Site Formation Processes at Tinshemet Cave, Israel: Micro-Stratigraphy, Fire Use, and Cementation

Recent excavations at the Middle Paleolithic site of Tinshemet Cave, Israel, showcase hominin burials and associated material culture that uniquely provide new information on hominin behavior in the south Levant around 120–100 ky ago. This study presents the site's stratigraphy in association with findings from sediment micromorphological analyses, shedding light on natural and anthropogenic site formation processes as well as human activities. Results indicate that two main types of sediment have been deposited—wood ash and reworked Terra Rossa soil—mixed to various degrees across the stratigraphic units. Hominin occupation started shortly after a partial roof collapse, intermittent with carnivore presence (Unit C). Hominin occupation increased and included the use of fire, flint knapping, cooking, and burial (Unit B), and increased even more (Unit A, Layer III) with more burials, intensive use of fire, cooking, knapping, trampling, and dumping. Anthropogenic sediments are largely cemented by secondary calcite that originates from recrystallized ash; however, intact hearths are absent due to syn- and postdepositional processes such as extensive bioturbation, cementation of the deposits, and trampling. Other postdepositional processes include fissuring and surface erosion. This study presents the importance of micromorphology to disentangle natural, anthropogenic, depositional, and postdepositional processes to better understand hominin behavior.