The contextual taphonomy of middens at Neolithic Kfar HaHoresh
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-1-2020
Abstract
Middens are rich sources of evidence for changes in refuse management strategies during the transition to agriculture in the Southern Levant of southwest Asia. By the early Neolithic, more discrete middens were present at sites in the region, including the funerary site of Kfar HaHoresh. Here, faunal remains were repeatedly deposited in middens over several sub-phases of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period, when more organized site use practices arose. Yet, it is unclear how different site use behaviors may have formed the aggregated refuse repositories over time. Intra-site contextual taphonomic analysis was conducted to provide more detailed comparisons of faunal assemblages from several midden deposits across the site. The results reveal diverse depositional histories of the middens, reflecting a mix of some more sacred and other more mundane activities that were repeated over time. This continued ritual practice likely united generations of site visitors during the uneasy social transition to agricultural life-ways.
Publication Title
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
Volume
33
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1016/j.jasrep.2020.102531
ISSN
2352409X
Citation Information
Meier, J. (2020) The contextual taphonomy of middens at Neolithic Kfar HaHoresh. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 33, 102531.