Mousterian intra-site spatial patterning at Quneitra, Golan Heights

Abstract

This paper presents selected results of a detailed spatial analysis of lithic and paleontological assemblages from the Mousterian open-air site of Quneitra. The distinctive geoarchaeological site formation processes of Quneitra, the wealth of lithic and paleontological finds, and the high-resolution spatial data are rare in the very few excavated open-air Levantine Mousterian sites. Quneitra thus provides an excellent example of a well-preserved, short human occupation. The spatial analyses examined different aspects of the archaeological horizon and provided additional evidence for its unique nature and excellent preservation. The present analyses implemented GIS software, and discerns spatial patterning in both stone artifacts and fossil mammal remains. The analyses of these spatial patterns point to a deliberate division of space into activity areas where different artifacts and faunal remains were used in specific locations. Quneitra hence presents evidence for a complex use of space by the site's inhabitants, a behavior that is usually attributed to modern humans. These new data contribute additional insight into our currently increasing knowledge of the cognitive abilities and complex and dynamic behavioral systems of the Middle Paleolithic hominins.