Archaeology
Neolithic coastal settlements were resilient in the face of climate change
A study of the submerged site of Habonim North indicates that Neolithic coastal settlements were resilient in the face of climate change.
Habonim North is located 200 metres south of Tel Nami in Israel’s Carmel Coast. It was first identified between 2015 and 2017 at a depth of 2.5 to 3.0 metres, and then rediscovered in 2018 during an underwater survey.
Excavations by the University of California, San Diego, and the University of Haifa have uncovered a series of walls and two round-stone installations, both constructed of a single course of stone.
The removal of sediment layers has revealed numerous objects, including pottery, lithics, bone and botanical assemblages (mainly seeds), which according to the study authors provide information about the extent of the site and the intensity of its occupation.
The pottery and ceramics include light-coloured ware with coarse temper, the knob handle from a storage jar. and the painted rim of a hole-mouth jar. Based on the style and form, the pottery can be associated with Yarmukian and Jericho IX sites, where similar examples have previously been found.
Image Credit : Antiquity
A radiocarbon analysis of charred botanical remains indicates that Habonim North dates from between the 6th to 7th millennium BC, also corresponding with the range of the Yarmukian and Jericho IX phases during the Early Pottery Neolithic (EPN).
Around this time, coastal settlements collapsed in the wake of the 8.2-kiloyear event, a climatic drop in global temperatures around 6,200 BC.
However, postdating the 8.2ka climatic event, Habonim North demonstrates a resilient, sedentary site, with a complex and diverse economic system that included local production and long-distance exchange.
According to the study authors: “Diversification is evident in the addition of non-local raw materials and goods, which likely arrived through exchange. This is seen in the basalt finds, made of a material that is not found along the Carmel Coast, which have typological parallels from inland sites.”
The zooarchaeological assemblage also demonstrates how the community used domestic and wild animals, supplemented by a diet of fish from the coast.
“These results indicate that early Neolithic societies were resilient and sustainable, providing the foundation for the later social and economic changes that lead to the development of urbanism.”
Header Image Credit : Antiquity
Sources : Antiquity | Nickelsberg R, Levy TE, Shahack-Gross R, et al. Continuity and climate change: the Neolithic coastal settlement of Habonim North, Israel. Antiquity. 2024;98(398):343-362. doi:10.15184/aqy.2024.32
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Archaeologists are excavating a fortified settlement associated with the Linear Pottery Culture at Eilsleben in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.
The Linear Pottery Culture (LBK) is a major archaeological horizon of the European Neolithic period from 5500 to 4500 BC.
The site at Eilsleben was first identified during the 1920’s, revealing one of Central Europe’s largest Neolithic settlements.
Excavations conducted from 1974 to 1989 unearthed the remnants of ancient homes, numerous burials, and pits likely used for ritualistic human and animal sacrifices.
The settlement phases of the site can be divided into two distinct periods.
The earliest phase features north-south oriented dwellings, as well as remnants of a defensive trench measuring up to 3 metres in width. In the later phase, a central spring was fortified with a rampart, palisade and ditch, with further structural changes to form a giant trapezoidal structure.
Archaeologists from the State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology (LDA) Saxony-Anhalt recently excavated a 200-square-metre area to carry out a sediment analysis, along with micromorphological and phytolith studies.
Using these modern scientific methods, the researchers hope to understand the site formation, as well as the levels of occupational activity within the wider settlement area.
Excavations also found extensive find material, consisting of pottery vessel fragments, stone implements (e.g., blades, arrowheads, axes) and bone and antler objects.
According to the archaeologists, the find material is providing deeper insights into the interactions between the region’s earliest farmers in the fertile Magdeburg Börde and the contemporary hunter-gatherer societies.
The LDA said: “The excavations are already showing that the Neolithic settlement remains are surprisingly well preserved. The excavators found post holes of houses as well as the remains of wattle and daub house walls. The concentrations of finds are enabling conclusions to be drawn about the use of the spaces within the settlement.”
Header Image Credit : LDA
Sources : State Office for Heritage Management and Archaeology (LDA) Saxony-Anhalt
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Archaeologists from the APSARA National Authority have uncovered a guardian statue at the Banteay Prey Nokor temple complex in Kompong Cham, Cambodia.
Known locally as the temple of “Wat Nokor in Khum of Kompong Siem”, or “Wat Angkor”, Banteay Prey Nokor was constructed during the reign of Jayavarman VII (AD 1181–1218), the first king devoted to Buddhism in the Khmer Empire.
The complex covers an area of 37 acres and consists of a central tower surrounded by four laterite wall enclosures made from sandstone and laterite.
In addition to being the largest ancient temple complex in Kampong Cham Province, it has several distinguishing features. One of the most notable is its construction from black sandstone, which sets it apart from other temples of the period, typically built from brick or reddish sandstone.
Image Credit : Phouk Chea / Chea Sarith
Archaeologists from the Department of Preservation and Archaeology at the APSARA Authority recently excavated one of the gateways of Banteay Prey Nokor, clearing away layers of rubble from the collapsed upper structure.
Upon removing the rubble material, a guardian door statue was uncovered to the right of the eastern entrance to the gateway. The statue is broken into six pieces – breaking at the neck, the left forearm, the waist, and below the knees of both legs.
According to the researchers, the statue, which originally stood at a height of around 1.6 metres, is of the Bayon style, in reference to the Bayon state temple of Jayavarman VII at the centre of Jayavarman’s capital, Angkor Thom.
“The sandstone gate guardian will now be stored at the Preah Norodom Sihanouk-Angkor Museum,” Angkor Wat’s heritage police said in a statement. “It will be preserved and studied further.”
Header Image Credit : Phouk Chea / Chea Sarith
Sources : APSARA National Authority
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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