TY - JOUR
T1 - Land, lake, and fish
T2 - Investigation of fish remains from Gesher Benot Ya'aqov (paleo-Lake Hula)
AU - Zohar, Irit
AU - Biton, Rebecca
N1 - Funding Information:
This study has been supported by the Israel Science Foundation Center of Excellence for the study of “Climate Change in The Upper Jordan Valley Between Ca. 800 Ka and 700 Ka Ago —Its Impact on the Environment and Hominins and its Potential as a Prediction for Future Scenarios” (Grant No. 300/06 ), and by the Irene Levi Sala CARE Archaeological Foundation.
PY - 2011/1/1
Y1 - 2011/1/1
N2 - The question of whether or not pre-modern hominins were responsible for the accumulation of fish remains is discussed through analyses of remains recovered from two lacustrine facies (I-4 and I-5) from Area A of the Acheulian site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov (GBY) in the Jordan Rift Valley, Israel. The fish remains provide the first glimpse into the naturally accumulated fish assemblage from the fluctuating shores of a lake that had been continually exploited by early hominins some 780,000 years ago. Preliminary analysis of the remains show that thirteen of the seventeen species native to Lake Hula were identified at GBY. These represent three of the five freshwater fish families native to the lake: Cyprinidae (carps), Cichlidae (tilapini, St. Peter's fish), and Clariidae (catfish). From a taphonomical perspective, a significant difference is found between the two lithofacies (Layers I-4 and I-5) in terms of species composition, richness, diversity, and skeleton completeness. It appears that the fish remains recovered from Layer I-4 (clay) are better preserved than those from Layer I-5 (coquina). In both lithofacies, Cyprinidae are highly abundant while Cichlidae and Clariidae are rare and under-represented, especially when compared to the Lake Hula fishery report from the 1950s. All of these identified species may have contributed significantly to the diet of GBY hominins.
AB - The question of whether or not pre-modern hominins were responsible for the accumulation of fish remains is discussed through analyses of remains recovered from two lacustrine facies (I-4 and I-5) from Area A of the Acheulian site of Gesher Benot Ya'aqov (GBY) in the Jordan Rift Valley, Israel. The fish remains provide the first glimpse into the naturally accumulated fish assemblage from the fluctuating shores of a lake that had been continually exploited by early hominins some 780,000 years ago. Preliminary analysis of the remains show that thirteen of the seventeen species native to Lake Hula were identified at GBY. These represent three of the five freshwater fish families native to the lake: Cyprinidae (carps), Cichlidae (tilapini, St. Peter's fish), and Clariidae (catfish). From a taphonomical perspective, a significant difference is found between the two lithofacies (Layers I-4 and I-5) in terms of species composition, richness, diversity, and skeleton completeness. It appears that the fish remains recovered from Layer I-4 (clay) are better preserved than those from Layer I-5 (coquina). In both lithofacies, Cyprinidae are highly abundant while Cichlidae and Clariidae are rare and under-represented, especially when compared to the Lake Hula fishery report from the 1950s. All of these identified species may have contributed significantly to the diet of GBY hominins.
KW - Acheulian
KW - Barbus
KW - Freshwater fish
KW - Lacustrine taphonomy
KW - Mirogrex
KW - Tristramella
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79952360290&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jhevol.2010.10.007
DO - 10.1016/j.jhevol.2010.10.007
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:79952360290
SN - 0047-2484
VL - 60
SP - 343
EP - 356
JO - Journal of Human Evolution
JF - Journal of Human Evolution
IS - 4
ER -