The duo's findings, published in the journal Archaeologies, draw from extensive research into flint quarrying and tool-making sites in the Upper Galilee. These sites, abundant in large flint nodules suitable for tool crafting, were pivotal for early humans, especially given their proximity to major Paleolithic sites and elephant migration routes. This correlation underscores the strategic selection of quarry locations, aligning with the paths of elephants, which were primary sources of food for these communities.
Prof. Ran Barkai elaborates, "Humans have always prioritized the essentials: water, food, and stone. Unlike other predators, early humans depended on stone tools for hunting. Our research aimed to understand the significance of specific quarry sites, often left untouched despite their potential, and their connection to ancient hunting practices."
This inquiry extended to studying the ritualistic and possibly spiritual significance attributed to these quarries by hunter-gatherer societies, highlighting a tradition of reverence and pilgrimage that persisted for generations.
The study also explores the critical role of water in the lives of elephants, consuming approximately 400 liters daily, dictating their migration patterns closely followed by early humans. These patterns facilitated strategic hunting, necessitating the preparation of stone tools near water sources and elephant butchering sites.
Further analysis applied the developed model to Lower Paleolithic sites across Asia, Europe, and Africa, identifying a universal "holy trinity" of water, elephants (or other mega herbivores), and suitable stone outcrops for tool-making. This pattern illustrates a longstanding tradition where the paths of elephants and human tool production sites intertwined, marking a significant era in human and environmental history that ceased with the extinction of these megafauna.
The study's insights into the spatial arrangement of quarries, water sources, and elephant migration routes offer a new understanding of early human survival strategies, tool-making practices, and the profound significance of these ancient landscapes.
Research Report:Quarries as Places of Significance in the Lower Paleolithic Holy Triad of Elephants, Water, and Stone
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