Alone in a cave: Examination of a 5200 BCE skeleton from the Judean Desert, Israel

Yossi Nagar*, Ianir Milevski, Hagay Hamer, Oriya Amichai, Eitan Klein, Elisabetta Boaretto, Atalya Fadida, Hila May

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The remains of a >50-years-old male, thus far representing the only complete skeleton dated to the Early Chalcolithic (Wadi Rabah) period in Israel, were recovered in a cave in the Judaean desert (Nahal Mishmar, F1-003). The old male suffered ab-scesses in the maxilla following tooth caries, and a well-healed trauma in the left tibial midshaft. Skull and mandibular morphology were described using plain measurements, indices and angles, and compared with similarly taken Chalcolithic data. In addition, mandibular morphology was captured using a landmark-based geometric morphometrics method and compared to Natufian hunter-gatherers, Pre-Pottery Neolithic early farmers, and Late Chalcolithic populations. The results, although cautionary, reveal similarity to the succeeding Ghassulian Chalcolithic period populations and suggest population conti-nuity from the Early to the Late (Ghassulian) Chalcolithic period. Future ancient DNA study may clarify this hypothesis and further reveal population affinity in this period in Israel.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)29-49
Number of pages21
JournalBioarchaeology of the Near East
Volume16
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Sep 2022

Keywords

  • Early Chalcolithic period
  • Judean Desert
  • biological anthropology
  • skeletal morphology

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