Givat Rabi East. a New Middle Paleolithic Knapping Site in the Lower Galilee (Israel)

摘要

Givat Rabi East is a newly-discovered flint outcrops centrally located within the Galilee in relative proximity to several Middle Paleolithic sites. In this paper we present the site and discuss the function of a dense accumulation of Middle Paleolithic flint knapping wastes excavated on its eastern edge. Our results suggest that the knapping wastes are likely the remains of a Mousterian workshop site. In comparison to the workshop site at Sede Ilan, located 15 km to the east where flint was quarried, the Givat Rabi East flint knappers collected eroded flint blocks in situ. The Lithic evidence indicates that the knapping sequences were initiated at the site. Furthermore several Levallois knapping methods had been employed. Therefore we suggest that the lithic assemblage left at Givat Rabi East represent knapping activities of several groups who exploited this location during the Middle Paleolithic period. Subsequently some of the lithic material (e. g. unfinished cores, Levallois blanks) was taken to other locations (e. g., caves) in order to continue the knapping sequence. The site location combined with the characteristics of the debitage and cores found within it, suggests that Givat Rabi East could have been one of the flint source for Qafzeh Cave and perhaps to other Mousterian cave sites.