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Framework of Research

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The Acheulian Site of Gesher Benot Ya’aqov Volume II

Part of the book series: Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology ((VERT))

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Abstract

The discussion in the previous chapter of the evidence for the early use of fire has demonstrated the complexities involved in identifying the early stages of human control over fire and emphasized the need for a comprehensive approach to their study. The presence of burned flint items at the site of GBY provides a unique opportunity to investigate this pressing issue with a different methodological approach. This methodology draws on a variety of ethnographic, archaeological, and ethnoarchaeological studies, which generally suggest that small lithic products can be used as spatial indicators for a variety of activities, including the use of fire in the form of hearths. The theoretical foundations of this approach are presented in this chapter, which integrates the different components of the research program.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    A thorough discussion of fire ecology, and specifically of the probability of natural fire at GBY, is included in Chapter 4.

  2. 2.

    The use of discoloration of flint as a distinctive feature for the identification of burning is not a reliable measure for the flints of GBY; embedded within the waterlogged sediments, the majority of flint items are darkly patinated.

  3. 3.

    As previously noted, a thorough discussion of fire ecology, and specifically of the probability of natural fire at GBY, is included in Chapter 4.

  4. 4.

    Layers I-4 and II-5, revealed during the first season of excavations at the site, were partially wet-sieved; sampling included a single full bucket from each sub-square of a given depth unit of excavation.

  5. 5.

    The principles of the TL method are discussed in Section 1.2.

  6. 6.

    See: http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/about/desktop_gis.html

  7. 7.

    The kernel function is based on the quadratic kernel function described in Silverman 1986: 76, Equation 4.5.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

    Nira Alperson-Afil & Naama Goren-Inbar

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  1. Nira Alperson-Afil
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  2. Naama Goren-Inbar
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Correspondence to Nira Alperson-Afil .

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Alperson-Afil, N., Goren-Inbar, N. (2010). Framework of Research. In: The Acheulian Site of Gesher Benot Ya’aqov Volume II. Vertebrate Paleobiology and Paleoanthropology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-3765-7_2

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