“…The sediments from all stratigraphic units in all excavation areas studied here were formed by the deposition of clay loam in an alluvial floodplain setting, in agreement with Greenbaum et al (2014). The dominance of clay, together with the silt to fine sand sizes of quartz grains, indicates a general low-energy depositional environment, most plausibly overbank deposits.…”
Section: Depositional Processes and Environmentssupporting
confidence: 78%
“…During these first excavations, six stratigraphic units were identified and described, of which Unit 2 (composed of dark loamy clay and carbonate gravel dated by OSL to 70,000-60,000 years BP) comprised the main archaeological level Greenbaum et al 2014). Geological trenching in 2012 suggested a distribution of Middle Palaeolithic finds over an area of a minimally~1400 m 2 along the Qishon flood plain ).…”
Section: 'Ein Qashishmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…1c) over a total area of 650 m 2 and to a maximum depth of 4.5 m below surface, extending the previously estimated spatial distribution of the Middle Palaeolithic occupation area. The newly exposed stratigraphy was correlated to that studied by Greenbaum et al (2014) in the previous excavations. Thus, the stratigraphic section in the 2013 excavation comprises of Units 2-5 (numbered from bottom to top, Fig.…”
Section: 'Ein Qashishmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Nevertheless, the episodes of human occupation must have taken place on relatively dry surfaces. Greenbaum et al (2014) and Boness and Goren (2016) raised the option that human activity was conducted next to a permanent water body such as a swamp. This study revealed direct evidence for the presence of a shallow water body, as discussed in the next section.…”
Section: Depositional Processes and Environmentsmentioning
'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 J Paleo Arch (2018) 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 gypsum pedofeatures. Bone mineral is relatively well 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 in Middle 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.
“…The sediments from all stratigraphic units in all excavation areas studied here were formed by the deposition of clay loam in an alluvial floodplain setting, in agreement with Greenbaum et al (2014). The dominance of clay, together with the silt to fine sand sizes of quartz grains, indicates a general low-energy depositional environment, most plausibly overbank deposits.…”
Section: Depositional Processes and Environmentssupporting
confidence: 78%
“…During these first excavations, six stratigraphic units were identified and described, of which Unit 2 (composed of dark loamy clay and carbonate gravel dated by OSL to 70,000-60,000 years BP) comprised the main archaeological level Greenbaum et al 2014). Geological trenching in 2012 suggested a distribution of Middle Palaeolithic finds over an area of a minimally~1400 m 2 along the Qishon flood plain ).…”
Section: 'Ein Qashishmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…1c) over a total area of 650 m 2 and to a maximum depth of 4.5 m below surface, extending the previously estimated spatial distribution of the Middle Palaeolithic occupation area. The newly exposed stratigraphy was correlated to that studied by Greenbaum et al (2014) in the previous excavations. Thus, the stratigraphic section in the 2013 excavation comprises of Units 2-5 (numbered from bottom to top, Fig.…”
Section: 'Ein Qashishmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Nevertheless, the episodes of human occupation must have taken place on relatively dry surfaces. Greenbaum et al (2014) and Boness and Goren (2016) raised the option that human activity was conducted next to a permanent water body such as a swamp. This study revealed direct evidence for the presence of a shallow water body, as discussed in the next section.…”
Section: Depositional Processes and Environmentsmentioning
'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 J Paleo Arch (2018) 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 gypsum pedofeatures. Bone mineral is relatively well 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 in Middle 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.
“…The site sequence was dated through optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), which puts the time range of all the examined archaeological horizons at ca. 70–60 ka (SI 2 Table 1), similar to the range of dates of the stratigraphic sequence of the 2009–2011 excavation, established through the same dating techniques 26 .Figure 2Schematic plan of ‘Ein Qashish. ( A ) Compiled stratigraphic section with vertical locations of OSL dates, in thousands of years, and hominin fossils.…”
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.
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