Papers by Deborah Olszewski
iScience, 2021
The emergence of Homo sapiens in Pleistocene Africa is associated with a profound reconfiguration... more The emergence of Homo sapiens in Pleistocene Africa is associated with a profound reconfiguration of technology. Symbolic expression and personal ornamentation, new tool forms, and regional technological traditions are widely recognized as the earliest indicators of complex culture and cognition in humans. Here we describe a bone tool tradition from Contrebandiers Cave on the Atlantic coast of Morocco, dated between 120,000-90,000 years ago. The bone tools were produced for different activities, including likely leather and fur working, and were found in association with carnivore remains that were possibly skinned for fur. A cetacean tooth tip bears what is likely a combination of anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic modification and shows the use of a marine mammal tooth by early humans. The evidence from Contrebandiers Cave demonstrates that the pan-African emergence of complex culture included the use of multiple and diverse materials for specialized tool manufacture.
Contributions can be made to the Harold L. Dibble Mini-Me Fund to support students and colleagues... more Contributions can be made to the Harold L. Dibble Mini-Me Fund to support students and colleagues with limited access to funding with the expenses of attending the Paleoanthropology Society meetings (explanation of the fund given on the website: http://www.paleoanthro.org/home/donate/). PaleoAnthropology 2018: 30−46.
Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology, 2018
Archaeological Variability and Interpretation in Global Perspective, 2016
Archaeological Variability and Interpretation in Global Perspective, 2016
A u t h o r c o p y N o t f o r d i s t r i b t i o n
While lithic objects can potentially inform us about past adaptations and
behaviors, it is import... more While lithic objects can potentially inform us about past adaptations and
behaviors, it is important to develop a comprehensive understanding of all of the various processes that influence what we recover from the archaeological record. We argue here that many assumptions used by archaeologists to derive behavioral inferences through the definition, conceptualization, and interpretation of both individual stone artifact forms and groups of artifacts identified as assemblages do not fit squarely with what we have learned from both ethnographic sources and analyses of archaeological materials.We discuss this in terms of two fallacies. The first is the fallacy of the "desired end product" in stone artifact manufacture, which also includes our ability to recognize such end products. The second fallacy has to do with the notions that lithic assemblages represent simple accumulations of contemporary behaviors and the degree to which the composition of the depositional units we study reliably match the kinds of activities that took place. Although it is beyond the scope of this paper to offer a comprehensive set of new methodologies and theoretical perspectives to solve these
problems, our goal here is to stress the importance of rethinking some of our most basic assumptions regarding the nature of lithic objects and how they become part of the archaeological record. Such a revision is needed if we want to be able to develop research questions that can be addressed with the data we have available to us.
American Journal of Archaeology, Jan 1, 2010
PaleoAnthropology, 2006
Prehistoric human populations were influenced by climate change and resulting environmental varia... more Prehistoric human populations were influenced by climate change and resulting environmental variability and developed a wide variety of cultural mechanisms to deal with these conditions. In an effort to understand the in-Eco-Cultural Niche Modeling of Past Human Populations • 69
American Antiquity, 1992
... Today, contemporary archaeologist have largely moved away from the exploration of ancient mon... more ... Today, contemporary archaeologist have largely moved away from the exploration of ancient monuments as they ... South America) -The Origin of Social Complexity in South ... 20 Political Strategies of Social Control (North America) -The Mississippian Example -The Iconography of ...
Fresh Fields and Pastures New: Papers Presented in Honor of Andrew M.T. Moore, 2016
The degree of mobility of prehistoric hunter-gatherer-foragers is often seen as linked to the abu... more The degree of mobility of prehistoric hunter-gatherer-foragers is often seen as linked to the abundance and distribution of food resources in the landscape, with the premise being that larger quantities of localized resources helped create conditions for residential stability, for example, as at the Early Epipaleolithic Ohalo II on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. I examine the habitat and context for the site of Tor Sageer, a small Late Upper Paleolithic and Initial Epipaleolithic rockshelter in the Wadi al-Hasa region of Jordan. During the Late Pleistocene, this area was characterized by marshlands, which were situated in the broad, open eastern basin, as well as at the major confluences of the Wadi al-Hasa with its
tributaries. Tor Sageer is within one of these tributaries, about 3 km from the confluence. Marshlands should be a major attractor during the generally cold and dry interval of the approach and peak of the Last Glacial Maximum, the period
to which Tor Sageer dates. Considerations of this habitat are juxtaposed with the site data.
*This is a book; not available as pdf*
Early Epipaleolithic groups in the Levant often are described as highly mobile. Although there ar... more Early Epipaleolithic groups in the Levant often are described as highly mobile. Although there are some exceptions (e.g., Kharaneh IV and Ohalo II), most sites are aerially small and said to represent short-term camps. In this paper, we use information from the Early Epipaleolithic occupations at KPS-75, Yutil al-Hasa, Tor Sageer, and Tor at-Tareeq in the Wadi al-Hasa region of Jordan to examine their nature as persistent places in the landscape, which yield cumulative palimpsests that often result in time averaging of the activities and events that occurred at these locales. We argue that aerially small sites
do not necessarily constitute short-term occupations because sites that might indicate high mobility as part of the spatial palimpsest of the landscape would have been quite ephemeral and often are not recorded by traditional surveys which focus on identifying highly visible sites rather than on systematically
recording nonsite locales.
Geoarchaeology, 2013
However, the smallest (length ≤2.5 cm) archaeological fragments are recovered at a much lower rat... more However, the smallest (length ≤2.5 cm) archaeological fragments are recovered at a much lower rate on this desert pavement surface than expected given comparable data from lithic assemblages in cave and shelter contexts in France. Excavation of archaeological contexts on the Libyan Plateau reveals the loss of small artifact fragments into the subsurface due to aeolian accumulation of silts, whereas geomorphic examination of desert pavement surfaces suggests a potential for relatively isolated bioturbation as a source of lateral and vertical disturbance of desert pavement surfaces over small areas. Archaeologists should be aware of the potential for long-term assemblage stability as well as small artifact burial in surficial desert pavement contexts. C 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Quaternary International, 2015
The lithic assemblages from the Wadi al-Hasa region Early Epipaleolithic site occupations reveal ... more The lithic assemblages from the Wadi al-Hasa region Early Epipaleolithic site occupations reveal longterm patterning as well as distinctions. These assemblages are records of time-averaged deposition of multiple activities in these persistent places in the landscape. In this paper we examine the characteristics of the lithic assemblages from the rockshelters at Tor Sageer, Yutil al-Hasa, and KPS-75, as well as the open-air context in front of the rockshelter at KPS-75 and the open-air site at Tor at-Tareeq. There are several cross-cutting variables that can be considered, including exterior versus interior spaces, temporal slices within the Early Epipaleolithic (e.g., Nebekian and Qalkhan), and the issues of time-averaging. A
number of lithic measures often are used in these contexts to examine concepts such as the relative mobility of prehistoric hunteregatherereforager groups (e.g., blank-to-core ratios, lithic densities, and stone raw materials) and thus their settlement systems, although these measures can produce contradictory results. We argue instead that lithic assemblages (“occupations”) that are the result of accumulations in site layers must be assessed using the framework of time-averaging because such accumulations are not a record of an individual event but of long-term deposition and discard at locales in the landscape. The Hasa region Early Epipaleolithic site occupations are not unique in being such accumulations, as most researchers combine the lithics from layers to form analytical units. In this regard, consideration of time-averaging should be applied more broadly to Levantine site occupation lithic assemblages and their interpretation(s).
Three decades of archaeological investigation in the upper and lower horizons of the Early Epipal... more Three decades of archaeological investigation in the upper and lower horizons of the Early Epipaleolithic occupation at the site of Tor at-Tareeq (WHS1065) in the western highlands of Jordan have suggested that occupation intensity co-varied with climatic shifts at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum. The faunal record is a sensitive indicator of site occupation intensity, and allows us to further investigate diachronic change in human settlement at the site. Overall, preservation is of special concern, as it appears to have differentially impacted the faunal assemblages and may have influenced behavioral interpretations. Therefore, we apply a taphonomic analysis to the faunal assemblage from the 2012 excavation to investigate the nature and causes of the destruction of bones in each horizon. Our approach reveals differential destruction of the two faunal assemblages, although these did not impact the broad behavioral signatures from each horizon. Finally, we apply the prey choice model of behavioral ecology to test hypotheses for changing occupation intensity throughout the Early Epipaleolithic occupation. The study reveals an efficient subsistence strategy targeting higher-ranked adult ungulates and slow-moving tortoises, and attests to a stable low-intensity occupation across the two horizons.
Research concentrated on the Early Epipaleolithic (Nebekian) in central and southern Jordan. Four... more Research concentrated on the Early Epipaleolithic (Nebekian) in central and southern Jordan. Four archaeological field seasons occurred during the summers of 2009-2012. The excavated sites were on the Kerak Plateau (KPS 75), in the Wadi al Hasa (Yutil al-Hasa and Tor at-Tareeq), and at the Wadi Madamagh rockshelter in the Petra region. Excavations were carried out by the University of Jordan and the University of Pennsylvania. The main goal was to build a systemic view of Nebekian adaptations and to use these data to examine the range of behavioral variability in the Levantine Early Epipaleolithic. Lithic analysis provided data relevant to site function and how hunter-gatherer settlement and subsistence strategies were modified in the face of climatic and paleoenvironmental changes during this period.
We investigate the effects of the Last Glacial Maximum (~25,000e18,500 cal BP) on human hunting a... more We investigate the effects of the Last Glacial Maximum (~25,000e18,500 cal BP) on human hunting and
settlement strategies through the study of faunal remains from four Early Epipaleolithic sites located in
the western highlands region of Jordan. Human mobility is monitored by reconstructing site occupation
intensity using zooarchaeological measures of dietary breadth and prey mortality. Our data reveal light
occupation and a mobile human adaptation focused on the hunting of high-ranked adult ungulates and
large-bodied tortoises. Despite their mobile strategy, the Early Epipaleolithic inhabitants clearly
preferred particular locations on the landscape and reoccupied them repeatedly over time.
Journal of Human Evolution 64: 194-210, Feb 9, 2013
North Africa is quickly emerging as one of the more important regions yielding information on the... more North Africa is quickly emerging as one of the more important regions yielding information on the origins of modern Homo sapiens. Associated with significant fossil hominin remains are two stone tool industries, the Aterian and Mousterian, which have been differentiated, respectively, primarily on the basis of the presence and absence of tanged, or stemmed, stone tools. Largely because of historical reasons, these two industries have been attributed to the western Eurasian Middle Paleolithic rather than the African Middle Stone Age. In this paper, drawing on our recent excavation of Contrebandiers Cave and other published data, we show that, aside from the presence or absence of tanged pieces, there are no other distinctions between these two industries in terms of either lithic attributes or chronology. Together, these results demonstrate that these two 'industries' are instead variants of the same entity. Moreover, several additional characteristics of these assemblages, such as distinctive stone implements and the manufacture and use of bone tools and possible shell ornaments, suggest a closer affinity to other Late Pleistocene African Middle Stone Age industries rather than to the Middle Paleolithic of western Eurasia.
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Papers by Deborah Olszewski
behaviors, it is important to develop a comprehensive understanding of all of the various processes that influence what we recover from the archaeological record. We argue here that many assumptions used by archaeologists to derive behavioral inferences through the definition, conceptualization, and interpretation of both individual stone artifact forms and groups of artifacts identified as assemblages do not fit squarely with what we have learned from both ethnographic sources and analyses of archaeological materials.We discuss this in terms of two fallacies. The first is the fallacy of the "desired end product" in stone artifact manufacture, which also includes our ability to recognize such end products. The second fallacy has to do with the notions that lithic assemblages represent simple accumulations of contemporary behaviors and the degree to which the composition of the depositional units we study reliably match the kinds of activities that took place. Although it is beyond the scope of this paper to offer a comprehensive set of new methodologies and theoretical perspectives to solve these
problems, our goal here is to stress the importance of rethinking some of our most basic assumptions regarding the nature of lithic objects and how they become part of the archaeological record. Such a revision is needed if we want to be able to develop research questions that can be addressed with the data we have available to us.
tributaries. Tor Sageer is within one of these tributaries, about 3 km from the confluence. Marshlands should be a major attractor during the generally cold and dry interval of the approach and peak of the Last Glacial Maximum, the period
to which Tor Sageer dates. Considerations of this habitat are juxtaposed with the site data.
do not necessarily constitute short-term occupations because sites that might indicate high mobility as part of the spatial palimpsest of the landscape would have been quite ephemeral and often are not recorded by traditional surveys which focus on identifying highly visible sites rather than on systematically
recording nonsite locales.
number of lithic measures often are used in these contexts to examine concepts such as the relative mobility of prehistoric hunteregatherereforager groups (e.g., blank-to-core ratios, lithic densities, and stone raw materials) and thus their settlement systems, although these measures can produce contradictory results. We argue instead that lithic assemblages (“occupations”) that are the result of accumulations in site layers must be assessed using the framework of time-averaging because such accumulations are not a record of an individual event but of long-term deposition and discard at locales in the landscape. The Hasa region Early Epipaleolithic site occupations are not unique in being such accumulations, as most researchers combine the lithics from layers to form analytical units. In this regard, consideration of time-averaging should be applied more broadly to Levantine site occupation lithic assemblages and their interpretation(s).
settlement strategies through the study of faunal remains from four Early Epipaleolithic sites located in
the western highlands region of Jordan. Human mobility is monitored by reconstructing site occupation
intensity using zooarchaeological measures of dietary breadth and prey mortality. Our data reveal light
occupation and a mobile human adaptation focused on the hunting of high-ranked adult ungulates and
large-bodied tortoises. Despite their mobile strategy, the Early Epipaleolithic inhabitants clearly
preferred particular locations on the landscape and reoccupied them repeatedly over time.
behaviors, it is important to develop a comprehensive understanding of all of the various processes that influence what we recover from the archaeological record. We argue here that many assumptions used by archaeologists to derive behavioral inferences through the definition, conceptualization, and interpretation of both individual stone artifact forms and groups of artifacts identified as assemblages do not fit squarely with what we have learned from both ethnographic sources and analyses of archaeological materials.We discuss this in terms of two fallacies. The first is the fallacy of the "desired end product" in stone artifact manufacture, which also includes our ability to recognize such end products. The second fallacy has to do with the notions that lithic assemblages represent simple accumulations of contemporary behaviors and the degree to which the composition of the depositional units we study reliably match the kinds of activities that took place. Although it is beyond the scope of this paper to offer a comprehensive set of new methodologies and theoretical perspectives to solve these
problems, our goal here is to stress the importance of rethinking some of our most basic assumptions regarding the nature of lithic objects and how they become part of the archaeological record. Such a revision is needed if we want to be able to develop research questions that can be addressed with the data we have available to us.
tributaries. Tor Sageer is within one of these tributaries, about 3 km from the confluence. Marshlands should be a major attractor during the generally cold and dry interval of the approach and peak of the Last Glacial Maximum, the period
to which Tor Sageer dates. Considerations of this habitat are juxtaposed with the site data.
do not necessarily constitute short-term occupations because sites that might indicate high mobility as part of the spatial palimpsest of the landscape would have been quite ephemeral and often are not recorded by traditional surveys which focus on identifying highly visible sites rather than on systematically
recording nonsite locales.
number of lithic measures often are used in these contexts to examine concepts such as the relative mobility of prehistoric hunteregatherereforager groups (e.g., blank-to-core ratios, lithic densities, and stone raw materials) and thus their settlement systems, although these measures can produce contradictory results. We argue instead that lithic assemblages (“occupations”) that are the result of accumulations in site layers must be assessed using the framework of time-averaging because such accumulations are not a record of an individual event but of long-term deposition and discard at locales in the landscape. The Hasa region Early Epipaleolithic site occupations are not unique in being such accumulations, as most researchers combine the lithics from layers to form analytical units. In this regard, consideration of time-averaging should be applied more broadly to Levantine site occupation lithic assemblages and their interpretation(s).
settlement strategies through the study of faunal remains from four Early Epipaleolithic sites located in
the western highlands region of Jordan. Human mobility is monitored by reconstructing site occupation
intensity using zooarchaeological measures of dietary breadth and prey mortality. Our data reveal light
occupation and a mobile human adaptation focused on the hunting of high-ranked adult ungulates and
large-bodied tortoises. Despite their mobile strategy, the Early Epipaleolithic inhabitants clearly
preferred particular locations on the landscape and reoccupied them repeatedly over time.