New AMS 14C Dates from the Early Upper Paleolithic Sequence of Raqefet Cave, Mount Carmel, Israel

Abstract

Raqefet Cave (35 degrees 04'21"N, 32 degrees 39'17"W) is situated in the southeastern side of Mount Carmel in Israel (Figure 1) on the left bank of wadi Raqefet (230 m asl), ~50 m above the wadi bed. It is 50 m long with an area of ~500 m2 (Figure 2). Eric Higgs of Cambridge University and Tamar Noy of the Israel Museum conducted excavations at the site between 1970 and 1972 (Higgs et al. 1975). New excavations at the cave began in 2004 (Lengyel et al. 2005). Studies on the lithic archaeological remains from the 1970-1972 stratigraphic units assign Late Mousterian or Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition (layers VIII-VI in squares B-G/18-23), indeterminate early Upper Paleolithic (layer IV in squares B-G/18-23), Levantine Aurignacian (layers IV, III, and II in squares B-G/18-23), indeterminate late Upper Paleolithic (layer II in area B-G/18-23), Late Kebaran (layer I in squares B-G/18-23), Geometric Kebaran (layer VII in squares J-M/24-28), Late Natufian (layers IV-VI in squares A-H/7-17), Neolithic (I-IV in squares J-M/24-28), and Bronze Age (pits in squares A-H/7-17 and B-G/18-23) occupations (Higgs et al.1975; Lengyel 2003, 2005; Lengyel and Bocquentin 2005; Lengyel et al. 2005; Noy and Higgs 1971; Sarel 2004; Ziffer 1978a,b).