Abstract
This manuscript presents an attempt to evaluate the intensity of fire through spatial patterning and thermoluminescence methodology. Previous studies of Layer II-6 Level 2 at the Acheulian site of Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov suggested that hominins differentiated their activities across space, including multiple activities around a hearth reconstructed on the basis of the distribution of burned flint artifacts. A transect of ~4 m was extended from the center of the reconstructed hearth of Level 2 to its periphery in order to examine the intensity of fire. Burned and unburned flint microartifacts were sampled along this transect. The results of earlier and current thermoluminescence (TL) analysis demonstrate a general agreement with the macroscopic determination of burning, indicating that the possibility of misinterpretation based on macroscopic observations is negligible. The TL signal from flint microartifacts close to the hearth’s center shows unambiguous signs of strong heating, whereas with increasing distance from the hearth the TL signal can be interpreted as a result of decreasing temperatures and/or shorter durations of exposure to fire in addition to a decreasing number of flints showing fire damage. Our study shows that TL analysis can identify some variation in fire intensity, which allows a more precise classification of burned flint microartifacts with respect to their heating history.
Highlights
The use of fire by early hominins is considered a significant technological and cultural revolution, a variety of methods and techniques are used in the attempt to determine past heating and study early fire
The results of this study show that the burning intensity of lithic microartifacts as determined by TL analysis is correlated with their distance from the point of highest concentration of heated material
Similar spatial patterns are reported in the experimental study of Sergant et al [32], who attempted to measure the radiant heat of an open fire and to quantify its impact on surrounding artifacts
Summary
The use of fire by early hominins is considered a significant technological and cultural revolution, a variety of methods and techniques are used in the attempt to determine past heating and study early fire. The chemical and microscopic analyses of sediments, considered reliable by many, are not always feasible and spatial analysis of burned residues is often the most accessible and efficient way to determine heating, where a durable component such as lithics is concerned [1]. Research at the Acheulian site of Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov (GBY) has revealed the presence of latent hearths, identifiable only through spatial analysis of burned and unburned flint microartifacts (2–20 mm) [1, 2]. Intensity of fire at the Acheulian site of Gesher Benot Ya’aqov
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