Cultural identifiers of the Levantine Aurignacian

An archaeological study describes symbolic objects of the Levantine Aurignacian culture. The Levantine Aurignacian culture exhibits similarities with the Aurignacian culture in Eurasia. However, the origins and spread of the Levantine Aurignacian remain highly debated and are relevant to understanding cultural dynamics in the region. José-Miguel Tejero and colleagues report symbolic objects that might characterize the Levantine Aurignacian culture in the Near East. The objects--eight scapulae and one hyoid of gazelle--were uncovered in Hayonim Cave in the Western Galilee, Israel. The authors used stereomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy to analyze the bones, and found that each scapula and the hyoid displayed a series of 3-32 repetitive notches. On the scapulae, the notches measured 0.5-2.5 mm in length and covered 12-52 mm of the bone surface. In contrast to other archaeological sites in Africa and Europe that have yielded decorative bone objects, the Levantine Aurignacian specimens are relatively abundant and display notable homogeneity, occurring in only one animal and almost exclusively on one animal bone type--the scapula. The authors suggest that the notches, markedly different from cut marks on the bone, served a symbolic purpose. According to the authors, the notched gazelle bones might have served as a cultural identifier of the Levantine Aurignacian.

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Article #17-17145: "Symbolic emblems of the Levantine Aurignacians as a regional entity identifier (Hayonim Cave, Lower Galilee, Israel)," by José-Miguel Tejero et al.

MEDIA CONTACT: José-Miguel Tejero, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique de France, Nanterre, FRANCE; e-mail: <jose-miguel.tejero@mae.cnrs.fr>; Rivka Rabinovich, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, tel: +972-545724162, e-mail: <rivkar@mail.huji.ac.il>

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