Geological and pedological aspects of an Early-Paleolithic site: Revadim, Central Coastal Plain, Israel

Gvirtzman, G.; Wieder, Moshe; Marder, Ofer; Khalaily, Hamudi; Rabinovich, Rivka; Ron, Hagai

doi:10.1002/(sici)1520-6548(199902)14:2<101::aid-gea1>3.0.co;2-1

Cited by 26 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 13 publications

(9 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The paleolandscape of the Middle Paleolithic site of Habonim, in the Carmel Coastal Plain, whose stratigraphic sequence shows micromorphological features comparable to those described here, was also interpreted as an inter‐dunal depression (Tsatskin & Ronen, 1999). Similar features were also identified by Wieder and Gvirtzman (1999) in a micromorphological study of Middle Pleistocene sequences from different localities of the Israeli coastal plain. These authors propose a soil complex developed on sand dunes under a semiarid warm climate resembling the soils presently found in the semiarid climatic belt (Wieder & Gvirtzman, 1999).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Depositional and Paleoenvironmental setting of the Bizat Ruhama early pleistocene archaeological assemblages, Northern Negev, Israel: A microstratigraphic perspective

2010

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Bizat Ruhama, an Early Pleistocene site located in the southern coastal plain of Israel, has yielded a single archaeological horizon dating to the Matuyama chron. Recent technological and zooarchaeological studies suggest evidence of near in situ hominin occupations taking place in a semiarid climatic setting. Such an archaeological context is rare for the Early Pleistocene and must be corroborated through reconstruction of site formation processes. This paper offers a microstratigraphic view of the site based on results from a micromorphological and granulometric study aimed at reconstructing site formation processes. Results show that the bone and lithic specimens were deposited near their excavated provenience, in a depressed, seasonally waterlogged area, and were subsequently slightly displaced and buried by surface sediment. We infer that the Bizat Ruhama deposit represents one or a few hominin occupations taking place on the surface of an undulating inter-dune depression under a semiarid Mediterranean climate.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Depositional and Paleoenvironmental setting of the Bizat Ruhama early pleistocene archaeological assemblages, Northern Negev, Israel: A microstratigraphic perspective

2010

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…80 m 2 in Trenches 12 and 23. The analysis of the flint and faunal assemblages indicates a late Acheulian assignment of all layers of the site (see details in Gvirtzman et al, 1999;Marder et al, 1999;Marder et al, 2011;Rabinovich et al, 2012;Solodenko et al, 2015;Agam and Barkai, 2018a;Zupancich et al, 2018;Rosenberg-Yefet and Barkai, 2019;Rosenberg-Yefet et al, 2021). The rich faunal assemblage includes Palaeoloxodon antiquus, Bos primigenius, Gazella gazelle, Capra cf.…”

Section: Archaeological Settings: Revadim and Jaljuliamentioning

confidence: 95%

Lower Paleolithic Winds of Change: Prepared Core Technologies and the Onset of the Levallois Method in the Levantine Late Acheulian

2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The life cycle of a successful technological innovation usually follows a well-known path: a slow inception, gradual assimilation of the technology, an increase in its frequency up to a certain peak, and then a decline. These different phases are characterized not only by varying frequency of use but also by degree of standardization and distinguishability. The Levallois method, a sophisticated Middle Paleolithic technology aimed at producing desired stone items of predetermined morphology, is one such innovation. It has been repeatedly suggested that the Levallois method originated within earlier Lower Paleolithic Acheulian industries, and this work contributes to this discussion. We analyze the reduction trajectory of prepared cores and predetermined blanks from the late Acheulian sites of Jaljulia and Revadim, adding important new evidence for the Lower Paleolithic origins of the Levallois method and its adoption and assimilation in the human stone-tool repertoire of this period in the Levant. Revadim and Jaljulia also provide a rare opportunity to study patterns in the early assimilation of technological innovations. These sites yielded rich lithic assemblages typical of the late Acheulian in the Levant. The assemblages include handaxes but are mostly dominated by flake production technologies and flake-tools. The early appearance of prepared cores at both sites signals, in our view, the inception of concepts related to the Levallois method, termed here proto-Levallois, in the late Acheulian Levant. Through a detailed analysis of prepared cores and their products, we are able to characterize the early stages of assimilation of this method, using it as a case study in a broader discussion of the adoption and assimilation of technological innovations during Lower Paleolithic times.

show abstract

“…The field‐site is located at the margin between semiarid and Mediterranean climates (Osem et al , ), with an average annual precipitation of 904 mm for 2001 to 2013, derived from the Israel Meteorological Service (http://www.ims.gov.il/). Dominant lithology is Alluvium, Marlstone, Chalk and Kurkar while the soil is composed mainly of dark‐brown Grumusol (Gvirtzman et al , ). Soil texture consists of average: 17% clay, 58% silt and 25% sand.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Using a landform evolution model to study ephemeral gullying in agricultural fields: the effects of rainfall patterns on ephemeral gully dynamics

Hoober

Svoray

Cohen

2017

Earth Surf Processes Landf

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Water driven soil erosion is a major cause of land degradation worldwide. Ephemeral gullies (EGs) are considered key contributors to agricultural catchment soil loss. Despite their importance, the parameters and drivers controlling EG dynamics have not been adequately quantified. Here we investigate the effects of rainfall characteristics on EGs, using the physically based landform evolution model (LEM) CAESAR‐Lisflood. An initial goal of this study was to test the feasibility of using a LEM to estimate EG dynamics based on an easily obtainable and moderate spatial resolution (2 × 2 m) Digital Elevation Model (DEM). EG evolution was simulated for two rainfall seasons in a 0.37 km2 agricultural plot situated in a semiarid catchment in central Israel. The 2014 rainfall season was used to calibrate the model and the 2015 season was used for validation. The model overall well predicted the EG network structure and average depth but tended to underestimate the EG length. The effects of rainfall characteristics on EG dynamics were investigated by comparing simulations employing seven rainfall scenarios. Four of these scenarios differ in their overall rainfall volume relative to observed precipitation (+20%, +10%, −10%, −20%). The remaining three scenarios vary in the temporal distribution of rainfall during each storm, allowing us to isolate the effect of rainfall intensity on EG evolution. The results show that: (1) EG dynamics strongly correlated with changes in rainfall volume; (2) small‐scale morphological behavior varies between rainfall scenarios, resulting in different meandering and connectivity variability; (3) EG evolution is divided into two main stages, an initial rapid development occurring after the first two weeks of the rainy season, followed by a stable development period; (4) a 12 mm h−1 intensity threshold was observed to initiate and, later, modify EGs; and (5) inner storm rainfall variability can have a considerable effect on EG evolution. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

show abstract

Geological and pedological aspects of an Early-Paleolithic site: Revadim, Central Coastal Plain, Israel

Cited by 26 publications

References 13 publications

Depositional and Paleoenvironmental setting of the Bizat Ruhama early pleistocene archaeological assemblages, Northern Negev, Israel: A microstratigraphic perspective

Depositional and Paleoenvironmental setting of the Bizat Ruhama early pleistocene archaeological assemblages, Northern Negev, Israel: A microstratigraphic perspective

Lower Paleolithic Winds of Change: Prepared Core Technologies and the Onset of the Levallois Method in the Levantine Late Acheulian

Using a landform evolution model to study ephemeral gullying in agricultural fields: the effects of rainfall patterns on ephemeral gully dynamics

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About