The Early Middle Palaeolithic (EMP) in the Levant presents a unique phenomenon, diverse forms of blade production dominate the technological organization. Contrary to the discontinuous presence of blade production across Eurasia, both before and after the EMP, blades and their by-products were, between 250 and 160,000 years ago, the main "behavioral package" in the Levant region.

The EMP lithic assemblages comprised of several techno-typological traits, the use of Levallois, Laminar, and cores on flakes reduction strategies. Furthermore, it seems that within each single reduction sequence there is versatility, changes which occur between technological concepts allows prolongation of the core’s utility and enhanced control of blank production.

Here, we reassess the assemblages of Abou-Sif, excavated between 1928-1934, and among the first EMP sites excavated and analysed in the region. These lithic assemblages, despite biased collection methods, will contribute to the understanding of the EMP technological organization. These results not only highlight the techno-typological diversity in the mode of production but also reflect the narrow variation that is shared among all known EMP sites. The possible social and demographic implications of this low-diversity within a cohesive geographical and chronological framework will be discussed with regards to the previous Late Lower and later Middle Paleolithic records in the Levant.

The excavations at Tel Reḥov yielded hundreds of metal objects and numerous metallurgical remains that attest to on-site metalworking. The study of such remains and their distribution sheds light on metalworking practices at the site, indicating a considerable change between the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age, which comprised both the choice of raw materials (bronze vs. iron), their origin, and metalworking traditions. Particularly significant is the evidence for an Egyptian metalworking tradition during the Late Bronze Age, indicating that the metal industry at Reḥov may have been tightly controlled by the neighboring Egyptian stronghold at Beth-Shean. Iron Age I metallurgical remains suggest that the smiths reverted to Canaanite metalworking practices after the Egyptians’ departure. Iron was introduced into common use during the Iron Age IIA, the tenth and ninth centuries BCE.

Tel Reḥov was the location of one of the largest Iron Age cities in northern Israel during the Iron Age IIA, the main period investigated at the site. This article summarizes the stratigraphy, main architectural features, aspects of daily life and material culture, industries, trade relations, writing, religion and iconography, as well as chronology and historical questions. The finds reflect cultural and economic processes that the city and its environs underwent during this momentous time. Canaanite traditions alongside innovations, economic prosperity, vibrant trade relations with the Phoenician coast and, indirectly, with Egypt, Cyprus, and Greece are evidenced. Notable is the exceptional and peaceful continuity between the Iron I and Iron II cities. The city may have been the hometown of the Nimshi clan, to which Jehu belonged. The city suffered a violent destruction, probably at the hands of Hazael, king of Aram-Damascus.

The author offers a brief introduction to the excavations at Tel Reḥov, beginning with a description of the mound. This is followed by a summary of the appearance of the toponym Reḥob in written sources; the identification of the site; and a brief survey of the excavation project, including its goals, the core staff, the excavation areas and the methods used. Finally, it presents the stratigraphic sequence and the structure of the final report that appeared in 2020, as well as reference to an exhibition held on the excavations.

This study provides one of the earliest examples of fruit tree cultivation worldwide, demonstrating that olive (Olea europaea) and fig (Ficus carica) horticulture was practiced as early as 7000 years ago in the Central Jordan Valley, Israel. It is based on the anatomical identification of a charcoal assemblage recovered from the Chalcolithic (7200–6700 cal. BP) site of Tel Tsaf. Given the site’s location outside the wild olive’s natural habitat, the substantial presence of charred olive wood remains at the site constitutes a strong case for horticulture. Furthermore, the occurrence of young charred fig branches (most probably from pruning) may indicate that figs were cultivated too. One such branch was ¹⁴C dated, yielding an age of ca. 7000 cal. BP. We hypothesize that established horticulture contributed to more elaborate social contracts and institutions since olive oil, table olives, and dry figs were highly suitable for long-distance trade and taxation.

Stone tools are a manifestation of the complex cognitive and dexterous skills of our hominin ancestors. As such, much research has been devoted to understanding the skill requirements of individual lithic technologies. Yet, comparing skill across different technologies, and thus across the vast timespan of the Palaeolithic, is an elusive goal. We seek to quantify a series of commensurable metrics of knapping skill across four different lithic technologies (discoids, handaxes, Levallois, and prismatic blades). To compare the requisite dexterity, coordination, and care involved in each technology, we analysed video footage and lithic material from a series of replicative knapping experiments to quantify deliberation (strike time), precision (platform area), intricacy (flake size relative to core size), and success (relative blank length). According to these four metrics, discoidal knapping appears to be easiest among the sample. Levallois knapping involved an intricate reduction sequence, but did not require as much motor control as handaxes and especially prismatic blades. Compared with the other Palaeolithic technologies, we conclude that prismatic blade knapping is set apart by being a skill intensive means of producing numerous standardised elongate end-products.

Long-distance trade routes criss-crossed ancient Africa and Eurasia. Archaeological research has focused on the commodities in transit and the excavation of major centres located along these routes, with less attention paid to smaller caravanserai and evidence such as rubbish middens. The ‘Incense Route’ linked the Arabian Peninsula and Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, with activity peaking during the Nabataean and Roman periods. The authors present the results of test-pit excavations of middens at three small Nabataean–Roman desert caravanserai along the ‘Incense Route’. The assemblages recovered include material culture attesting to wide, inter-regional connections, combined with archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological data illuminating the subsistence basis of the caravan trade.

The research of the Kaizer Hill site (the Hilltop and its Terraces), recognized as a Pre Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) quarry site, involved studies of the rock damage associated with the quarrying activities as well as of the recovered material remains, mostly chipped stone artifacts. We present here the results of our on-site explorations (excavations, surveys and surface-collections), focusing on the findings deriving from the Terraces. Diverse rock damage patterns were identified and described, portraying systematic rock mass-exploitation through quarrying fronts, natural rock joints and fissures enlargement, drilling and chiseling. There are multiple indications that the local bedrock (Bi’na Formation, Turonian) comprising flint and limestone was quarried under a systematic quality evaluation, leaving residual flint unsuitable for exploitation. Of interest to note that nearly all of the flint artifacts excavated and collected on the Terraces were made on raw material transported from the Hilltop (Mishash Formation, Campanian), knapped in-situ, on the quarried rock surfaces of the slopes. The flint tools bear witness to intensive use involving mainly boring and drilling. The dominant tool type is the flint axe for which a variety of waste products related to its production were found in-situ, enabling the reconstruction of axe reduction sequence. Similar axes and waste products were found in many PPN sites indicating that there was a common, widely-used scheme of making flint axes during the PPN. Interestingly, besides the flint waste, there were also limestone waste products typical of the last shaping and thinning stages of axe production, indicating that limestone axes were shaped technologically similar to the flint ones, contrary to what has been assumed before. Rare findings, such as obsidian pieces, originating from much further a-field indicate ties with other PPN communities, near and/or far. Overall, this study provides unique and novel insights on Levantine PPN lifeways.

Marine Isotopic Stage 5 is associated with wetter climatic conditions in the Saharo-Arabian deserts. This stage also corresponds to the establishment of Middle Paleolithic hominins and their associated material culture in two geographical provinces in southwest Asia—the Eastern Mediterranean woodland and the Arabian Peninsula desert. The lithic industry of the Eastern Mediterranean is characterized by the centripetal Levallois method, whereas the Nubian Levallois method characterizes the populations of the Arabian desert. The Negev Desert, situated between these regions is a key area to comprehend population movement in correlation to climatic zones. This investigation addresses the nature of the Middle Paleolithic settlement in the Negev Desert during MIS 5 by studying the site of Nahal Aqev. High resolution chronological results based on luminescence dating and cryptotephra show the site was occupied from MIS 5e to MIS 5d. The lithic industries at Nahal Aqev are dominated by centripetal Levallois core method. These data demonstrate that Nahal Aqev is much closer in its cultural attributes to the Eastern Mediterranean Middle Paleolithic than to the Arabian Desert entity. We conclude that Nahal Aqev represents an expansion of Middle Paleolithic groups from the Mediterranean woodland into the desert, triggered by better climatic conditions. These groups possibly interacted with hominin groups bearing the Nubian core tradition from the vast region of Arabia.