Key Publications
For full list of publications, see CV
2024
Friesem, D.E., Lew-Levy, S., Boyette, A., Lavi, N. (2024). Mobility, site maintenance and archaeological formation processes: An ethnoarchaeological perspective. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology 74, 101588. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaa.2024.101588
Mobility is considered to play an important role in the way people use their habitual space. Here, we present a cross-cultural, ethnoarchaeological study carried out among three contemporary societies that, while showing different patterns of mobility, all live in humid tropical forests—in Thailand, the Congo Basin, and India—and share many social notions and values. The aim of this study was to observe how differences in patterns of mobility affect the formation of archaeological signatures. Our study demonstrates that when a site is occupied for only a few days to a couple of weeks, activity residues tend to be deposited in situ. This could potentially preserve the original spatial pattern of material distribution that directly reflects the activity areas and people’s use of space. However, when a site is occupied for more than a week or two, maintenance practices such as sweeping begin to take place, which result in almost complete removal of activity residues from their primary location and the formation of waste areas at the edge of the dwelling sites.
2023
Ogloblin-Ramirez, I., Grono, E., Zuckerman-Cooper, R., Langgut, D., Galili, E., Friesem, D.E. (2023). A micro-archaeological approach to underwater stratigraphy of submerged settlements: A case study of Atlit-Yam Pre-Pottery Neolithic site, off the Carmel coast, Southern Levant. Geoarchaeology 38, 534-564. https://doi.org/10.1002/gea.21967
The investigation of submerged archaeological sites faces numerous logistical challenges in the recovery of stratigraphic sequences and, as a result, is often restricted to surface deposits limiting the application of geoarchaeology. This paper outlines a new integrated field and microanalytical methodological protocol to investigate deep stratigraphic sequences (up to 2 m) within the submerged Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPN) site of Atlit-Yam (9267–7970 cal. B.P. ). A new coring method for the extraction of deep underwater stratigraphy was developed to extract three cores: two between architectural remains within the site and one outside the site. The cores were analysed using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, phytolith and pollen analysis and archaeological micromorphology to detect anthropogenic signals and undertake paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Our results indicate anthropogenic evidence at 95 cm depth based on the presence of heat-altered sediments, high phytolith concentrations and micromorphological observations of archaeological remains. Radiocarbon analysis indicates the oldest anthropogenic layers date to the Mid Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (PPNB) and Late PPNB (9859–9323 cal. B.P.), bearing implications for reassessing the emergence of the first coastal Neolithic villages in the Mediterranean. Our integrated field and multiproxy micro-geoarchaeological protocol offers a new approach to detecting and studying submerged archaeological sites worldwide.
2022
Friesem, D.E., Ogloblin-Ramirez, I., Zuckerman-Cooper, R., Grono, E., Galili, E. (2022). Deep Stratigraphy of submerged Neolithic sites: A micro-geoarchaeological approach to the study of Coastal settlements in the Eastern Mediterranean. Antiquity 96, 1606-1611. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2022.123
In this paper we present our new sediment coring at the Early Neolithic submerged site of Atlit-Yam, Israel, that reveals stratified archaeological deposits 0.7–0.9m below the seabed. We demonstrate the potential of micro-geoarchaeological analysis to generate new chrono-stratigraphic data for the onset of Early Neolithic coastal occupation in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Friesem, D.E., Shimelmitz, R., Schumacher, M.L., Miller, C.E., Kandel, A.W. (2022). A micro-geoarchaeological view on stratigraphy and site formation processes in the Middle, Upper and Epi-Paleolithic layers of Sefunim Cave, Mt. Carmel, Israel. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 14, 222. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-022-01686-0
This paper presents a micro-geoarchaeological study carried out on the sedimentary sequence exposed at the entrance of Sefunim Cave, Israel, a sequence that spans from the Middle Paleolithic to the early Epipaleolithic periods. Using FTIR and micromorphological techniques, we investigated the stratigraphic sequence to reconstruct patterns of site use and archaeological formation processes. We observed variation at the microscopic scale and identified an inverse correlation between human and carnivore activity throughout the layers. We observed human activity by the presence of micro-archaeological materials such as chert, bone, charcoal, rubified clay, burnt bone and shell, and wood ash. We observed carnivore activity by the presence of phosphatic grains and coprolite fragments as well as chewed and digested bones. We conclude that human activity at the site was characterized by episodes of varying intensity, based on the frequency of archaeological finds within the different layers. The alternating episodes of human and carnivore activity at Sefunim Cave may demonstrate the close-knit interactions and reciprocal relations that humans and carnivore shared at Paleolithic caves.
Grono, E., Piper, P., Kien, N.K.T., Kinh, D. N., Denham, T., Friesem, D.E. (2022). The identification of dwellings and site formation processes in archaeological settlements in the tropics: a micro-geoarchaeological case study from neolithic Loc Giang, southern Vietnam. Quaternary Science Reviews 291, 107654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107654
Across the prehistoric period in Mainland Southeast Asia (MSEA), very few architectural remains and settlements have been identified and there is an absence of evidence for dwellings and domestic spaces. Loc Giang (3980–3270 cal BP) in Long An Province, southern Vietnam is one of the few prehistoric settlements excavated in the region, revealing compacted, laterally extensive layers hypothesised to be floors in association with several other occupation deposit types. Due to the complex occupation stratigraphy encountered in the field, as well as intensive post-depositional processes of tropical environments, a state-of-the-art micro-geoarchaeological approach was used to identify site formation processes. Here, we present a description and depositional history of eight major deposit types (microfacies); among these, we identify constructed lime mortar floors, pile dwellings, evidence for the systematic treatment of waste, and prepared organic deposits likely associated with the management of dog and pig populations. Through the study of site formation we reconstruct at high resolution the nature of dwellings and organisation of domestic spaces within one of the earliest neolithic and sedentary settlements in the region. We demonstrate that within destructive burial environments of the tropics, micro-geoarchaeology offers an effective scientific toolkit for detecting settlement features with low macro-archaeological visibility, thereby enabling us to reconstruct pile dwellings and associated lime floors that were poorly characterised previously in MSEA prehistory.
2021
Friesem, D.E., Shahack-Gross, R., Weinstein-Evron, M., Teutsch, N., Weissbrod, L., Shimelmitz, R. (2021). High-resolution study of Middle Palaeolithic deposits and formation processes at Tabun Cave, Israel: Guano-rich cave deposits and detailed stratigraphic appreciation of Layer C. Quaternary Science Reviews 274, 107203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.107203
Friesem, D.E., Teutsch, N., Weinstein-Evron, M., Shimelmitz, R., Shahack-Gross, R. (2021). Identification of Fresh and Burnt Bat Guano and Pigeon Droppings in Eastern Mediterranean Karstic Cave Sites based on Micromorphological and Chemical Characteristics. Quaternary Science Reviews 274, 107238.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.107238
These two papers, published in tandem, a high-resolution study of Middle Palaeolithic deposits at Tabun Cave, Israel, which holds a central role in paleoanthropological research due to its long cultural sequence and the incorporated skeletal remains, that uniquely represent two hominin populations. Nonetheless, even though Tabun is one of the most studied MP sites in the world with over 90 years of extensive research, many questions about its chronology, the identity of its hominin remains and the nature of its formation remain open. Our study applied a high-resolution micro-geoarchaeological approach to investigate tens to hundreds of mm-cm thick laminae in each sediment bed. In order to better understand the role of guano in the formation of the archaeological record in caves, we carried out a micromorphological, chemical and mineralogical study of modern guano of insectivorous bats, frugivorous bats and pigeons, collected from karstic caves in Israel. Based on our reference and experimental sample collection, built especially for this study, we were able to demonstrate that the major source of material at Tabun Cave Layer C, is bat and bird guano alongside reworked terra rossa. We divided Tabun Layer C into four sub-units and provide precise stratigraphic position of its beginning and end. This study brings new insights into the site's formation processes and the interplay between human action and animal activity. Using our reference collection and archaeological work at Tabun Cave, we demonstrate the ability to identify components within guano deposits that can allow distinguishing between different guano producers (e.g., bats and birds). Thus, in parallel to showing the complexity of Layer C, our study and methodology forms a sounder basis for reconstructing changing environments at both regional and local scales and new venue to investigate human–environment relations in Palaeolithic cave sites.
Zaidner, Y., Centi, L., Prévost, M., Mercier, N., Falguères, C., Guérin, G., Valladas, H., Richard, M., Galy, A., Pécheyran, C., Tombret, O., Pons-Branchu, E., Porat, N., Shahack-Gross, R., Friesem, D.E., Yeshurun, R., Turgeman-Yaffe, Z., Frumkin, A., Herzlinger, G., Ekshtain, R., Shemer, M., Varoner, O., Sarig, R., May, H., Hershkovitz. (2021). Middle Pleistocene Homo behavior and culture at 140,000 to 120,000 years ago and interactions with Homo sapiens. Science 372, 1429-1433. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abh3020
Our understanding of the origin, distribution, and evolution of early humans and their close relatives has been greatly refined by recent new information, such as the evidence of a previously unknown archaic Homo population, the “Nesher Ramla Homo”. Here we present comprehensive qualitative and quantitative analyses of fossilized remains from the site of Nesher Ramla in Israel dated to 140,000 to 120,000 years ago indicating the presence of a previously unrecognized group of hominins representing the last surviving populations of Middle Pleistocene Homo in Europe, southwest Asia, and Africa. IN this paper we present the radiometric ages, stone tool assemblages, faunal assemblages, and other behavioral and environmental data associated with the Nesher Ramla Homo fossils. This evidence shows that these hominins had fully mastered technology that until only recently was linked to either Homo sapiens or Neanderthals. Nesher Ramla Homo was an efficient hunter of large and small game, used wood for fuel, cooked or roasted meat, and maintained fires. These findings provide archaeological support for cultural interactions between different human lineages during the Middle Paleolithic, suggesting that admixture between Middle Pleistocene Homo and H. sapiens had already occurred by this time.
2020
Friesem, D.E., Anton, M., Waiman-Barak, P., Shahack-Gross, R., Nadel, D. (2020). Variability and complexity in calcite-based plaster production: A case study from a Pre-Pottery Neolithic B infant burial at Tel Roʻim West and its implications to mortuary practices in the Southern Levant. Journal of Archaeological Science 131, 105048. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2019.105048
In this study we investigate the technology used to produce plaster associated with an infant burial found in the PPNB layers at the site of Tel Roʻim West [TRW]. We show that the plaster associated with the burial appears in various compositions, and that none of them is based on pyrogenic production of lime. The case study from TRW provides new insights regarding the production of non-pyrogenic calcite-based plasters in mortuary contexts during the PPNB. This study calls for a re-consideration of archaeological plaster technology. We argue for a more widespread use of non-pyrogenic calcite-based plaster than previously suggested, not only in architectural but also in mortuary contexts. We discuss the social, ecological and technological roles plaster production played in PPNB societies in the Southern Levant.
2019
Lavi, N., Friesem, D.E. (Eds.), Towards a Broader View of Hunter-Gatherer Sharing. McDonald Institute Monographs Series, Cambridge. https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/300107
This edited monograph brings together a collection of papers that re-open and re-examine the concept of sharing among hunting and gathering societies in the past and present. It presents novel theories and offers new frameworks that re-shape the ways we should think and understand this central practice, its social implications and its role in people’s daily life. Broadening the concept of sharing allowed us to engage with fascinating new aspects of this practice (e.g., sharing of selves, space and time to be equally perceived and valued by people as sharing of food). It delivers new perspectives on Sharing’s intangible aspects such as relatedness, sociality, values, identities as well as perceptions of society, environment, and the self. In this book, scholars from diverse fields provide inter-disciplinary perspectives on the study of hunting and gathering societies from the early Palaeolithic to modern times and in a wide range of geographic areas and contexts.
Friesem, D.E., Abadi, I., Shaham, D., Grosman, L. (2019). Lime plaster cover of the dead 12,000 years ago - new evidence for the origins of lime plaster technology. Evolutionary Human Sciences 1, e9, 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1017/ehs.2019.9
The production of lime plaster is especially important as a technological development in human history as it requires advanced knowledge and skills to transform rocks to a plastic yet durable material. The large scale production of lime plaster is considered a development of farming societies during the Neolithic period around 10,000 years ago. This study analysed lime plaster covering burials at a Natufian cemetery in Nahal Ein Gev II, dating to 12,000 years ago. Using infrared spectroscopy and soil micromorphology we show how this lime plaster is of an unprecedented high quality and we reconstruct its production. The results exhibit a technological leap forward at the end of the Palaeolithic. We provide a new model for understanding the evolutionary paths of lime plaster technology during the Palaeolithic–Neolithic transition.
Friesem, D.E., Malinsky-Buller, A., Ekshtain, R., Gur-Arieh, S., Vaks, A., Mercier, N., Richard, M., Guérin, G., Valladas, H., Auger, F., Hovers, E. (2019). New Data from Shovakh Cave and Its Implications for Reconstructing Middle Paleolithic Settlement Patterns in the Amud Drainage, Israel. Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology 2, 298-337. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41982-019-00028-2
This study presents the geoarchaeological and geochronological aspects of Shovakh Cave and the first comparative context to the nearby Amud Cave (~ 500 m downstream), providing an exceptional opportunity to explore the range of human behaviours within a small geographic area. Sediment samples from two newly excavated areas at the rear and entrance of the cave were analysed using infrared spectroscopy, micromorphology and phytolith analysis and dated through uranium-thorium and luminescence techniques. We show how the rear of the cave indicates carnivore activity and low artefact concentrations. At the entrance of the cave, there are relatively more residues associated with human use of fire. Post-depositional processes in this area include decalcification of the upper layer, cementation of the lower layer and phosphatisation due to guano decomposition, which indicates that this area was probably roofed. The ages obtained in this area range between 67.5 ± 5.5 to 56.2 ± 5.9 ka, overlapping with the occupation time of Amud cave. The evidence from Shovakh Cave presents lower intensity of occupation compared to Amud, indicating variable modes of site use by humans in the Amud drainage during the Late Middle Palaeolithic.
Greenbaum, G., Friesem, D.E., Hovers, E., Feldman, M.W., Kolodny, O. (2019). Were changes in inter-population connectivity of Neanderthals and Modern Humans the drivers of the Upper Paleolithic transition rather than its product?. Quaternary Science Reviews 217, 316-329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2018.12.011
In this article we outline processes that are likely to have influenced inter-population connectivity during the transition from the Middle Paleolithic (MP) to the Upper Paleolithic (UP), c. 50-40kya, by bringing together evolutionary and ecological perspectives alongside insights from the field of cultural evolution. The archaeological record of this period comprises multiple ‘transitional techno-complexes’, some associated with modern humans and others with Neanderthals. The cultures that these techno-complexes represent are characterized by precursors of the material cultures of the UP, often alongside features that suggest local cultural continuity. The broadly simultaneous appearance of these transitional cultures, despite a lack of a clear common origin, is puzzling. We suggest that these local ‘revolutions’ had a common underlying driver, which explains the simultaneous appearance of transitional techno-complexes, but that this driver did not determine the particular form of each local revolution. We propose that the driver of the transition to the UP was an increase in inter-population connectivity, both within- and between-species, which allowed local cultures to rapidly evolve and to attain greater complexity than ever before. We suggest that this change was driven by the interaction between modern humans and Neanderthals.
*Gur-Arieh, S., Madella, M., Lavi, N., *Friesem, D.E. (2019). Potentials and limitations for the identification of outdoor dung plasters in humid tropical environment: A geo-ethnoarchaeological case study from South India. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 11, 2683-2698 (*both authors contributed equally to this paper). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-018-0682-y
In this paper we present a geo-ethnoarchaeological study aimed at understanding the archaeological formation processes of outdoor dung-plastered floors and the possibility to identify dung markers. Dung has been an important material used by humans since at least the early Neolithic Period. It accumulated within domesticated animal enclosures and it was used as fuel and fertiliser as well as construction material. While the former were studied in details, to date, the use of dung as a construction material received less attention. This paper presents the results of ethnographic data regarding the practice of plastering outdoor spaces with animal dung followed by geoarchaeological analysis of samples collected from two house terraces in a rural village situated in the tropical forests of South India (Western Ghats). The plastering of the floors was made by mixing a quantity of dung with water and by spreading the slurry unevenly across the terrace. We demonstrate that that the surface plastering with dung result in formation of a 0.1- to 0.5-mm-thick dung crust that the analyses showed to be rich in humified organics but with very low concentrations of phytoliths and dung spherulites. This study provides new data and insights on the potentials and limitations of dung identification in outdoor settings in humid tropical environments. We suggest possible directions for advancing the study of archaeological dung used as construction materials.
2018
Shimelmitz, R., Friesem, D.E., Clark, J., Groman-Yaroslavski, I., Weissbrod, L., Porat, N., Kandel, A.W. (2018). The Upper and Epipaleolithic of Sefunim Cave, Israel. Quaternary International 464, 106-125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2017.05.039
This paper presents first results of the renewed excavation project at Sefunim Cave, Mount Carmel, Israel, best known for the occurrence of the cultural entity termed the Levantine Aurignacian. This multi-disciplinary study of the Upper Palaeolithic and early Epipalaeolithic sequence (c. 40,000-20,000 years ago) includes my micromorphological analysis and contribution from several scholars regarding lithics, use-wear, fauna, microfauna, ocher, shells, and radiometric dating. This micro-geoarchaeological study that I conducted shows an association between high and low intensity of human activity in caves with the deposition of fire residues and carnivore coprolite respectively. This work helps to re-evaluate the cultural and environmental shifts within this timeframe in terms of the relationship between humans and their environment.
2017
Haaland, M.M., Friesem, D.E., Miller, C.E., Henshilwood, C.S. (2017). Heat-Induced Alteration of Glauconitic Minerals in the Middle Stone Age Levels of Blombos Cave, South Africa: Implications for Evaluating Site Structure and Burning Events. Journal of Archaeological Science 86, 81-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2017.06.008
This paper presents results of a project that I supervised as part of my course ‘Microarchaeology’. One of the students (M. Haaland) performed geochemical and colourimetric measurements of glauconite grains in micromorphological thin sections from the Middle Stone Age site of Blombos Cave, South Africa, to investigate the formation, internal structure and reworking of heat-exposed cave deposits that are related to Palaeolithic burning events. It is the first study to investigate the alteration of glauconite grains due to exposure to elevated temperatures and the first archaeological study to integrate microscopic Fourier-Transform Infrared spectroscopy (micro-FTIR) with GIS-based spatial analysis on a microscopic scale. The combined geo-chemical, optical and spatio-contextual approach provides insights into more elusive aspects of site structure and burning events, such as heat intensity, burning frequency, temperature distribution, internal hearth structure and post-depositional reworking. This publication presents a cutting-edge methodological development for quantitative and spatial analysis on a microscopic scale and with broad implications for advancing geoarchaeological research.
Friesem, D.E., Lavi, N., Madella, M., Boaretto, E., Ajithprasad, P., French, C. (2017). The Formation of Fire Residues Associated with Hunter-Gatherers in Humid Tropical Environments: A Geo-Ethnoarchaeological Perspective. Quaternary Science Reviews 171, 85-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2017.07.002
Due to the tropical conditions and the nature of forager activity, visible archaeological evidence of such context is rare. In this paper I focus on fire residues as a hotspot of geoarchaeological research, especially in hunter-gatherer archaeology. I provide a review of the archaeological evidence for forager use of fire in tropical areas around the world including South America, central Africa and Southeast Asia. I then present my original research based on my ethnographic work among contemporary south Indian hunter-gatherers and my microscopic analysis of fire residues from their current and abandoned sites. The ethnographic data on hunter-gatherer use of fire show how the ephemeral nature of hearths, their spatial locations and maintenance practices reflect hunter-gatherer sociality, namely due to mobility, sharing and immediacy. Based on geoarchaeological analysis, the taphonomic processes in tropical forests are discussed pointing to the complete dissolution of bones and ashes while allowing good preservation of charcoal and phytoliths. This publication offers a new model for the archaeological formation processes of fire residues in tropical forests and its implications for the archaeology of Palaeolithic activity in humid tropical environments.
Friesem, D.E., Lavi, N. (2017). Foragers, Tropical Forests and the Formation of Archaeological Evidences: An Ethnoarchaeological View from South India. Quaternary International 448, 117-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2016.06.036
This paper contains a detailed discussion on how hunter-gatherer ways of living in tropical forests are affecting the formation of archaeological evidence. It presents an ethnoarchaeological account based on a year-long ethnographic work I conducted among a contemporary hunter-gatherer group in south India followed by microscopic analysis of sediments from their abandoned sites. I argue that specific patterns of material deposition result from certain social practices, especially mobility and sharing, which stem from key cultural values such as immediacy, living-together, and perception of the environment as the core of forager sociality. The paper offers an innovative framework to interpret social order and practices of hunter-gatherers shaped by cultural and ecological values rooted in their adaptation to the environment. This article contributes to the discussion on human adaptation to rainforests and the role of south Asian forests as a human habitat during the Pleistocene.
Roskin, J., Bookman, R., Friesem, D.E., Vardi, J. (2017). A Late Pleistocene Linear Dune Dam Record of Aeolian-Fluvial Dynamics at the Fringes of the Northwestern Negev Dunefield. Sedimentary Geology 353, 76-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sedgeo.2017.03.011
This multi-disciplinary study presents a reconstruction of a Late Pleistocene landscape in an association with an archaeological site dated to the Middle to Late Epipalaeolithic (c. 17,500 to 11,200 years ago) in the Negev desert dunefield, Israel. This article uses high resolution morphology and stratigraphy, with my contribution of micromorphology and sedimentological analyses, to identify a rare Late Pleistocene vegetated linear dune-like structure. The reconstruction of the aeolian-fluvial system presents the formation of a dune-damming that blocked the underlying drainage system and led to the development of standing bodies of water that, together with the exposed wet bottom, provided fauna and flora resources attractive for humans during winter and spring. This paper demonstrates that aeolian-fluvial interactions, and not necessarily a wetter climate, are important for forming conditions conducive to occupation by Epipalaeolithic groups in arid zones.
2016
Friesem, D.E., Lavi, N., Madella, M., Ajithprasad, P., French, C. (2016). Site Formation Processes and Hunter-Gatherers Use of Space in a Tropical Environment: A Geo-Ethnoarchaeological Approach from South India. PLoS ONE 11(10): e0164185. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0164185
This paper contains a detailed discussion on how hunter-gatherer ways of living in tropical forests are affecting the formation of archaeological evidence. It presents the excavations of three abandoned sites: two open-air sites and a rock-shelter of a contemporary hunting and gathering society living deep in the rainforests of South India. Sediment samples were collected from the abandoned and the contemporary sites and analysed in the laboratory using geochemical analysis (i.e., FTIR, ICP-AES), phytolith concentration analysis and soil micromorphology. The results present a dynamic spatial deposition pattern of macroscopic, microscopic and chemical materials, which stem from the distinctive ways of living and use of space by hunter-gatherers. This study shows that post-depositional processes in tropical forests result in poor preservation of archaeological materials due to acidic conditions and intensive biological activity within the sediments. Yet, the multiple laboratory-based analyses were able to trace evidence for activity surfaces and their maintenance practices as well as localized concentrations of activity remains such as the use of plants, metals, hearths and construction materials.
Friesem, D.E. (2016). Geo-Ethnoarchaeology in Action. Journal of Archaeological Science 70, 145-157. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2016.05.004
In this paper I provide a review that is the first to present the integration of ethnoarchaeology, excavation of contemporary or historical sites and geoarchaeological laboratory-based analyses as an established archaeological method. This overview demonstrates how the use of archaeological sciences in ethnoarchaeological context can be useful for studying archaeological formation processes of a wide range of materials in different contexts. Due to its contribution to archaeological research by advocating for the application of an integrated anthropological-geoscience method, this article is regularly used as a reading in undergraduate and graduate courses in universities around the world.
2014
Friesem, D.E., Tsartsidou, G., Karkanas, P., Shahack-Gross, R. (2014). Where are the Roofs? A Geo-Ethnoarchaeological Study of Mud Structures and their Collapse Processes, Focusing on the Identification of Roofs. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 6, 73-92. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-013-0146-3
This is the first geoarchaeological article to focus on the identification of roofs in degraded mud structures. Given the challenges to identify activity residues in degraded earthen structures and distinguish between earth floors, mud walls, collapsed mud and thatch roofs, and activity residues, this paper offers an innovative model to understand the influence of mud structure degradation on archaeological site formation processes. In this study I used a wide range of analytical methods including excavations of recently abandoned mud brick structures in temperate and arid environments, micromorphology, infrared spectroscopy, as well as elemental and phytolith analysis. Based on the multi-proxy data, I was able to build a model for the degradation and taphonomic processes of mud brick structures in different environments and contexts including planned abandonment and conflagration. This paper supplies new guidelines for identification of earth floors, activity residues, mud walls, and thatched roofs. The latter were absent from many archaeological studies due to the difficulty of tracing them using common archaeological methods.
Friesem, D.E., Zaidner, Y., Shahack-Gross, R. (2014). Formation Processes and Combustion Features at the Lower Layers of the Middle Palaeolithic Open-Air Site of Nesher Ramla, Israel. Quaternary International 331, 128-138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2013.03.023
This study provides new evidence for Mousterian human behaviour at open-air sites. By applying an integrated microscopic methodology in the site of Nesher Ramla Quarry, Israel, I identified intensive burning of bones, ash deposits and the oldest in situ campfire found in an open-air site dating back to the Middle Palaeolithic (c. 170,000 years ago). It is also the first article to present a new method for quantifying wood ash particles. I used this method for examining the spatial organisation of campfires and identifying piles of ashes resulting from rake-out, which highlighted changes in human behaviour and site maintenance practices. The findings of this paper are significant for understanding how early humans behaved in open-air sites that are archaeologically rare compared to caves, and how the use of fire was associated with spatial organisation, hunting, butchering and cooking.
2011
Friesem, D., Boaretto, E., Eliyahu-Behar, A., Shahack-Gross, R. (2011). Degradation of Mud Brick Houses in an Arid Environment: A Geoarchaeological Model. Journal of Archaeological Science 38, 1135-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2010.12.011
This paper presents a pioneering model I developed for the decay process of mud structures. It is widely cited amongst archaeologists working on sites with earthen architecture. It was the first article to apply different analytical methods including excavation of recently abandoned mud structures, as well as mineralogical and chemical analysis of sediments and micromorphology, to understand how mud structures decay and contribute to the formation of archaeological sites with emphasis on arid environment. This paper provides a vital contribution to the archaeology of earthen architecture and geoarchaeology.