Analysis of the chipped stone industries dating back to the Epipaleolithic from Moghr el Ahwal ca... more Analysis of the chipped stone industries dating back to the Epipaleolithic from Moghr el Ahwal caves in the highlands of Mount Lebanon, in addition to a review of the lithic assemblages from Nabaa al Mghara another site located in the Lebanese highlands.
The Early/Middle Epipalaeolithic aggregation site of Kharaneh IV in the east Jordan steppe is one... more The Early/Middle Epipalaeolithic aggregation site of Kharaneh IV in the east Jordan steppe is one of the largest of the period, showing repeated use, high degrees of site investment, and relatively prolonged periods of occupation. Hunters relied heavily on the single prey species, Gazella subgutturosa. This paper reports on isotopic analyses of gazelle teeth, drawn from the Kharaneh IV assemblage, to explore the seasonal and spatial distribution of gazelle in life and examine models of long-distance seasonal gazelle migrations. Dental microwear analysis is also employed to assess hunting seasons. Results from sequential isotope analyses of 11 Epipalaeolithic gazelle molars show that, with one exception, gazelle did not move seasonally from the limestone steppe onto other geologies, nor did they seasonally relocate to areas with different climate regimes. Rather, seasonal herd mobility seems to have been local, meaning animals would have been available in the vicinity of Kharaneh IV year-round. Results from 19 microwear analyses show some gazelle to have died in spring when grass graze was available, whilst others had been browsing around their time of death, indicating non-spring hunting. Microwear evidence thus suggests gazelle were hunted in more than one restricted season. The implications of these new datasets for hunter-gatherer use of the steppe, and potential hunting methods, is highlighted.
The collective grave from Azraq 18 in Jordan provides an exceptional case-study of Natufian buria... more The collective grave from Azraq 18 in Jordan provides an exceptional case-study of Natufian burial treatment from a site outside what was traditionally regarded as the core settlement area of the Mediterranean zone. Despite the bones being in a poor state of preservation, the meticulous excavation and recording of the material from the burial pit permits the reconstruction of the funerary treatment of each individual and of the history of the collective burial feature through time. Through detailed osteological analysis, techniques for unravelling the formation processes involved in the creation of the commingled assemblage of bones are presented. These aid reconstruction of burial practices and the subsequent secondary handling of the skeletal remains. Amongst the collective graves known from the Natufian, Azraq 18 provides some of the best information on the various steps involved in their creation. In addition, two crania show traces of pigmentation attesting to elaborate and rare secondary treatment of skeletal material in Natufian contexts.
Analysis of the chipped stone industries dating back to the Epipaleolithic from Moghr el Ahwal ca... more Analysis of the chipped stone industries dating back to the Epipaleolithic from Moghr el Ahwal caves in the highlands of Mount Lebanon, in addition to a review of the lithic assemblages from Nabaa al Mghara another site located in the Lebanese highlands.
The Early/Middle Epipalaeolithic aggregation site of Kharaneh IV in the east Jordan steppe is one... more The Early/Middle Epipalaeolithic aggregation site of Kharaneh IV in the east Jordan steppe is one of the largest of the period, showing repeated use, high degrees of site investment, and relatively prolonged periods of occupation. Hunters relied heavily on the single prey species, Gazella subgutturosa. This paper reports on isotopic analyses of gazelle teeth, drawn from the Kharaneh IV assemblage, to explore the seasonal and spatial distribution of gazelle in life and examine models of long-distance seasonal gazelle migrations. Dental microwear analysis is also employed to assess hunting seasons. Results from sequential isotope analyses of 11 Epipalaeolithic gazelle molars show that, with one exception, gazelle did not move seasonally from the limestone steppe onto other geologies, nor did they seasonally relocate to areas with different climate regimes. Rather, seasonal herd mobility seems to have been local, meaning animals would have been available in the vicinity of Kharaneh IV year-round. Results from 19 microwear analyses show some gazelle to have died in spring when grass graze was available, whilst others had been browsing around their time of death, indicating non-spring hunting. Microwear evidence thus suggests gazelle were hunted in more than one restricted season. The implications of these new datasets for hunter-gatherer use of the steppe, and potential hunting methods, is highlighted.
The collective grave from Azraq 18 in Jordan provides an exceptional case-study of Natufian buria... more The collective grave from Azraq 18 in Jordan provides an exceptional case-study of Natufian burial treatment from a site outside what was traditionally regarded as the core settlement area of the Mediterranean zone. Despite the bones being in a poor state of preservation, the meticulous excavation and recording of the material from the burial pit permits the reconstruction of the funerary treatment of each individual and of the history of the collective burial feature through time. Through detailed osteological analysis, techniques for unravelling the formation processes involved in the creation of the commingled assemblage of bones are presented. These aid reconstruction of burial practices and the subsequent secondary handling of the skeletal remains. Amongst the collective graves known from the Natufian, Azraq 18 provides some of the best information on the various steps involved in their creation. In addition, two crania show traces of pigmentation attesting to elaborate and rare secondary treatment of skeletal material in Natufian contexts.
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Papers by Andrew Garrard