Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia 37 (2) 2009

Annotation:  Evolution of the Quaternary Environment in the Northwestern Altai Kostenki-4: The Position of Artifacts in Space and Time (the Analysis of the Cultural Layer) Stratigraphic Data on Middle Paleolithic Sites in the Upper Desna Basin Human-made Bedrock Holes (Mortars and Cupmarks) as a Late Natufi an Social Phenomenon Tsaram: A Burial Ground of the Hsiung-nu Elite in Transbaikalia Species Attribution of Hair of the Pazyryk Fur Coat from the Olon-Kurin-Gol-10 Burial Ground, Mongo Shaitanskoye Ozero II: New Aspects of the Uralian Bronze Age Yankovsky Economics: Animal Bones from 1st Millennium BC Settlements in Primorye, Russian Far East “Technical Decoration” of the Tripolye Ceramics On the Interpretation of Central Asian and South Siberian Rock Art Forms of Nomadism and Livestock Management of the Eastern Sayan Buryats in the Late 19th and Early Harvesting of Siberian Pine Nuts in Mountain Shoria: Traditions and Nowadays The Ethnic History of Medieval Novgorod (Based on Craniometric Data) Seliungur Teeth Revisited L.K. Gudkova.   

Human-made Bedrock Holes (Mortars and Cupmarks) as a Late Natufi an Social Phenomenon

D. Nadel and G. Lengyel.

A concentration of 77 Late Natufi an Human-made Bedrock Holes (mortars, cupmarks, etc.) hewn into the Raqefet Cave fl oor and terrace (Mt. Carmel, Israel) has been recently exposed. Some appear to be associated with human burials, and several had stone and fl int objects buried in them. The variety of HBH types, in terms of dimensions and morphology is very wide, so the new classifi cation system is suggested. The deep narrow specimens do not appear to have been used for any kind of processing, storing or quarrying. Yet, their manufacture must have been very costly in terms of time, energy, carving tools, and personal skills. The paper presents the Raqefet Cave HBHs as a case study, and cautiously suggests that some of them may have been incorporated into the Late Natufi an social and spiritual worlds.

Keywords: Natufi an, human burials, Human-made Bedrock Holes, Raqefet Cave.