In the Southern Levant, the Natufians established a long-lasting tradition of using stones, along with other materials, for construction. Initial field observations at Nahal Ein Gev II suggested that such stones are natural blocks or cobbles that frequently underwent some kind of modification. To further investigate this pattern and better understand construction techniques and design, a protocol was developed at the site to record and analyze the construction stones, labelled BL for ‘Building Stones.’ This paper presents our initial results. Our analysis reveals that basalt and limestone were commonly used as BL, consistent with the lithology of the geological formations around the site. A large proportion of the BL are broken, perhaps as a result of intentional ‘calibration’ of the stones aimed at making them fit into the structure's walls. Consistency in modal BL size reveals some of the norms that underlie the design of the structures. The presence of several types of sheen was noted on the BL; some forms being related to the use of bonding material employed in wall construction, while other forms may indicate surface treatment. Finally, the construction traditions documented at the site are considered in the broader context of Natufian technical innovation and inter-site variability.

Abstract. Sedimentary records of lipid biomarkers such as leaf wax n-alkanes are influenced by not only ecosystem turnover and physiological changes in plants but also earth surface processes integrating these signals into the sedimentary record, though the effect of these integration processes is not fully understood. To determine the depositional constraints on biomarker records in a high-altitude small catchment system, we collected both soil and stream sediments along a 1000 m altitude transect (1500–2500 m a.s.l.) in the Areguni Mountains, a subrange of the Lesser Caucasus Mountains in Armenia. We utilize a treeline at ∼ 2000 m a.s.l., which separates alpine meadow above from deciduous forest below, to assess the relative contribution of upstream biomarker transport to local vegetation input in the stream. We find that average chain length (ACL), hydrogen isotope (δD) and carbon isotope (δ¹³C) values of n-alkanes are significantly different in soils collected above and below the treeline. However, samples collected from the stream sediments do not integrate these signals quantitatively. As the stream drops below the treeline, the ACL, δD and δ¹³C values of n-alkanes preserved in streambed sediments reflect a bias toward n-alkanes sourced from trees. This suggests that either (1) there is minimal transportation of organic matter from the more open vegetation at higher elevations or (2) greater production of target biomarkers by trees and shrubs found at lower elevations results in overprinting of stream signals by local vegetation. Though these observations may preclude using n-alkanes to measure past treeline movement in these mountains, δD values of biomarkers in fluvial deposits in these settings are more likely to record local hydrological changes rather than reflect fractionation changes due to turnover in the upstream vegetation structure.

Unraveling the driving forces behind human colonization, settlement and abandonment throughout history has been a prominent research avenue for centuries. While social, political, technological, or environmental factors are commonly identified as the driving forces behind these processes, in this paper we explore a different factor – demographic stochasticity. Through an analysis based on the metapopulation theory, we assess whether demographic processes of a stochastic nature are the likely cause behind settlement abandonment and colonization within past human societies. We implement the analysis for a geographical region in the Levant and compare the results with historical and archaeological evidence. In all case studies tested but one, we show that our null hypotheses cannot be rejected. This suggests that, similarly to other species’ metapopulations, demographic stochasticity holds a significant role in shaping human settlement dynamics. We thus claim that this approach should serve as a null hypothesis for the assessment of settlement dynamic and the role of social and cultural processes.

The divine act of changing the names of Abraham, Sarah, and Jacob in the book of Genesis is paralleled by hitherto unnoticed similar cases of renaming specific protagonists in the Babylonian epic of Atra-ḫasīs: the goddess Mami/Bēlet-ilī and the Flood hero Ziusudra/Ūta-napištim. A careful comparison of these instances of name changing reveals striking thematic parallels and important ideological differences.

Stone vessels first appeared in the southern Levant during the Upper Palaeolithic period, whereas pottery was introduced to the region at ca. 6,400 cal BC by the Yarmukian culture of the Pottery Neolithic period. Since the Yarmukian culture was first discovered, numerous studies have been devoted to the typo-technological characteristics of its pottery. A recent comprehensive study we conducted on the Pottery Neolithic period, demonstrated that the introduction of ceramic technology had no significant effect on stone vessel production, which continued to flourish throughout the Pottery Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods. While this suggests that stone and pottery vessels were produced and used differently, operating in discrete techno-functional systems, the technological characteristics of stone vessel production were hardly studied in comparable detail. The current paper focuses on the production of limestone vessels in the well-known Yarmukian site of Sha‘ar Hagolan. We will present and discuss these vessels’ characteristics, their technology and contexts of production, as well as contexts of use.

The Negev region is a part of the great desert belt of north Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, a physical and environmental barrier between eastern Africa and southwest Asia. The proximity of the Negev Desert to the Eastern Mediterranean ecological zone to its north, makes it an interesting study area for identifying movements of people and ideas between these areas, in particular during interglacial periods such as Marine Isotope Stage 5 (MIS 5). Not until recently, the archaeological data associated with this stage in the Negev was quite limited, but new studies point to a complex scenario in which several lithic traditions coexisted. One of them was dominated by the Nubian Levallois technology, that is seen by some as a cultural proxy for population movement from Afro-Arabia into the Levant. A comprehensive geoarchaeological survey conducted during the years 2017–2020 revealed dozens of previously unknown Middle Paleolithic findspots in the central and the southern parts of the Negev. Amongst the new findspots, sites with Nubian Levallois cores were identified. The geomorphological contexts of most of these findspots correspond to MIS 5 terraces, as supported by several luminescence ages. A comparison between surveyed sites and excavated MIS 5 sites from the Negev shows differences in the composition of the lithic assemblages. The surface sites include a combination of Nubian cores, centripetal and bidirectional Levallois knapping modes, while the excavated sites are more homogeneous and dominated by centripetal and bidirectional Levallois, or Nubian Levallois, but not both together. We propose that the Nubian core technology in the Negev is part of a distinct lithic tradition, probably originated in regions to the south and the east, whereas the centripetal and bidirectional Levallois are integral part of the known Middle Paleolithic lithic traditions of the Mediterranean ecological zone to the north and likely represent their expansion south into the Negev Desert.

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah are essentially a historiographic composition that recounts the story of the returnees from the Babylonian exile (586 BCE) to Judah during the Persian Period (Ezra 1:1,5; 3:11). Scholars have debated whether Ezra-Nehemiah were initially composed as one book or as two books that were later merged. VanderKam, Kraemer, Grabbe, and Becking claim that Ezra and Nehemiah are two separate compositions based on the introductory verse in the book Nehemiah (Neh 1:1), the almost identical list of returnees included in both Ezra and Nehemiah (Ezra 2//Nehemiah 7), and conceptual and ideological differences between the two compositions. 1 Other scholars argue for one composition as the earliest canonical traditions consider Ezra and Nehemiah to be one book. These include the Septuagint [LXX], the Talmud (b. B. Bat. 14b–15a), and the earliest manuscripts of the Masoretic Texts. These scholars point to the unity of the two books.

Innovations, such as symbolic artifacts, are a product of cognitive abilities but also of cultural context. Factors that may determine the emergence and retention of an innovation include the population's pre-existing cultural repertoire, exposure to relevant ways of thinking, and the invention's utility. Thus, we suggest that the production of symbolic artifacts is not guaranteed even in cognitively advanced societies.

Excavators of tell Abel Beth Maacah in northern Israel uncovered a Tetrarchic boundary stone reused as a cover for a Mamluk-period grave. The inscription mentions a hitherto unknown imperial surveyor (censitor). It is suggested that this individual may have been a colleague of Aelius Statutus, the censitor recorded on the boundary stones of the province of Syria Phoenice. Additionally, the inscription reveals two new toponyms: ‘Tirthas’ and ‘Golgol’, which may correspond to preserved toponyms Kh. Turritha and Tell ʿAjul, respectively. These locations were last recorded by the Survey of Western Palestine (SWP). The paper places this discovery in the context of other boundary stones in the Paneas/Caesarea-Phillipi territory and attempts to explain their extraordinary concentration in light of Diocletianic tax reforms and rabbinic sources. The authors suggest that the territory was probably filled with fields and farms owned by small landholders who paid their taxes independently of the city, providing insight into the complex relationship between taxation, land ownership, and settlement history.

In recent years, archaeological research has demonstrated the presence of abstract non-utilitarian behaviour amongst palaeolithic hominins, fuelling discussions concerning the origin and implications of such complex behaviours. A key component in these discussions is the aesthetic and symbolic character of intentionally incised artefacts. In this study, we emphasize the geometry of the incisions as clues to intentionality. Using 3D surface analysis, we characterised incisions found on a Levallois core from Manot cave, and on a flake and retouched blade from Amud cave. In addition, we applied the same methodology to the previously published engraved Levallois core from Qafzeh and the plaquette from Quneitra. The incisions on the Manot, Qafzeh and Quneitra artefacts show similar geometric characteristics. Notably in each of these cases, the incisions form patterns that align with the artefact’s surface topography and shape. In contrast, the incisions on the Amud artefacts are shallower, with no clear orientation or patterning. The methodology applied thus creates a comparative context for MP incised items, reinforcing the interpretation of the Manot, Qafzeh and Quneitra artefacts as deliberate engravings, whereas the marks on the items from Amud are consistent with their functional use as abraders. While the Qafzeh, Quneitra and Manot items are isolated initiatives in their chronological and geographic contexts, the shared traits of the intentional engravings underscore their predetermined nature.