Wooden objects from Ohalo II (23,000 cal BP), Jordan Valley, Israel

Dani Nadel; Udi Grinberg; Elisabetta Boaretto; Ella Werker

doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2005.12.010

Wooden objects from Ohalo II (23,000 cal BP), Jordan Valley, Israel

Dani Nadel, Udi Grinberg, Elisabetta Boaretto, Ella Werker

Department of Archaeology

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

Abstract

Eight wooden objects were found at Ohalo II, a submerged and well-preserved site in the Sea of Galilee, Israel. The fisher-hunter-gatherers' site has been radiometrically dated to 22,500-23,500 (cal BP) with 45 assays read by four laboratories. The wooden objects were found on brush-hut floors. They include a bark plank with polish and use signs, pencil-shaped specimens with longitudinal shavings, and other types that may have been decorative or symbolic. One incised wooden object is identical in size and incision pattern to a gazelle bone implement found in a grave, behind a human skull. The recovered wooden objects are not directly related to hunting, gathering, or fishing, and frustratingly, there are no remains of bows, arrows, spears, handles, or other such items. Nonetheless, the objects present a wide repertoire in terms of size, shape, and possible function. The new finds add to the growing body of evidence concerning the use of perishable materials during the Upper Paleolithic.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	644-662
Number of pages	19
Journal	Journal of Human Evolution
Volume	50
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2005.12.010
State	Published - Jun 2006

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We thank Sariel Shalev and Yak Cahanov for their help. We also thank Anna Belfer-Cohen for reading an early version of this manuscript and for her useful advice. The Ohalo II project was generously supported by the Irene-Levi Sala CARE Archaeological Foundation, The Israel Science Foundation (Grant no. 831/00), the Jerusalem Center for Anthropological Studies, the L.S.B. Leakey Foundation, the Stekelis Museum of Prehistory in Haifa, the MAFCAF Foundation, the National Geographic Society, and the Israel Antiquities Authority. The photographs were taken by I. Grinberg (3, 5, 6, 7), A. Baltinester (8), M. Eizenberg (20), and the authors. The drawings were done by S. Ad (3, 6, 10, 12, 15, 19, 21, 25, 28), P. Spivak (22), and N. Goltsev (5). We thank the anonymous reviewers for their very helpful advice.

Keywords

Preservation
Sea of Galilee
Submerged site
Upper Paleolithic
Wood objects

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Anthropology

Access to Document

10.1016/j.jhevol.2005.12.010

Cite this

@article{e856e5b026cb41dfa9a5f2e6aa919085,

title = "Wooden objects from Ohalo II (23,000 cal BP), Jordan Valley, Israel",

abstract = "Eight wooden objects were found at Ohalo II, a submerged and well-preserved site in the Sea of Galilee, Israel. The fisher-hunter-gatherers' site has been radiometrically dated to 22,500-23,500 (cal BP) with 45 assays read by four laboratories. The wooden objects were found on brush-hut floors. They include a bark plank with polish and use signs, pencil-shaped specimens with longitudinal shavings, and other types that may have been decorative or symbolic. One incised wooden object is identical in size and incision pattern to a gazelle bone implement found in a grave, behind a human skull. The recovered wooden objects are not directly related to hunting, gathering, or fishing, and frustratingly, there are no remains of bows, arrows, spears, handles, or other such items. Nonetheless, the objects present a wide repertoire in terms of size, shape, and possible function. The new finds add to the growing body of evidence concerning the use of perishable materials during the Upper Paleolithic.",

keywords = "Preservation, Sea of Galilee, Submerged site, Upper Paleolithic, Wood objects",

author = "Dani Nadel and Udi Grinberg and Elisabetta Boaretto and Ella Werker",

note = "Funding Information: We thank Sariel Shalev and Yak Cahanov for their help. We also thank Anna Belfer-Cohen for reading an early version of this manuscript and for her useful advice. The Ohalo II project was generously supported by the Irene-Levi Sala CARE Archaeological Foundation, The Israel Science Foundation (Grant no. 831/00), the Jerusalem Center for Anthropological Studies, the L.S.B. Leakey Foundation, the Stekelis Museum of Prehistory in Haifa, the MAFCAF Foundation, the National Geographic Society, and the Israel Antiquities Authority. The photographs were taken by I. Grinberg (3, 5, 6, 7), A. Baltinester (8), M. Eizenberg (20), and the authors. The drawings were done by S. Ad (3, 6, 10, 12, 15, 19, 21, 25, 28), P. Spivak (22), and N. Goltsev (5). We thank the anonymous reviewers for their very helpful advice. ",

year = "2006",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1016/j.jhevol.2005.12.010",

language = "English",

volume = "50",

pages = "644--662",

journal = "Journal of Human Evolution",

issn = "0047-2484",

publisher = "Academic Press",

number = "6",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Wooden objects from Ohalo II (23,000 cal BP), Jordan Valley, Israel

AU - Nadel, Dani

AU - Grinberg, Udi

AU - Boaretto, Elisabetta

AU - Werker, Ella

N1 - Funding Information: We thank Sariel Shalev and Yak Cahanov for their help. We also thank Anna Belfer-Cohen for reading an early version of this manuscript and for her useful advice. The Ohalo II project was generously supported by the Irene-Levi Sala CARE Archaeological Foundation, The Israel Science Foundation (Grant no. 831/00), the Jerusalem Center for Anthropological Studies, the L.S.B. Leakey Foundation, the Stekelis Museum of Prehistory in Haifa, the MAFCAF Foundation, the National Geographic Society, and the Israel Antiquities Authority. The photographs were taken by I. Grinberg (3, 5, 6, 7), A. Baltinester (8), M. Eizenberg (20), and the authors. The drawings were done by S. Ad (3, 6, 10, 12, 15, 19, 21, 25, 28), P. Spivak (22), and N. Goltsev (5). We thank the anonymous reviewers for their very helpful advice.

PY - 2006/6

Y1 - 2006/6

N2 - Eight wooden objects were found at Ohalo II, a submerged and well-preserved site in the Sea of Galilee, Israel. The fisher-hunter-gatherers' site has been radiometrically dated to 22,500-23,500 (cal BP) with 45 assays read by four laboratories. The wooden objects were found on brush-hut floors. They include a bark plank with polish and use signs, pencil-shaped specimens with longitudinal shavings, and other types that may have been decorative or symbolic. One incised wooden object is identical in size and incision pattern to a gazelle bone implement found in a grave, behind a human skull. The recovered wooden objects are not directly related to hunting, gathering, or fishing, and frustratingly, there are no remains of bows, arrows, spears, handles, or other such items. Nonetheless, the objects present a wide repertoire in terms of size, shape, and possible function. The new finds add to the growing body of evidence concerning the use of perishable materials during the Upper Paleolithic.

AB - Eight wooden objects were found at Ohalo II, a submerged and well-preserved site in the Sea of Galilee, Israel. The fisher-hunter-gatherers' site has been radiometrically dated to 22,500-23,500 (cal BP) with 45 assays read by four laboratories. The wooden objects were found on brush-hut floors. They include a bark plank with polish and use signs, pencil-shaped specimens with longitudinal shavings, and other types that may have been decorative or symbolic. One incised wooden object is identical in size and incision pattern to a gazelle bone implement found in a grave, behind a human skull. The recovered wooden objects are not directly related to hunting, gathering, or fishing, and frustratingly, there are no remains of bows, arrows, spears, handles, or other such items. Nonetheless, the objects present a wide repertoire in terms of size, shape, and possible function. The new finds add to the growing body of evidence concerning the use of perishable materials during the Upper Paleolithic.

KW - Preservation

KW - Sea of Galilee

KW - Submerged site

KW - Upper Paleolithic

KW - Wood objects

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33646776436&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jhevol.2005.12.010

DO - 10.1016/j.jhevol.2005.12.010

M3 - Article

C2 - 16516267

AN - SCOPUS:33646776436

SN - 0047-2484

VL - 50

SP - 644

EP - 662

JO - Journal of Human Evolution

JF - Journal of Human Evolution

IS - 6

ER -

Wooden objects from Ohalo II (23,000 cal BP), Jordan Valley, Israel

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this