Middle Pleistocene landscape of extraction: Quarry and workshop complexes in northern Israel

Evidence for large-scale Lower-Middle Paleolithic flint extraction in the southern Levant is presented in this paper. Lour Paleolithic quarry and workshop complexes are introduced as case studies. A model for Lower-Middle Paleolithic flint extraction is proposed that includes the following characteristics: 1) noteworthy physiographic settings and flint-rich limestone formations; 2) extensive landscape alteration by focused quarrying activities; 3) a variety of open-cast mining (surface quarrying) techniques; 4) a large number of stone waste piles (backfill piles), strategically aligned between exhausted extraction fronts; 5) mining tools fashioned from locally derived limestone or basalt; 6) flint workshops located on piles of extraction waste (tailings); 7) workshop assemblages rich in primary reduction products and blanks (tested nodules, cores, tool rejects and debitage), with formal shaped tools being rare or absent; and 8) workshop activities highlighted by the predominance of Levallois cores and debitage, and large flake production with a minor component of bifacial tool preforms. The study of such extensive Lower-Middle Paleolithic “industrial areas” provides a glimpse into the diverse raw material procurement and exploitation strategies of early humans, as well as their impact on the pristine landscape. The history of quarry development, beginning with Lower Paleolithic mining activity, provides insights into general long-term trends in man’s technological and cultural dynamics.