Virtual Sea-Drifting Experiments between the Island of Cyprus and the Surrounding Mainland in the Early Prehistoric Eastern Mediterranean

Seaborne movement underpins frontier research in prehistoric archaeology, including water-crossings in the context of human dispersals, and island colonisation. Yet, it also controls the degree of interaction between locations, which in turn is essential for investigating the properties of maritime networks. The onset of the Holocene (circa 12,000 years ago) is a critical period for understanding the origins of early visitors/inhabitants to the island of Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean in connection with the spread of Neolithic cultures in the region. The research undertaken in this work exemplifies the synergies between archaeology, physical sciences and geomatics, towards providing novel insights on the feasibility of drift-induced seaborne movement and the corresponding trip duration between Cyprus and coastal regions on the surrounding mainland. The overarching objective is to support archaeological inquiry regarding the possible origins of these visitors/inhabitants—Anatolia and/or the Levant being two suggested origins

Shells and ochre in Middle Paleolithic Qafzeh Cave, Israel: indications for modern behavior

Qafzeh Cave, the burial grounds of several anatomically modern humans, producers of Mousterian industry, yielded archaeological evidence reflecting their modern behavior. Dated to 92 ka BP, the lower layers at the site contained a series of hearths, several human graves, flint artifacts, animal bones, a collection of sea shells, lumps of red ochre, and an incised cortical flake. The marine shells were recovered from layers earlier than most of the graves except for one burial. The shells were collected and brought from the Mediterranean Sea shore some 35 km away, and are complete Glycymeris bivalves, naturally perforated. Several valves bear traces of having been strung, and a few had ochre stains on them

On holes and strings: Earliest displays of human adornment in the Middle Palaeolithic

Glycymeris shell beads found in Middle Palaeolithic sites are understood to be artifacts collected by modern humans for symbolic use. In Misliya Cave, Israel, dated to 240–160 ka BP, Glycymeris shells were found that were neither perforated nor manipulated; nevertheless, transportation to the cave is regarded as symbolic. In about 120 ka BP at Qafzeh Cave, Israel, modern humans collected naturally perforated Glycymeris shells also for symbolic use. Use-wear analyses backed by experiments demonstrate that the Qafzeh shells were suspended on string, thus suggesting that the collection of perforated shells was intentional. The older Misliya shells join a similar finding from South Africa, while the later-dated perforated shells from Qafzeh resemble other assemblages from North Africa and the Levant, also dated to about 120 ka BP. We conclude that between 160 ka BP and 120 ka BP there was a shift from collecting complete valves to perforated ones, which reflects both the desire and the technological ability to suspend shell beads on string to be displayed on the human body

Early Holocene palaeoseasonality inferred from the stable isotope composition of Unio shells from Çatalhöyük, Turkey

Seasonal δ13C and δ18O data are presented from 14 Unio sub-fossil shells unearthed at the archaeological site of Çatalhöyük in central Turkey, spanning the occupation period ca. 9150–8000 cal years BP. The shells likely lived in the small lakes/wetlands around the site before being gathered and taken to Çatalhöyük. Wet-dry seasonal cycles are clearly apparent in the δ18Oshell profiles with low winter values reflecting winter precipitation and high δ18O in the summer resulting from evaporation. The most striking trend in the δ18O data is the drop in maximum summer δ18O ca. 8300 years BP, which we infer as indicating lower summer evaporation and hence a reduction in seasonality. Previous palaeoclimate records from the area have suggested cooler and more arid conditions, with reduced precipitation, around this time. While the drop in summer δ18O values could be due to reduced summer temperatures reducing summer evaporation, but there was little change in winter δ18O, perhaps suggesting winter growth cessation or reduced influence of winter climate change on δ18O. This shift in seasonal climate could be linked to solar-forced climate change beginning ca. 8600 years BP, and enhanced by the regional expression of the 8·2k event. Changing water balance over the occupation period is likely an important contributory factor behind observed cultural changes at Çatalhöyük in the Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic period. Our results might be considered to support the fission-fusion farming hypothesis as we provide additional evidence for wet winter/early spring conditions during the Early Holocene which likely caused flooding of the Çarşamba Fan. The changing water balance after ca. 8300 years BP (i.e. reduced seasonality and potentially reduced local summer evaporation) is also coincidental with the proposed end of this farming system due to multi-decadal drought

Modern and early-middle Holocene shells of the freshwater mollusc Unio, from Çatalhöyük in the Konya Basin, Turkey : preliminary palaeoclimatic implications from molluscan isotope data

Carbon and oxygen isotope ratios in the shells of the freshwater Unio mollusc yield information on the isotopic composition of the water in which the shell was formed, which in turn relates to climatic conditions prevailing during the bivalves’ life span. Here we analysed shells from one modern Unio, from a modern lake shore in Anatolia, and 4 subfossil Unio shells from Çatalhöyük (dated between 7200 BC and 5000 BC, Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods). Sequential carbon and oxygen isotope analysis along the surface of the shells provides information on seasonal or shorter-term variability of lake waters during the lifetime of the organisms. δ18O values of the modern shell are consistent with it being collected from a dammed portion of the Seyhan River that does not undergo intensive summer evaporation. This is in contrast to many of the surface water bodies in Anatolia which suffer extensive evaporation in the arid summers. δ18O values of the subfossil shells from the Çatalhöyük middens indicate that the bivalves came from lakes which evaporated extensively during the summer months but were replenished by high winter rainfall, suggesting that the subfossil shells lived in relatively small lakes or ponds. Stable isotope analysis along the growth of freshwater bivalves is one of the few methods for investigating seasonal water fluctuations in the past. These results may alter current interpretations on the environment of Çatalhöyük during the Neolithic, although more work is needed to confirm these initial findings

Data for the Heritage Journal Publication 1760103

The data found here are part of the publication HERITAGE 1760103 Phaedon Kyriakidis et al. (2022) Virtual sea-driting experiments between the island of Cyprus and the surrounding mainland in the early prehistroric Eastern Mediterranean Phaedon Kyriakidis, Theodora Moutsiou, Andreas Nikolaidis, Christian Reepmeyer, Georgios Leventis, Stella Demesticha, Evangelos Akylas, Vasiliki Kassianidou, Constantine Michailides, Zomenia Zomeni, Daniella E. Bar-Yosef Mayer, Yizhaq Makovsky, and Carole McCartney Contents Working (Start here) --> Auxiliary data (coastlines, landmask, source regions, and archaeological sites), and Matlab code roms01_xxx.m through roms07_xxx.m where the numbering indicates the order of execution followed 2014_ROMS_DRIFT_OBJ42 2014_ROMS_DRIFT_OBJ42 --> csv files of leeway-simulated drifting trajectories, matlab versions of csv files and of data produced during the analysis of simulated trajectories, as well as associated figures WAVES --> Significant wave height data used to define successful trajectoriesThe data found here are part of the publication HERITAGE 1760103 Phaedon Kyriakidis et al. (2022) Virtual sea-driting experiments between the island of Cyprus and the surrounding mainland in the early prehistroric Eastern Mediterranean Phaedon Kyriakidis, Theodora Moutsiou, Andreas Nikolaidis, Christian Reepmeyer, Georgios Leventis, Stella Demesticha, Evangelos Akylas, Vasiliki Kassianidou, Constantine Michailides, Zomenia Zomeni, Daniella E. Bar-Yosef Mayer, Yizhaq Makovsky, and Carole McCartne

Between Two Worlds: The PPNB–PPNC Transition in the Central Levant as Seen Through Discoveries at Beisamoun

International audienc