New discoveries at the middle Pleistocene acheulian site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, Israel

N. Goren-Inbar; S. Belitzky; K. Verosub; E. Werker; M. Kislev; A. Heimann; I. Carmi; A. Rosenfield

doi:10.1016/0033-5894(92)90034-g

New discoveries at the middle Pleistocene acheulian site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, Israel

N. Goren-Inbar
, S. Belitzky
, K. Verosub
, E. Werker
, M. Kislev
, A. Heimann
, I. Carmi
, A. Rosenfield

The Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology

Hebrew University of Jerusalem
University of California at Davis
Geological Survey of Israel
The Golan Research Institute
Weizmann Institute of Science

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

45 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Gesher Benot Ya'aqov archaeological site in the northern Dead Sea Rift of Israel contains Acheulian artifacts and middle Pleistocene fossils. Initial results of a new interdisciplinary study have shown that fluviolacustrine sediments of the Benot Ya'aqov Formation, which contains several archaeological occupations, were deposited in an embayment of the Hula Basin. They were subsequently deformed by tectonic activity associated with the Dead Sea Rift. Biostratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy, and K-Ar dating serve to constrain the age of the Benot Ya'aqov Formation to between 240,000 and 730,000 yr B.P. Archaeological excavation of three areas and two trenches at the new study area have produced abundant basalt, flint, and limestone artifacts, mammalian and avian fossils, and considerable plant material. The lithic materials provide an excellent opportunity to study large assemblages of in situ Acheulian artifacts, a rare phenomenon in the middle Pleistocene Levantine record. In addition, the organic materials will facilitate paleoenvironmental reconstructions from an ecological-floral perspective.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	117-128
Number of pages	12
Journal	Quaternary Research
Volume	38
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/0033-5894(92)90034-g
State	Published - Jul 1992

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study was supported by the L. S. B. Leakey Foundation, Care Archaeological Foundation, National Geographic Society. The Hebrew University, the Basic Research Foundation administered by the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and an anonymous donor. We thank J. C. Vogel for his help and H. P. Schwartz and Marcy Wiseman for their sug-gestions. P. Claeys and R. Balzer assisted with the paleomagnetic measurements. Figures 1,3, and 4 were drawn by G. Hivroni and Z. Vitelzon and Figures 6 and 7 by Y. Moshcovich.

Funding

This study was supported by the L. S. B. Leakey Foundation, Care Archaeological Foundation, National Geographic Society. The Hebrew University, the Basic Research Foundation administered by the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and an anonymous donor. We thank J. C. Vogel for his help and H. P. Schwartz and Marcy Wiseman for their sug-gestions. P. Claeys and R. Balzer assisted with the paleomagnetic measurements. Figures 1,3, and 4 were drawn by G. Hivroni and Z. Vitelzon and Figures 6 and 7 by Y. Moshcovich.

Funders
CARE Archaeological Foundation
Leakey Foundation
National Geographic Society

Access to Document

10.1016/0033-5894(92)90034-g

Cite this

@article{bdbc4a09773844e1b6f4a3b7145d93fc,

title = "New discoveries at the middle Pleistocene acheulian site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, Israel",

abstract = "The Gesher Benot Ya'aqov archaeological site in the northern Dead Sea Rift of Israel contains Acheulian artifacts and middle Pleistocene fossils. Initial results of a new interdisciplinary study have shown that fluviolacustrine sediments of the Benot Ya'aqov Formation, which contains several archaeological occupations, were deposited in an embayment of the Hula Basin. They were subsequently deformed by tectonic activity associated with the Dead Sea Rift. Biostratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy, and K-Ar dating serve to constrain the age of the Benot Ya'aqov Formation to between 240,000 and 730,000 yr B.P. Archaeological excavation of three areas and two trenches at the new study area have produced abundant basalt, flint, and limestone artifacts, mammalian and avian fossils, and considerable plant material. The lithic materials provide an excellent opportunity to study large assemblages of in situ Acheulian artifacts, a rare phenomenon in the middle Pleistocene Levantine record. In addition, the organic materials will facilitate paleoenvironmental reconstructions from an ecological-floral perspective.",

author = "N. Goren-Inbar and S. Belitzky and K. Verosub and E. Werker and M. Kislev and A. Heimann and I. Carmi and A. Rosenfield",

note = "Funding Information: This study was supported by the L. S. B. Leakey Foundation, Care Archaeological Foundation, National Geographic Society. The Hebrew University, the Basic Research Foundation administered by the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and an anonymous donor. We thank J. C. Vogel for his help and H. P. Schwartz and Marcy Wiseman for their sug-gestions. P. Claeys and R. Balzer assisted with the paleomagnetic measurements. Figures 1,3, and 4 were drawn by G. Hivroni and Z. Vitelzon and Figures 6 and 7 by Y. Moshcovich.",

year = "1992",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1016/0033-5894(92)90034-g",

language = "אנגלית",

volume = "38",

pages = "117--128",

journal = "Quaternary Research",

issn = "0033-5894",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - New discoveries at the middle Pleistocene acheulian site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, Israel

AU - Goren-Inbar, N.

AU - Belitzky, S.

AU - Verosub, K.

AU - Werker, E.

AU - Kislev, M.

AU - Heimann, A.

AU - Carmi, I.

AU - Rosenfield, A.

N1 - Funding Information: This study was supported by the L. S. B. Leakey Foundation, Care Archaeological Foundation, National Geographic Society. The Hebrew University, the Basic Research Foundation administered by the Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities and an anonymous donor. We thank J. C. Vogel for his help and H. P. Schwartz and Marcy Wiseman for their sug-gestions. P. Claeys and R. Balzer assisted with the paleomagnetic measurements. Figures 1,3, and 4 were drawn by G. Hivroni and Z. Vitelzon and Figures 6 and 7 by Y. Moshcovich.

PY - 1992/7

Y1 - 1992/7

N2 - The Gesher Benot Ya'aqov archaeological site in the northern Dead Sea Rift of Israel contains Acheulian artifacts and middle Pleistocene fossils. Initial results of a new interdisciplinary study have shown that fluviolacustrine sediments of the Benot Ya'aqov Formation, which contains several archaeological occupations, were deposited in an embayment of the Hula Basin. They were subsequently deformed by tectonic activity associated with the Dead Sea Rift. Biostratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy, and K-Ar dating serve to constrain the age of the Benot Ya'aqov Formation to between 240,000 and 730,000 yr B.P. Archaeological excavation of three areas and two trenches at the new study area have produced abundant basalt, flint, and limestone artifacts, mammalian and avian fossils, and considerable plant material. The lithic materials provide an excellent opportunity to study large assemblages of in situ Acheulian artifacts, a rare phenomenon in the middle Pleistocene Levantine record. In addition, the organic materials will facilitate paleoenvironmental reconstructions from an ecological-floral perspective.

AB - The Gesher Benot Ya'aqov archaeological site in the northern Dead Sea Rift of Israel contains Acheulian artifacts and middle Pleistocene fossils. Initial results of a new interdisciplinary study have shown that fluviolacustrine sediments of the Benot Ya'aqov Formation, which contains several archaeological occupations, were deposited in an embayment of the Hula Basin. They were subsequently deformed by tectonic activity associated with the Dead Sea Rift. Biostratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy, and K-Ar dating serve to constrain the age of the Benot Ya'aqov Formation to between 240,000 and 730,000 yr B.P. Archaeological excavation of three areas and two trenches at the new study area have produced abundant basalt, flint, and limestone artifacts, mammalian and avian fossils, and considerable plant material. The lithic materials provide an excellent opportunity to study large assemblages of in situ Acheulian artifacts, a rare phenomenon in the middle Pleistocene Levantine record. In addition, the organic materials will facilitate paleoenvironmental reconstructions from an ecological-floral perspective.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/0027098313

U2 - 10.1016/0033-5894(92)90034-g

DO - 10.1016/0033-5894(92)90034-g

M3 - ???researchoutput.researchoutputtypes.contributiontojournal.article???

AN - SCOPUS:0027098313

SN - 0033-5894

VL - 38

SP - 117

EP - 128

JO - Quaternary Research

JF - Quaternary Research

IS - 1

ER -

New discoveries at the middle Pleistocene acheulian site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, Israel

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this