Laboratory for the Study of Human Cultural Evolution
@hcelab.bsky.social
▪️Paleolithic archaeology
⛏️ Excavations
▪️Population interactions & human behaviors during the early/middle paleolithic
📍Levant and Central Asia
▪️Head; Prof. Yossi Zaidner
🏛️ Hebrew University of Jerusalem
www.hcelabhuji.com
www.tinshemetcave.com
⛏️ Excavations
▪️Population interactions & human behaviors during the early/middle paleolithic
📍Levant and Central Asia
▪️Head; Prof. Yossi Zaidner
🏛️ Hebrew University of Jerusalem
www.hcelabhuji.com
www.tinshemetcave.com
Pinned
Evidence from Tinshemet Cave in Israel suggests behavioural uniformity across Homo groups in the Levantine mid-Middle Palaeolithic circa 130,000–80,000 years ago - Nature Human Behaviour
The Middle Palaeolithic of southwest Asia witnessed interactions and knowledge sharing between archaic and modern humans ~130,000–80,000 years ago. These interactions led to increased behavioural comp...
www.nature.com
📢 After many years of hard work at Tinshemet Cave, here is the first general publication discussing the stratigraphy, dates, lithics, fauna, ochre, etc
Thanks to all the co-authors and excavators who joined us during the past 9 seasons! 🤩
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Thanks to all the co-authors and excavators who joined us during the past 9 seasons! 🤩
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The excavation at Soii Havzak rockshelter, in Western Tajikistan just ended. It was a fruitful season! New in situ layers, large amount of lithic artefacts and faunal remains, and many samples for OSL datings, stay tuned for some results !
Thanks to all the team members this year and to our hosts!
Thanks to all the team members this year and to our hosts!
October 11, 2025 at 3:04 AM
The excavation at Soii Havzak rockshelter, in Western Tajikistan just ended. It was a fruitful season! New in situ layers, large amount of lithic artefacts and faunal remains, and many samples for OSL datings, stay tuned for some results !
Thanks to all the team members this year and to our hosts!
Thanks to all the team members this year and to our hosts!
Reposted by Laboratory for the Study of Human Cultural Evolution
"The results yield a finite age suggesting that the Petralona cranium has a minimum age of 286 ± 9 ka"
New U-series dates on the Petralona cranium, a key fossil in European human evolution www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
New U-series dates on the Petralona cranium, a key fossil in European human evolution www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
www.sciencedirect.com
August 16, 2025 at 5:52 PM
"The results yield a finite age suggesting that the Petralona cranium has a minimum age of 286 ± 9 ka"
New U-series dates on the Petralona cranium, a key fossil in European human evolution www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
New U-series dates on the Petralona cranium, a key fossil in European human evolution www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Laboratory for the Study of Human Cultural Evolution
Very sad news today. Anthony E. Marks has passed away. He conducted pioneering prehistoric research in the Nile Valley, the southern Levant and Arabia, producing seminal works on the Palaeolithic. In 2023, aged 85, he still joined the @arduq.bsky.social excavations in Dhofar, Oman. Rest in peace.
August 16, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Very sad news today. Anthony E. Marks has passed away. He conducted pioneering prehistoric research in the Nile Valley, the southern Levant and Arabia, producing seminal works on the Palaeolithic. In 2023, aged 85, he still joined the @arduq.bsky.social excavations in Dhofar, Oman. Rest in peace.
Reposted by Laboratory for the Study of Human Cultural Evolution
Join us at the MPI-GEA or online for a free symposium on Quantifying Complexity in Stone Tools on the 21st of October! 🪨
With a keynote lecture by Charles Perreault. Full speaker list will be released soon!
Secure your spot here: shh-cloud.gnz.mpg.de/index.php/ap...
With a keynote lecture by Charles Perreault. Full speaker list will be released soon!
Secure your spot here: shh-cloud.gnz.mpg.de/index.php/ap...
August 12, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Join us at the MPI-GEA or online for a free symposium on Quantifying Complexity in Stone Tools on the 21st of October! 🪨
With a keynote lecture by Charles Perreault. Full speaker list will be released soon!
Secure your spot here: shh-cloud.gnz.mpg.de/index.php/ap...
With a keynote lecture by Charles Perreault. Full speaker list will be released soon!
Secure your spot here: shh-cloud.gnz.mpg.de/index.php/ap...
Reposted by Laboratory for the Study of Human Cultural Evolution
How Women Shaped Human Evolution Through Food Processing 🏺🧪
www.sapiens.org/biology/huma...
An anthropologist highlights the revolutionary role of food processing and dietary diversity—practices often led by women—that were just as crucial to humans surviving and thriving as hunting.
www.sapiens.org/biology/huma...
An anthropologist highlights the revolutionary role of food processing and dietary diversity—practices often led by women—that were just as crucial to humans surviving and thriving as hunting.
August 4, 2025 at 5:00 PM
How Women Shaped Human Evolution Through Food Processing 🏺🧪
www.sapiens.org/biology/huma...
An anthropologist highlights the revolutionary role of food processing and dietary diversity—practices often led by women—that were just as crucial to humans surviving and thriving as hunting.
www.sapiens.org/biology/huma...
An anthropologist highlights the revolutionary role of food processing and dietary diversity—practices often led by women—that were just as crucial to humans surviving and thriving as hunting.
Reposted by Laboratory for the Study of Human Cultural Evolution
Check out my latest paper! 🪨
Occupational Dynamics at Unit III of the Middle Paleolithic Site of Nesher Ramla, Israel | Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology share.google/MmooyB6iFqs6...
Occupational Dynamics at Unit III of the Middle Paleolithic Site of Nesher Ramla, Israel | Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology share.google/MmooyB6iFqs6...
Occupational Dynamics at Unit III of the Middle Paleolithic Site of Nesher Ramla, Israel - Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology
This paper presents the results of spatial analyses of Unit III in Nesher Ramla, Israel, an open-air mid-Middle Paleolithic site. Featuring numerous anthropogenic features (e.g., hearths and artifact ...
share.google
August 2, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Check out my latest paper! 🪨
Occupational Dynamics at Unit III of the Middle Paleolithic Site of Nesher Ramla, Israel | Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology share.google/MmooyB6iFqs6...
Occupational Dynamics at Unit III of the Middle Paleolithic Site of Nesher Ramla, Israel | Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology share.google/MmooyB6iFqs6...
We made it to the news this week;)
"A 100,000-year-old burial site in Israel "
www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/art...
#prehistory #archaeology #funerary #paleolithic
"A 100,000-year-old burial site in Israel "
www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/art...
#prehistory #archaeology #funerary #paleolithic
A 100,000-year-old burial site in Israel is changing what we know...
SHOHAM, Israel (AP) - Archaeologists believe they have found one of the oldest burial sites in the world at a cave in Israel, where the well-preserved...
www.dailymail.co.uk
July 31, 2025 at 2:33 PM
We made it to the news this week;)
"A 100,000-year-old burial site in Israel "
www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/art...
#prehistory #archaeology #funerary #paleolithic
"A 100,000-year-old burial site in Israel "
www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/art...
#prehistory #archaeology #funerary #paleolithic
A glimpse into our excavation at Tinshemet Cave!
Slow process but amazing finds!
One more month to go this season with hopefully nice results coming! 🦴⛏️💀
youtu.be/etGVHIBDHIw?...
Slow process but amazing finds!
One more month to go this season with hopefully nice results coming! 🦴⛏️💀
youtu.be/etGVHIBDHIw?...
Human bones from 100,000 years ago in Israel offer clues about the origins of burial rites
YouTube video by AP Archive
youtu.be
July 31, 2025 at 2:29 PM
A glimpse into our excavation at Tinshemet Cave!
Slow process but amazing finds!
One more month to go this season with hopefully nice results coming! 🦴⛏️💀
youtu.be/etGVHIBDHIw?...
Slow process but amazing finds!
One more month to go this season with hopefully nice results coming! 🦴⛏️💀
youtu.be/etGVHIBDHIw?...
⛏️The 10th season of excavations at Tinshemet Cave has started !!
#fieldworkfriday
#MiddlePaleolithic
#burial
#Levallois
#fieldworkfriday
#MiddlePaleolithic
#burial
#Levallois
July 11, 2025 at 4:00 PM
⛏️The 10th season of excavations at Tinshemet Cave has started !!
#fieldworkfriday
#MiddlePaleolithic
#burial
#Levallois
#fieldworkfriday
#MiddlePaleolithic
#burial
#Levallois
New international Master degree in prehistoric archaeology!
📢 A new master degree program in prehistoric archaeology is opening at the Hebrew university!
The program will focus on the Levantine Paleolithic and includes fieldwork at amazing sites!
#prehistory #master #diploma #university
The program will focus on the Levantine Paleolithic and includes fieldwork at amazing sites!
#prehistory #master #diploma #university
July 9, 2025 at 12:16 PM
New international Master degree in prehistoric archaeology!
Reposted by Laboratory for the Study of Human Cultural Evolution
🧵1/5
📢 New paper out in Journal of Archaeological Science!
We present a regional analysis of fallow deer in Middle Paleolithic Levant and propose a methodological refinement for aging that has major implications for understanding human hunting behavior.
Open Access: doi.org/10.1016/j.ja...
📢 New paper out in Journal of Archaeological Science!
We present a regional analysis of fallow deer in Middle Paleolithic Levant and propose a methodological refinement for aging that has major implications for understanding human hunting behavior.
Open Access: doi.org/10.1016/j.ja...
Redirecting
doi.org
June 24, 2025 at 11:18 AM
🧵1/5
📢 New paper out in Journal of Archaeological Science!
We present a regional analysis of fallow deer in Middle Paleolithic Levant and propose a methodological refinement for aging that has major implications for understanding human hunting behavior.
Open Access: doi.org/10.1016/j.ja...
📢 New paper out in Journal of Archaeological Science!
We present a regional analysis of fallow deer in Middle Paleolithic Levant and propose a methodological refinement for aging that has major implications for understanding human hunting behavior.
Open Access: doi.org/10.1016/j.ja...
Reposted by Laboratory for the Study of Human Cultural Evolution
Reposted by Laboratory for the Study of Human Cultural Evolution
A filmmaker showcases archaeologists unearthing tiny lithics that evidence the presence of hunters from 13,000 years ago in what is today Michigan www.sapiens.org/archaeology/...
Excavating the Traces of Ice Age Foragers
A filmmaker showcases archaeologists unearthing tiny lithics that evidence hunters from 13,000 years ago in what is today Michigan.
www.sapiens.org
May 30, 2025 at 3:34 PM
A filmmaker showcases archaeologists unearthing tiny lithics that evidence the presence of hunters from 13,000 years ago in what is today Michigan www.sapiens.org/archaeology/...
Reposted by Laboratory for the Study of Human Cultural Evolution
Happy to be sharing my 1st PhD paper, result of our group research in the Armenian Highlands #TransCause Project! The article explores the formation processes of Ararat-1 Cave (Armenia) under multiproxy geoarchaeology! It is published on QSR (open-access): www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Unravelling the formation processes and depositional histories of the Middle Palaeolithic Ararat-1 Cave, Armenia: A multiscalar and multiproxy geoarchaeological approach
The sedimentary sequence of Ararat-1 Cave encapsulates an intricate depositional archive (Marine Isotope Stage 3), crucial for our understanding of th…
www.sciencedirect.com
May 14, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Happy to be sharing my 1st PhD paper, result of our group research in the Armenian Highlands #TransCause Project! The article explores the formation processes of Ararat-1 Cave (Armenia) under multiproxy geoarchaeology! It is published on QSR (open-access): www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Laboratory for the Study of Human Cultural Evolution
Our latest research with the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation is now available.
May 5, 2025 at 12:19 AM
Our latest research with the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation is now available.
Reposted by Laboratory for the Study of Human Cultural Evolution
Congrats @anispringflower.bsky.social !!
May 4, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Congrats @anispringflower.bsky.social !!
Last day in Denver! Some of our lab members presented their research at the Paleoanthropology Society annual meeting and at the #SAA2025Denver !
@marionprevost.bsky.social
@davidofagun.bsky.social
#YossiZaidner
@marionprevost.bsky.social
@davidofagun.bsky.social
#YossiZaidner
April 27, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Last day in Denver! Some of our lab members presented their research at the Paleoanthropology Society annual meeting and at the #SAA2025Denver !
@marionprevost.bsky.social
@davidofagun.bsky.social
#YossiZaidner
@marionprevost.bsky.social
@davidofagun.bsky.social
#YossiZaidner
Our project “Soii Havzak Rockshelter: A New Middle-Upper Paleolithic Sequence in Central Asia” has been awarded a research grant from the Gerda Henkel Foundation!
The grant, awarded to Y. Zaidner, J-P. Buylaert, and S. Kurbanov, will support postdoctoral research by M. Prévost.
The grant, awarded to Y. Zaidner, J-P. Buylaert, and S. Kurbanov, will support postdoctoral research by M. Prévost.
April 9, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Our project “Soii Havzak Rockshelter: A New Middle-Upper Paleolithic Sequence in Central Asia” has been awarded a research grant from the Gerda Henkel Foundation!
The grant, awarded to Y. Zaidner, J-P. Buylaert, and S. Kurbanov, will support postdoctoral research by M. Prévost.
The grant, awarded to Y. Zaidner, J-P. Buylaert, and S. Kurbanov, will support postdoctoral research by M. Prévost.
Reposted by Laboratory for the Study of Human Cultural Evolution
We’re deeply concerned about the disappearance of our colleague Pierre Noiret. Please share and help us spread the word.
For more information please check: www.police.be/avis-de-rech...
For more information please check: www.police.be/avis-de-rech...
April 8, 2025 at 7:46 PM
We’re deeply concerned about the disappearance of our colleague Pierre Noiret. Please share and help us spread the word.
For more information please check: www.police.be/avis-de-rech...
For more information please check: www.police.be/avis-de-rech...
Reposted by Laboratory for the Study of Human Cultural Evolution
📢 New publication: "New Insights on an Old Excavation: Re-visiting the Late Middle Palaeolithic Site of Far’ah II, North-western Negev, Israel"
by Goder-Goldberger, M., Gilead, I., Paixão, E., et al., in J Paleo Arch (2025, Vol. 8, Article 13).
🔗 More info: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
by Goder-Goldberger, M., Gilead, I., Paixão, E., et al., in J Paleo Arch (2025, Vol. 8, Article 13).
🔗 More info: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
New Insights on an Old Excavation: Re-visiting the Late Middle Palaeolithic Site of Far’ah II, North-western Negev, Israel - Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology
Revisiting collections from old excavations with new research objectives and analytical tools brings them to life and integrates them into evolving models of human-landscape interactions. This paper e...
link.springer.com
April 1, 2025 at 11:46 AM
📢 New publication: "New Insights on an Old Excavation: Re-visiting the Late Middle Palaeolithic Site of Far’ah II, North-western Negev, Israel"
by Goder-Goldberger, M., Gilead, I., Paixão, E., et al., in J Paleo Arch (2025, Vol. 8, Article 13).
🔗 More info: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
by Goder-Goldberger, M., Gilead, I., Paixão, E., et al., in J Paleo Arch (2025, Vol. 8, Article 13).
🔗 More info: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Laboratory for the Study of Human Cultural Evolution
‼️Check out our latest publication on the old excavations at the Late Middle Paleolithic open-air site of Far’ah II (northwestern Negev) link.springer.com/article/10.1...
New Insights on an Old Excavation: Re-visiting the Late Middle Palaeolithic Site of Far’ah II, North-western Negev, Israel - Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology
Revisiting collections from old excavations with new research objectives and analytical tools brings them to life and integrates them into evolving models of human-landscape interactions. This paper e...
link.springer.com
March 29, 2025 at 11:26 AM
‼️Check out our latest publication on the old excavations at the Late Middle Paleolithic open-air site of Far’ah II (northwestern Negev) link.springer.com/article/10.1...
@marionprevost.bsky.social postdoc in our lab presented our research on Nesher Ramla and Tinshemet Cave at Texas A&M University !
Glad for the opportunity to share our research projects at the Anthropology department at Texas A&M University @tamu.bsky.social
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@hcelab.bsky.social
#prehistory #homosapiens #Levallois #Neanderthal
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@hcelab.bsky.social
#prehistory #homosapiens #Levallois #Neanderthal
March 27, 2025 at 4:56 AM
@marionprevost.bsky.social postdoc in our lab presented our research on Nesher Ramla and Tinshemet Cave at Texas A&M University !
Reposted by Laboratory for the Study of Human Cultural Evolution
Our new paper on 3D GM has all the models and script available for others to apply our method. We use it to demonstrate interregional variability of Nubian Levallois cores but it has broader potential for lithic studies #openscience #archaeology #3DGM @icarehb.bsky.social @jmcascalheira.bsky.social
📢 We have a new paper out!! Led by the incredible @eshallinan.bsky.social we introduce a novel application of three-dimensional geometric morphometrics (GM) to quantify the shape variability of Nubian Levallois cores. #archaeology #openscience @icarehb.bsky.social
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Quantifying Levallois: a 3D geometric morphometric approach to Nubian technology - Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
Levallois technology, a hallmark of Middle Palaeolithic stone tool manufacture, involves sophisticated core reduction strategies that have major implications for understanding human cognitive and tech...
link.springer.com
March 25, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Our new paper on 3D GM has all the models and script available for others to apply our method. We use it to demonstrate interregional variability of Nubian Levallois cores but it has broader potential for lithic studies #openscience #archaeology #3DGM @icarehb.bsky.social @jmcascalheira.bsky.social
Reposted by Laboratory for the Study of Human Cultural Evolution
Soii Havzak rockshelter, Tajikistan, is one of the only multilayered, stratified Palaeolithic sites in Central Asia. Excavation provides a rare opportunity to explore the understudied region's prehistoric chronology. 🏺
🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
March 24, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Soii Havzak rockshelter, Tajikistan, is one of the only multilayered, stratified Palaeolithic sites in Central Asia. Excavation provides a rare opportunity to explore the understudied region's prehistoric chronology. 🏺
🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...
Reposted by Laboratory for the Study of Human Cultural Evolution
