Neanderthals in the Levant: Behavioural Organization and the Beginnings of Human Modernity (New Approaches To Anthropological Archaeology) [Hardcover]

Donald O. Henry (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0826458033 | ISBN-13: 978-0826458032

The volume traces the controversy that revolves around the bio-cultural relationships of Archaic (Neanderthal) and Modern humans at global and regional, Levantine scales. The focus of the book is on understanding the degree to which the behavioral organization of Archaic groups differed from Moderns. To this end, a case study is presented for a 44-70,000 year old, Middle Paleolithic occupation of a Jordanian rockshelter. The research, centering on the spatial analysis of artifacts, hearths and related data, reveals how the Archaic occupants of the shelter structured their activities and placed certain conceptual labels on different parts of the site. The structure of Tor Faraj is compared to site structures defined for modern foragers, in both ethnographic and archaeological contexts, to measure any differences in behavioral organization. The comparisons show very similar structures for Tor Faraj and its modern cohorts. The implications of this finding challenge prevailing views in the emergence of modern human controversy in which Archaic groups are thought to have had inferior cognition and less complex behavioral-social organization than modern foragers. And, it is generally thought that such behaviors only emerged after the appearance of the Upper Paleolithic, dated some 10-20,000 years later than the occupation of Tor Faraj.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'This is the most significant report of a Middle Paleolithic site of this region toappear in many years and it raises the bar considerably in terms of thedepth of analysis and quality of presentation. Not at all just a laundrylist of material recovered from Jordanian site of Tor Faraj, it is instead atightly integrated collection of studies, ranging from site formation tobehavioral interpretation, that builds on the best of current archaeologicalmethod and theory in the context of modern human origins. While aninvaluable resource for all Middle Paleolithic scholars, it also serves as amodel for the entire archaeological community of what modern researchdesign, excavation, analysis, and reporting can be.'
Harold L. DibbleProfessor in AnthropologyUniversity of Pennsylvania Museum

'D.O. Henry is undoubtedly one of the most prominent archaeologists currently working in the Near East. In his new book Henry not only reports on his excavations of a desert rockshelter in Jordan, but also skillfully places the scientific results in their proper evolutionary context. This volume is a major addition to the archaeological record of the Neanderthals of western Asia, as well as our knowledge of cave sites in arid areas, which have never been explored prior to Henry's project.'
Professor Ofer Bar-YosefPeabody MuseumHarvard University

“…a major contribution to our understanding of ‘the’ transition in this critical crossroads region of the world….and excellent book.” –Journal of Anthropological Research

“This book presents a coherent and convincing case for the demonstration of modern human behavior in a Middle Paleolithic rockshelter. The volume is well-illustrated with black and white line art and photos, and the chapters are data-rich.…I conclude by wholeheartedly endorsing this book for all graduate students and professional anthropologists interested in the archaeology of modern human origins.” –Geoarchaeology, March 2005

“…a welcome addition to the literature on Middle Paleolithic sites outside the traditional core area of prehistoric research…Scholars interested in Levantine prehistory certainly should consult this book not only for its results, but also as a guide for implementing new analytical and methodological procedures in middle Paleolithic research.” –Paleo Anthropology, June 2005

'[T]his is a well-written, well-presented publication of a highly significant research project. It should be obligatory reading to anyone involved in studies of the middle Paleolithic, the transition to the Upper Paleolithic, and the origins of "modern" human behavior.'

João Zilhão, Journal of Field Archeology, Vol. 31, 2006

'[T]his is a well-written, well-presented publication of a highly significant research project. It should be obligatory reading to anyone involved in studies of the middle Paleolithic, the transition to the Upper Paleolithic, and the origins of "modern" human behavior.'

João Zilhão, Journal of Field Archeology, Vol. 31, 2006

About the Author

Donald O. Henry is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Tulsa. He is the author of several books and numerous articles covering his over twenty-five years of archaeological research on prehistoric human ecology in the Near East.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 338 pages
• Publisher: Continuum (October 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826458033
• ISBN-13: 978-0826458032
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 10 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,284,495 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)