The Geochemistry of Basalt Handaxes from the Lower Palaeolithic Site of Ma'ayan Baruch, Israel-A Perspective on Raw Material Selection

D. Rosenberg; R. Shimelmitz; T. M. Gluhak; A. Assaf

doi:10.1111/arcm.12096

The Geochemistry of Basalt Handaxes from the Lower Palaeolithic Site of Ma'ayan Baruch, Israel-A Perspective on Raw Material Selection

D. Rosenberg, R. Shimelmitz, T. M. Gluhak, A. Assaf

Department of Archaeology

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

Abstract

The Upper Acheulian site of Ma'ayan Baruch, northern Israel, is primarily known for its exceptionally large assemblage of thousands of flint handaxes. Within this assemblage, a minute collection of basalt handaxes was retrieved as well, representing particular technological choice within the Upper Acheulian. Using geochemistry, we were able to determine that these basalt handaxes were not made from local basalt, but from different sources. Thus, the use of basalt at the site does not represent an ad hoc choice of using local raw material but, rather, a more complex technological choice pertaining to variability in raw material selection in the Lower Palaeolithic Levant.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-19
Number of pages	19
Journal	Archaeometry
Volume	57
Issue number	S1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/arcm.12096
State	Published - 1 Jul 2015

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 University of Oxford.

Keywords

Acheulian
Basalt Handaxes
Geochemistry
Lower Palaeolithic
Ma'ayan Baruch

ASJC Scopus subject areas

History
Archaeology

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10.1111/arcm.12096

Cite this

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AU - Assaf, A.

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AB - The Upper Acheulian site of Ma'ayan Baruch, northern Israel, is primarily known for its exceptionally large assemblage of thousands of flint handaxes. Within this assemblage, a minute collection of basalt handaxes was retrieved as well, representing particular technological choice within the Upper Acheulian. Using geochemistry, we were able to determine that these basalt handaxes were not made from local basalt, but from different sources. Thus, the use of basalt at the site does not represent an ad hoc choice of using local raw material but, rather, a more complex technological choice pertaining to variability in raw material selection in the Lower Palaeolithic Levant.

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The Geochemistry of Basalt Handaxes from the Lower Palaeolithic Site of Ma'ayan Baruch, Israel-A Perspective on Raw Material Selection

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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