniques. The rear of the cave shows carnivore activity and low artefact concentrations. It also exhibits a shift in sedimentation from wind-blown deposits to colluviation of terra rossa. Direct dating of the deposits associated with the Middle Palaeolithic (MP) occupation at this area could not be obtained due to the breccia forming at the lower part of the excavation area. However, the later phases of the Middle Palaeolithic occupation at this area gave an age estimate of 45.5 ± 3.7 ka. At the entrance of the cave, there are relatively more residues associated with human use of fire. Post-depositional processes in this area include decalcification of the upper layer, cementation of the lower layer and phosphatisation due to guano decomposition, which indicates that this area was probably roofed. The ages obtained in this area range between 67.5 ± 5.5 to 56.2 ± 5.9 ka, overlapping with the occupation time of Amud cave. The evidence from Shovakh Cave presents lower intensity of occupation compared to Amud, indicating variable modes of site use by humans in the Amud drainage during the Late Middle Palaeolithic.
![Research paper thumbnail of Ekshtain ,R., Malinsky-Buller, A., Greenbaum, N., Mitki, N. [....] and Hovers, E. 2019. Persistent Neanderthal occupation of the open-air site of ‘Ein Qashish, Israel. PLOS ONE 14: e0215668. 10.1371/journal.pone.0215668](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/59878814/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Over the last two decades, much of the recent efforts dedicated to the Levantine Middle Paleolith... more Over the last two decades, much of the recent efforts dedicated to the Levantine Middle Paleolithic has concentrated on the role of open-air sites in the settlement system in the region. Here focus on the site of 'Ein Qashish as a cases study. Located in present-day northern Israel, the area of this site is estimated to have been >1300 m 2 , of which ca. 670 were excavated. The site is located at the confluence of the Qishon stream with a small tributary running off the eastern flanks of the Mt. Carmel. At the area of this confluence, water channels and alluvial deposits created a dynamic depositional environment. Four Archaeological Units were identified in a 4.5-m thick stratigraphic sequence were dated by Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) to between-71 and 54 ka, and probably shorter time span-~70-~60 ka. Here we present the diverse material culture remains from the site (lithics, including refitted sequences; modified limestone pieces; molluscs; faunal remains) against their changing paleogeographic backdrop. Skeletal evidence suggests that these remains were associated with Neanderthals. The large-scale repeated accumulation of late Middle Paleolithic remains in the same place on the landscape provides a unique opportunity to address questions of occupation duration and intensity in open-air sites. We find that each occupation was of ephemeral nature, yet presents a range of activities, suggesting that the locale has been used as a generalized residential site rather than specialized task-PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.
'Ein Qashish is a Middle Palaeolithic open-air site in the southern Levant, encompassing an excav... more 'Ein Qashish is a Middle Palaeolithic open-air site in the southern Levant, encompassing an excavated area of several hundred square meters and a 4.5-m thick stratigraphic section. Its placement within a fluvial system, combined with the presence of Neanderthal skeletal remains and diverse material culture finds, presents possibilities for understanding human behaviour on the open landscape during the late Middle
Palaeolithic. The aim of this study is to investigate the depositional and post-depositional processes at ‘Ein Qashish, based on the stratigraphic section exposed in the 2013 excavation season. We employed field observations, sedimentology, micromorphology, mineralogy, elemental and isotopic analyses. Our results indicate that the sedimentary sequence, including four archaeological occupation levels, accumulated in a generally low-energy alluvial environment with evidence for syn-depositional localised seasonal water bodies. On-going post-depositional processes related to wetting and drying cycles include shrink-swell and calcite and gypsumpedofeatures. Bone mineral is relativelywell preserved. The data suggest limited fluvial and argilliturbation reworking of artefacts, indicating that spatial patterning of lithic and bone assemblages is rather well preserved in some areas. The current analyses do not indicate the presence of combustion features or fire-related residues at the site, although burned lithics occur in low frequencies. The absence of combustion features in the large
excavated area and deep stratigraphy contrasts with patterns observed inMiddle Palaeolithic cave occupations in the region, adding nuance to a dataset that will enable a better understanding of human activities under sheltered and open-air conditions.
by omry barzilai, Ravid Ekshtain, Jean-Jacques Hublin, Naomi Porat, Joel Roskin, Ella Been, Ariel Malinsky-Buller, Mareike C Stahlschmidt, nadav nir, Daniella Bar-Yosef, and Ruth Shahack-Gross The late Middle Palaeolithic (MP) settlement patterns in the Levant included the repeated use of ... more The late Middle Palaeolithic (MP) settlement patterns in the Levant included the repeated use of caves and open landscape sites. The fossil record shows that two types of hominins occupied the region during this period—Neandertals and Homo sapiens. Until recently, diagnostic fossil remains were found only at cave sites. Because the two populations in this region left similar material cultural remains, it was impossible to attribute any open-air site to either species. In this study, we present newly discovered fossil remains from intact archaeological layers of the open-air site 'Ein Qashish, in northern Israel. The hominin remains represent three individuals: EQH1, a nondiagnostic skull fragment; EQH2, an upper right third molar (RM 3); and EQH3, lower limb bones of a young Neandertal male. EQH2 and EQH3 constitute the first diagnostic anatomical remains of Neandertals at an open-air site in the Levant. The optically stimulated luminescence ages suggest that Neandertals repeatedly visited 'Ein Qashish between 70 and 60 ka. The discovery of Neandertals at open-air sites during the late MP reinforces the view that Neandertals were a resilient population in the Levant shortly before Upper Palaeolithic Homo sapiens populated the region. The Middle Palaeolithic (MP) of the southern Levant is a significant period for the study of human evolution because two types of hominins, Neandertals and Homo sapiens, occupied the region at that time (see, for example, refs 1 and 2). Diagnostic fossil remains of the two species have been found in the Mediterranean woodland region, but until recently, they were discovered only at cave sites (Fig. 1). The absolute chronology of the Levantine MP fossils indicates that H. sapiens existed there between 120 and 90 ka and again from 55 ka on; Neandertals existed in that region between ca. 80 and ca. 55 ka 3–16. The genomic evidence suggests gene flow from early H. sapiens to
by Erella Hovers, Ella Been, Ravid Ekshtain, Jean-Jacques Hublin, Joel Roskin, Reuven Yeshurun, nadav nir, Mareike C Stahlschmidt, Daniella Bar-Yosef, Ariel Malinsky-Buller, and Ruth Shahack-Gross The late Middle Palaeolithic (MP) settlement patterns in the Levant included the repeated use of ... more The late Middle Palaeolithic (MP) settlement patterns in the Levant included the repeated use of caves and open landscape sites. The fossil record shows that two types of hominins occupied the region during this period—Neandertals and Homo sapiens. Until recently, diagnostic fossil remains were found only at cave sites. Because the two populations in this region left similar material cultural remains, it was impossible to attribute any open-air site to either species. In this study, we present newly discovered fossil remains from intact archaeological layers of the open-air site ‘Ein Qashish, in northern Israel. The hominin remains represent three individuals: EQH1, a nondiagnostic skull fragment; EQH2, an upper right third molar (RM3); and EQH3, lower limb bones of a young Neandertal male. EQH2 and EQH3 constitute the first diagnostic anatomical remains of Neandertals at an open-air site in the Levant. The optically stimulated luminescence ages suggest that Neandertals repeatedly visited ‘Ein Qashish between 70 and 60 ka. The discovery of Neandertals at open-air sites during the late MP reinforces the view that Neandertals were a resilient population in the Levant shortly before Upper Palaeolithic Homo sapiens populated the region.
Studying the distribution of lithic raw materials around prehistoric sites, their procurement, tr... more Studying the distribution of lithic raw materials around prehistoric sites, their procurement, transport, and use, are important for understanding organizational decisions of hunter-gatherers. Here we examine lithic technological organization in two stratigraphic subunits B4 and B1 (dated ß 68 and ß 55 ka, respectively) at the Neanderthal site of Amud Cave. The lithic assemblages are made exclusively of flint. An ArcGIS model is used to create a predictive model for daily exploitation territories (DETs) around the site. Using a battery of statistical methods (ANOVA, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis), we link flint visual types with geochemical characteristics (obtained through inductively coupled plasma (ICP) mass spectrometry and ICP atomic emission spectrometry) of both geological and archaeological flints. Results indicate that local materials are abundant in both subunits. Nonlocal raw materials (from areas beyond the modeled DET) amount to 30–40% across all technological categories, suggesting long-distance transport. The technological patterns of the nonlocal raw material differ between the two subunits. Pending results of additional work, we suggest that nonlocal flint types were likely obtained from distances >60 km. Mobility patterns inferred from this study suggest that Amud Cave was a focal location within its settlement system during both occupation periods, but the manner of site use and mobility patterns changed through time. C 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Studying the distribution of lithic raw materials around prehistoric sites, their procurement, tr... more Studying the distribution of lithic raw materials around prehistoric sites, their procurement, transport, and use, are important for understanding organizational decisions of hunter-gatherers. Here we examine lithic technological organization in two stratigraphic subunits B4 and B1 (dated 68 and 55 ka, respectively) at the Neanderthal site of Amud Cave. The lithic assemblages are made exclusively of flint. An ArcGIS model is used to create a predictive model for daily exploitation territories (DETs) around the site. Using a battery of statistical
methods (ANOVA, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis),
we link flint visual types with geochemical characteristics (obtained through inductively coupled plasma (ICP) mass spectrometry and ICP atomic emission spectrometry) of both geological and archaeological flints. Results indicate that local materials are abundant in both subunits. Nonlocal raw materials (from areas beyond the modeled DET) amount to 30–40% across all technological categories, suggesting long-distance transport. The technological patterns of the nonlocal raw material differ between the two subunits. Pending results of additional work, we suggest that nonlocal flint types were likely obtained
from distances >60 km. Mobility patterns inferred from this study suggest that Amud Cave was a focal location within its settlement system during both occupation periods, but the manner of site use and mobility patterns changed through time. C 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
In: Le Tensorer, J.-M., Jagher, R., Otte, M. (Eds.), The Lower and Middle Palaeolithic in the Mid... more In: Le Tensorer, J.-M., Jagher, R., Otte, M. (Eds.), The Lower and Middle Palaeolithic in the Middle East and Neighbouring Regions Proceedings of the Basel symposium (mai 8-10 2008) ERAUL 126. University of Liège Press, Liège pp. 101-114.
Available online xxx a b s t r a c t
Greenbaum, N., Ekshtain, R., Malinsky-Buller, A., Porat, N. and Hovers, E., 2013 in press. The stratigraphy and paleogeography of the Middle Paleolithic open-air site of 'Ein Qashish, Northern Israel. Quaternary International.
Available online xxx a b s t r a c t 'Ein Qashish (EQ) is a late Middle Paleolithic (w60 ka) open... more Available online xxx a b s t r a c t 'Ein Qashish (EQ) is a late Middle Paleolithic (w60 ka) open-air site located in the Yizra'el Valley east of Mt. Carmel, at the geographic center between some of the major Middle Paleolithic cave sites in northern Israel. Three seasons of excavation at the site revealed a small faunal collection and a diverse lithic assemblage. In this paper we discuss the composition, reduction technology, and raw material curation strategies represented in the assemblage. The assemblage is flake-dominated, with low frequencies of retouched artifacts and of cores. Several reduction sequences were identified. Products of Levallois methods appear in low frequencies. The modified artifacts include lightly retouched flakes and blades, side-scrapers, truncations and burins. The low frequencies of primary elements, core trimming elements, and cores suggest that only part of the reduction sequence took place on-site. Side-scrapers may have been imported into the locality. In contrast, short non-Levallois reduction sequences were applied on-site.
Givat Rabi East is a newly-discovered fl int outcrops centrally located within the Galilee in rel... more Givat Rabi East is a newly-discovered fl int outcrops centrally located within the Galilee in relative proximity to several Middle Paleolithic sites. In this paper we present the site and discuss the function of a dense accumulation of Middle Paleolithic fl int knapping wastes excavated on its eastern edge. Our results suggest that the knapping wastes are likely the remains of a Mousterian workshop site. In comparison to the workshop site at Sede Ilan, located 15 km to the east where fl int was quarried, the Givat Rabi East fl int knappers collected eroded fl int blocks in situ. The Lithic evidence indicates that the knapping sequences were initiated at the site. Furthermore several Levallois knapping methods had been employed. Therefore we suggest that the lithic assemblage left at Givat Rabi East represent knapping activities of several groups who exploited this location during the Middle Paleolithic period. Subsequently some of the lithic material (e.g. unfi nished cores, Levallois blanks) was taken to other locations (e.g., caves) in order to continue the knapping sequence. The site location combined with the characteristics of the debitage and cores found within it, suggests that Givat Rabi East could have been one of the fl int source for Qafzeh Cave and perhaps to other Mousterian cave sites. Résumé : Givat Rabi Est est un affl eurement de silex récemment découvert dans le centre de la Galilée, à proximité de plusieurs sites du Paléolithique moyen. Cet article présente le site et traite de l'utilisation d'un amas de déchets de taille du Paléolithique moyen, fouillée sur son bord oriental. Les résultats suggèrent que les déchets de taille sont probablement les vestiges d'un atelier moustérien. En comparaison avec le site d'atelier de Sde Ilan, situé à 15 km à l'est, où le silex à été extrait, à Givat Rabi Est les tailleurs ont acquis le silex par ramassage de blocs de silex qui ont été érodés in situ. L'assemblage lithique indique que les séquences de taille étaient initiées sur le site et que plusieurs méthodes de Levallois ont été utilisées. Par conséquent, nous suggérons que les assemblages lithiques qui ont été laissés à Givat Rabi Est représentent des activités de taille de plusieurs groupes, qui ont utilisé cet emplacement pendant le Paléolithique moyen. Une partie du matériau lithique était emportée en d'autres lieux (par exemple des grottes) pour continuer la séquence de taille. L'emplacement du site, tout comme les caractéristiques du débitage, laissent supposer que le site de Givat Rabi Est a pu être utilisé comme une source de silex pour la grotte de Qafzeh et peut-être pour d'autres grottes moustériennes.
Journal of the Israel …, 2008
Conference Presentations by Ravid Ekshtain
The earliest Acheulian in eastern Africa appears 1.7 Ma within the Rift Valley (West Turkana, Kon... more The earliest Acheulian in eastern Africa appears 1.7 Ma within the Rift Valley (West Turkana, Konso, Gona). These early assemblages present a mosaic of lithic technological characteristics that bridge the Oldowan and Acheulian technological systems. Two sites in central Ethiopia, Melka Kunture (geologically and topographically within the Rift) and the presently-inundated Gadeb sites, present arguably similar sequences from the Oldowan to the Acheulian. The newly discovered site complex of Melka Wakena (MW) contains a series of assemblages that pertain to questions of the evolution, situational contexts and chronology of Early Pleistocene lithic technological variability. Situated at an elevation of >2300 m above sea level, 8 km south of the Gadeb site, MW is among the earliest hominin occupations outside the Rift Valley. Ten localities were found along a 2 km stretch along the Wabe River. The site is stratigraphically placed in the Early Pleistocene (>1Ma) Dino Formation that covers extensive parts of the SE rift shoulders. Surveys and test excavations in 2014-2016 revealed paleontological and archaeological (Early Stone Age) assemblages. These occur in fluvio-lacustrine overbank conglomerates, silts and sands interbedded within a sequence of pyroclastic and volcaniclastic deposits and volcano-lacustrine sediments. The ubiquitous tephra layers in the sequence allow constraining of the age of deposition of the artifact-bearing horizons through paleomagnetic and geochronological analyses, both currently underway. The small faunal collection, derives from ,in situ archaeological localities and stratigraphically-coeval exposures on the landscape, represents a mixture of water and terrestrial environments. The assemblage is characterized by high abundance of two water dependent species, the mega-herbivore Hippopotamus gorgops and the giant reptile Crocodylus cf. niloticus. It also includes some ungulates suggestive of open landscapes: a small to medium size Equus sp., Giraffidae indet., Aepiceros sp., Gazella sp., and Antilopini indet. The rodent Hystrix sp. also occurs. This faunal list is coherent with a late Early or earliest Middle Pleistocene age. Two stratified localities were test-excavated. In locality MW1, at least three archaeological horizons are present as distinct levels, two of which were tested. Each contained abundant handaxes, flakes, cores and hammerstones; cleavers were founds only in the lower level. No faunal remains were found in the locality. In locality MW2, the two lowermost out of four archaeological horizons were tested. The lower layer 4, embedded in a coarse-grained sand, contained faunal elements (mainly hippo), a few bearing marks of anthropogenic percussion, associated with few large lithic artifacts. The overlying layer 3 is a dense horizon of hammerstones, large and small flakes, few biface preforms but no bifaces, and a few large and giant cores, all intercalated with large cobbles. This assemblage is found in a fine-grained sand matrix. Patterns of raw material exploitation are similar for all tested horizons. Ignimbrite from locally-available flows was commonly used as raw material, whereas hammerstones were typically made of basalt cobbles obtained from channels. Otherwise, assemblage compositions and lithic technology are variable across the paleo-landscape and through the stratigraphic sequence. Geoarchaeological, taphonomic, faunal and technological analyses are used to address the roles of taphonomic mechanisms and hominin decision-making in the formation of these assemblages. The richness of the MW assemblages and their variability, as well as their geographic proximity to the Gadeb sites, provide a comparative framework for developing hypotheses about causes and processes of technological evolution and ecological adaptations of Early Pleistocene hominins within and outside the Rift Valley.
Settlement and mobility patterns can be deduced from studies of lithic technology and the raw mat... more Settlement and mobility patterns can be deduced from studies of lithic technology and the raw materials found on-site. This study focuses on raw material procurement and inferred aspects of mobility in two stratigraphic layers of Qafzeh Cave (XIX and XIII) dated ~100,000-90,000 ka and associated with modern humans, and two stratigraphic layers of Amud Cave (B4 and B1) dated to 68-55 ka from Israel, linked with Neanderthals.
Amud Cave (eastern Upper Galilee, Israel) is known for its Middle Paleolithic deposits, containin... more Amud Cave (eastern Upper Galilee, Israel) is known for its Middle Paleolithic deposits, containing thousands of animal bones and lithic artifacts from 3 anthropogenic stratigraphic units, dated to 68-55 ka. Excavations revealed hominin remains, including Neanderthal burials. Technological characteristics of the lithic assemblage show that the knapping sequence started off-site. However, related mobility patterns remained poorly understood. In order to understand the organizational decisions made by the Neanderthal hunter-gatherers occupying the site, we initiated a multidisciplinary study involving a detailed geological survey of the Galilee and adjacent regions, visual characterization (color and texture) and geochemical fingerprinting (using ICP-MS and ICP-AES) of both geological flint exposures and of archaeological artifacts, and a detailed technological analysis of the earliest and latest assemblages.
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Papers by Ravid Ekshtain
Palaeolithic. The aim of this study is to investigate the depositional and post-depositional processes at ‘Ein Qashish, based on the stratigraphic section exposed in the 2013 excavation season. We employed field observations, sedimentology, micromorphology, mineralogy, elemental and isotopic analyses. Our results indicate that the sedimentary sequence, including four archaeological occupation levels, accumulated in a generally low-energy alluvial environment with evidence for syn-depositional localised seasonal water bodies. On-going post-depositional processes related to wetting and drying cycles include shrink-swell and calcite and gypsumpedofeatures. Bone mineral is relativelywell preserved. The data suggest limited fluvial and argilliturbation reworking of artefacts, indicating that spatial patterning of lithic and bone assemblages is rather well preserved in some areas. The current analyses do not indicate the presence of combustion features or fire-related residues at the site, although burned lithics occur in low frequencies. The absence of combustion features in the large
excavated area and deep stratigraphy contrasts with patterns observed inMiddle Palaeolithic cave occupations in the region, adding nuance to a dataset that will enable a better understanding of human activities under sheltered and open-air conditions.
methods (ANOVA, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis),
we link flint visual types with geochemical characteristics (obtained through inductively coupled plasma (ICP) mass spectrometry and ICP atomic emission spectrometry) of both geological and archaeological flints. Results indicate that local materials are abundant in both subunits. Nonlocal raw materials (from areas beyond the modeled DET) amount to 30–40% across all technological categories, suggesting long-distance transport. The technological patterns of the nonlocal raw material differ between the two subunits. Pending results of additional work, we suggest that nonlocal flint types were likely obtained
from distances >60 km. Mobility patterns inferred from this study suggest that Amud Cave was a focal location within its settlement system during both occupation periods, but the manner of site use and mobility patterns changed through time. C 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Conference Presentations by Ravid Ekshtain
Palaeolithic. The aim of this study is to investigate the depositional and post-depositional processes at ‘Ein Qashish, based on the stratigraphic section exposed in the 2013 excavation season. We employed field observations, sedimentology, micromorphology, mineralogy, elemental and isotopic analyses. Our results indicate that the sedimentary sequence, including four archaeological occupation levels, accumulated in a generally low-energy alluvial environment with evidence for syn-depositional localised seasonal water bodies. On-going post-depositional processes related to wetting and drying cycles include shrink-swell and calcite and gypsumpedofeatures. Bone mineral is relativelywell preserved. The data suggest limited fluvial and argilliturbation reworking of artefacts, indicating that spatial patterning of lithic and bone assemblages is rather well preserved in some areas. The current analyses do not indicate the presence of combustion features or fire-related residues at the site, although burned lithics occur in low frequencies. The absence of combustion features in the large
excavated area and deep stratigraphy contrasts with patterns observed inMiddle Palaeolithic cave occupations in the region, adding nuance to a dataset that will enable a better understanding of human activities under sheltered and open-air conditions.
methods (ANOVA, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis),
we link flint visual types with geochemical characteristics (obtained through inductively coupled plasma (ICP) mass spectrometry and ICP atomic emission spectrometry) of both geological and archaeological flints. Results indicate that local materials are abundant in both subunits. Nonlocal raw materials (from areas beyond the modeled DET) amount to 30–40% across all technological categories, suggesting long-distance transport. The technological patterns of the nonlocal raw material differ between the two subunits. Pending results of additional work, we suggest that nonlocal flint types were likely obtained
from distances >60 km. Mobility patterns inferred from this study suggest that Amud Cave was a focal location within its settlement system during both occupation periods, but the manner of site use and mobility patterns changed through time. C 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The excavations Will take place during August 18-312016
we are looking for volunteers!
For more details:
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