Title: Unearthing Resilience: The Unexpected Prosperity of a Neolithic Coastal Village During a Global Climate Shift
Introduction
A groundbreaking study published in the journal Antiquity by an international team of archaeologists from UC San Diego, the University of Haifa, and Bar-Ilan University reveals new evidence that challenges the prevailing view of the 8.2ka event, a severe global climate shift, as the cause of widespread abandonment of coastal settlements in the southern Levant. The study focuses on the previously overlooked village of Habonim North, located off Israel’s Carmel Coast.
Filling the Gap in Understanding
The discovery and subsequent excavation of Habonim North opened a new window into human resilience during the 8.2ka event. Co-author and co-director of the Center for Cyber-Archaeology and Sustainability (CCAS) at UC San Diego, Thomas Levy, hailed the find as significant in understanding “the early settlement of the Eastern Mediterranean coastline” and praised the research for shedding light on “human resilience.”
Evidence of Sustained Life and Culture
Before the excavation led by Assaf Yasur-Landau, head of the Leon Recanati Institute for Maritime Studies at the University of Haifa, and Roey Nickelsberg, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Haifa, there was little evidence of human habitation along the southern Levantine coast during the 8.2ka event. Through sediment dredging, sampling, photogrammetry, and 3D modeling, the team uncovered pottery shards, stone tools, animal and plant remains, and architecture at the submerged site.
Radiocarbon dating of organic materials traced human activity at the site to the Early Pottery Neolithic (EPN), coinciding with both the invention of pottery and the climate shift. Interestingly, the pottery sherds, stone tools, and architecture at the site also dated to the Late Pottery Neolithic, a period when the village was traditionally believed to be abandoned.
Maritime Culture and Cultural Identity
The researchers noted signs of an economy that diversified from farming to maritime culture and trade as a potential key to Habonim North’s survival during the climate crisis. Notable finds include fishing-net weights, non-native basalt tools, and a ceremonial mace head.
Assaf Yasur-Landau praised the richness of findings, emphasizing the multi-layered resilience of the Early Pottery Neolithic society at Habonim North. The team used 3D “digital twin” technology and the Haifa-UC San Diego QI collaboration to recreate the excavation and 3D-print artifacts for further research.
A New Lens on Early Neolithic Societies
The study’s authors suggest that the 8.2ka event triggered climate instability, which led to a society-wide adaptation that laid the groundwork for later urban societies. Roey Nickelsberg emphasized the importance of shifting the focus from the collapse and abandonment of civilizations to the development of human culture and resilience. The researchers’ work has been recognized with an Innovations in Networking Award for Research Applications from CENIC for “exemplary” work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Conclusion
The groundbreaking study on the Habonim North village provides valuable insights into human resilience during global climate shifts. It offers a new lens through which to view early Neolithic societies and their ability to adapt to challenging environments, paving the way for the growth of more complex social structures. The findings encourage a broader examination of human adaptability and cultural development throughout history.
