IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nathum/v9y2025i5d10.1038_s41562-025-02110-y.html
   My bibliography  Save this 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

Author

Listed:
  • Yossi Zaidner

    (Hebrew University)

  • Marion Prévost

    (Hebrew University)

  • Ruth Shahack-Gross

    (University of Haifa)

  • Lior Weissbrod

    (Israel Antiquities Authority)

  • Reuven Yeshurun

    (University of Haifa)

  • Naomi Porat

    (Geological Survey of Israel)

  • Gilles Guérin

    (LSCE/IPSL, UMR CEA-CNRS-UVSQ 8212 CEA Saclay)

  • Norbert Mercier

    (UMR 6034 CNRS-Université Bordeaux Montaigne)

  • Asmodée Galy

    (UMR 6034 CNRS-Université Bordeaux Montaigne
    E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM)

  • Christophe Pécheyran

    (E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM)

  • Gaëlle Barbotin

    (E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM)

  • Chantal Tribolo

    (UMR 6034 CNRS-Université Bordeaux Montaigne)

  • Hélène Valladas

    (LSCE/IPSL, UMR CEA-CNRS-UVSQ 8212 CEA Saclay)

  • Dustin White

    (Royal Holloway, University of London)

  • Rhys Timms

    (Royal Holloway, University of London)

  • Simon Blockley

    (Royal Holloway, University of London)

  • Amos Frumkin

    (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)

  • David Gaitero-Santos

    (Hebrew University)

  • Shimon Ilani

    (Geological Survey of Israel)

  • Sapir Ben-Haim

    (Hebrew University)

  • Antonella Pedergnana

    (University of Zurich)

  • Alyssa V. Pietraszek

    (University of Haifa)

  • Pedro García

    (University of Haifa
    Università di Padova)

  • Cristiano Nicosia

    (Università di Padova)

  • Susan Lagle

    (University of Haifa)

  • Oz Varoner

    (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev)

  • Chen Zeigen

    (Hebrew University
    University of Connecticut)

  • Dafna Langgut

    (Tel Aviv University
    Tel Aviv University)

  • Onn Crouvi

    (Geological Survey of Israel)

  • Sarah Borgel

    (Tel Aviv University
    Tel Aviv University)

  • Rachel Sarig

    (Tel Aviv University
    Tel Aviv University)

  • Hila May

    (Tel Aviv University
    Tel Aviv University)

  • Israel Hershkovitz

    (Tel Aviv University
    Tel Aviv University)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Yossi Zaidner & Marion Prévost & Ruth Shahack-Gross & Lior Weissbrod & Reuven Yeshurun & Naomi Porat & Gilles Guérin & Norbert Mercier & Asmodée Galy & Christophe Pécheyran & Gaëlle Barbotin & Chantal, 2025. "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," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 9(5), pages 886-901, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nathum:v:9:y:2025:i:5:d:10.1038_s41562-025-02110-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41562-025-02110-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-025-02110-y
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41562-025-02110-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:nathum:v:9:y:2025:i:5:d:10.1038_s41562-025-02110-y. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.