HK19A and 19B, Har Karkom, Israel, c. 128,000 to 50,000 BP; h) hk19b contents v2

These are a set of artifacts from the stone circle at HK19B, placed on heavy weight paper background.

Tentative interpretation (James Harrod): Center, horsehead; clockwise from top:

• Suid (wild boar or warthog)
• Feline on a ledge (leopard-like)
• Zoomorph with head turning right, perhaps a bear
• Obverse, a hyena or wild dog
• Waterbird preening itself (head turned backward over its body)
• Elephant, facing right (on an opposed platform core)
• Point-like flake
• Pentagonal flake
• Elephant, facing forward (on an opposed platform core)

The circle of white limestones appears to contain an array of species associated with the hunt: a predator cat, a scavenger, and four prey animals, horse, elephant (two times), warthog, and waterbird. These are mixed large and small game typical of a Middle Paleolithic hunter. They were all found in the circle, like a microcosm of spirit animals. The circle also contained a retouched flake and two flakes, one pentagonal and one point-like, as shown. The association of the geometrics with the animal sculptures suggests some sort of abstract notion of a divinity, such as a mother or master of animals, typical of historic and recent gatherer-hunter groups. Note that this geometric plus zoomorphic artifact association occurs at both HK19A and HK19B. This Levantine Mousterian sculpture tradition seems distinct from the combination of triangular female plus zoomorph figurine from HK190b, a Mousterian of Acheulian Tradition site.

Photo © James Harrod. James Harrod site photos taken on Emmanuel Anati Har Karkom Expedition, April 1996.
4/4/1996