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

The south Levantine mid-Middle Palaeolithic (mid-MP; ~130-80 thousand years ago (ka)) is remarkable for its exceptional evidence of human morphological variability, with contemporaneous fossils of Homo sapiens and Neanderthal-like hominins. Yet, it remains unclear whether these hominins adhered to discrete behavioural sets or whether regional-scale intergroup interactions could have homogenized mid-MP behaviour. Here we report on our discoveries at Tinshemet Cave, Israel. The site yielded articulated Homo remains in association with rich assemblages of ochre, fauna and stone tools dated to ~100 ka. Viewed from the perspective of other key regional sites of this period, our findings indicate consolidation of a uniform behavioural set in the Levantine mid-MP, consisting of similar lithic technology, an increased reliance on large-game hunting and a range of socially elaborated behaviours, comprising intentional human burial and the use of ochre in burial contexts. We suggest that the development of this behavioural uniformity is due to intensified inter-population interactions and admixture between Homo groups ~130-80 ka.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Human Behaviour
Published
2025-03-11
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-025-02110-y
Citations
7
Primary Topic
Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
79.42

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article

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

Sarah Borgel, Chen Zeigen, Rhys Timms, Naomi Porat et al.
7 citations
Nature Human Behaviour
Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
79.42
article

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

Sarah Borgel, Chen Zeigen, Rhys Timms, Naomi Porat, Pedro Alfaro García, Chantal Tribolo, Onn Crouvi, Shimon Ilani, Oz Varoner, Amos Frumkin, Reuven Yeshurun, Simon Blockley, Antonella Pedergnana, Alyssa Pietraszek, Hélène Valladas, Israël Hershkovitz, Yossi Zaidner, Dafna Langgut, Dustin White, Gilles Guérin, Gaëlle Barbotin, Hila May, Rachel Sarig, Lior Weissbrod, Susan Lagle, Marión Prévost, Christophe Pécheyran, Ruth Shahack‐Gross, Norbert Mercier, Asmodée Galy, David Gaitero-Santos, Sapir Ben-Haim
article en
7 citations

Abstract

The south Levantine mid-Middle Palaeolithic (mid-MP; ~130-80 thousand years ago (ka)) is remarkable for its exceptional evidence of human morphological variability, with contemporaneous fossils of Homo sapiens and Neanderthal-like hominins. Yet, it remains unclear whether these hominins adhered to discrete behavioural sets or whether regional-scale intergroup interactions could have homogenized mid-MP behaviour. Here we report on our discoveries at Tinshemet Cave, Israel. The site yielded articulated Homo remains in association with rich assemblages of ochre, fauna and stone tools dated to ~100 ka. Viewed from the perspective of other key regional sites of this period, our findings indicate consolidation of a uniform behavioural set in the Levantine mid-MP, consisting of similar lithic technology, an increased reliance on large-game hunting and a range of socially elaborated behaviours, comprising intentional human burial and the use of ochre in burial contexts. We suggest that the development of this behavioural uniformity is due to intensified inter-population interactions and admixture between Homo groups ~130-80 ka.

Nature Human BehaviourVol. 9(5)
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (IL), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), University of Padua (IT), University of Connecticut (US), Université de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour (FR), Tel Aviv University (IL), Royal Holloway University of London (GB), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (FR), Hebrew University of Jerusalem (IL), University of Zurich (CH), Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR), Université Bordeaux Montaigne (FR), Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-Chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux (FR), Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (FR), CEA Paris-Saclay (FR), Israel Antiquities Authority (IL), Geological Survey of Israel (IL), University of Haifa (IL)
Wenner-Gren Foundation, Leakey Foundation, National Geographic Society, Gerda Henkel Foundation, Dan David Prize, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel Science Foundation
Openalex Percentile: Top 0%
Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
79.42
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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