TY - JOUR
T1 - The Natufian Site of Nahal Sekher VI
T2 - The 2009 Excavation Season
AU - Barzilai, Omry
AU - Agha, Nuha
AU - Boaretto, Elisabetta
AU - Ashkenazy, Hila
AU - Birkenfeld, Michal
AU - Porat, Naomi
AU - Spivak, Polina
AU - Roskin, Joel
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - Nahal Sekher VI is a Natufian campsite located within the eastern edge of the northwestern Negev desert dunefield. The site was test excavated in the 1980s and entirely re-excavated in 2009. The new excavation area (165 m²) consisted of a distinct Natufian horizon. The paper presents the new excavation and discusses its results in respect to paleoenvironments, site formation processes, site function and chronology. Geoarchaeological analyses of depositional and post depositional processes and artifact characteristics, together with OSL ages and radiocarbon dates, suggests that the site was exposed for substantial time, and subjected to several deflation and sand accumulation events. In addition, sediments corresponding to short-lived standing-water bodies were identified near the site. Though organic remains were not preserved, hunting and related activities as well as plant processing took place at and around the site as suggested by the composition of the flint and stone tool assemblages. The mutual presence of Helwan lunates and backed lunates in the lithic assemblage is bewildering. It is uncertain if this represents repetitive visits to the site by Early and Late Natufians or a single Natufian occupation during which these two lunate types coexisted. The Natufian Site of Nahal Sekher VI: The 2009 Excavation Season. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286880158_The_Natufian_Site_of_Nahal_Sekher_VI_The_2009_Excavation_Season.
AB - Nahal Sekher VI is a Natufian campsite located within the eastern edge of the northwestern Negev desert dunefield. The site was test excavated in the 1980s and entirely re-excavated in 2009. The new excavation area (165 m²) consisted of a distinct Natufian horizon. The paper presents the new excavation and discusses its results in respect to paleoenvironments, site formation processes, site function and chronology. Geoarchaeological analyses of depositional and post depositional processes and artifact characteristics, together with OSL ages and radiocarbon dates, suggests that the site was exposed for substantial time, and subjected to several deflation and sand accumulation events. In addition, sediments corresponding to short-lived standing-water bodies were identified near the site. Though organic remains were not preserved, hunting and related activities as well as plant processing took place at and around the site as suggested by the composition of the flint and stone tool assemblages. The mutual presence of Helwan lunates and backed lunates in the lithic assemblage is bewildering. It is uncertain if this represents repetitive visits to the site by Early and Late Natufians or a single Natufian occupation during which these two lunate types coexisted. The Natufian Site of Nahal Sekher VI: The 2009 Excavation Season. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286880158_The_Natufian_Site_of_Nahal_Sekher_VI_The_2009_Excavation_Season.
M3 - Article
VL - 45
SP - 97
EP - 130
JO - Mitekufat Haeven: Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society
JF - Mitekufat Haeven: Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society
ER -