Scaphopod Shells in the Natufian Culture Aldona Kurzawska, Daniella E. Bar-Yosef Mayer and H enk K. M ienis A. Introduction sites. Therefore ‘scaphopod bead’ is a shell where the apex has been removed (either intentionally or Mollusk shells were first used by humans as naturally; Bar-YosefMayer 2008). ornaments about 100,000 years ago, during the Initial studies of scaphopods from Natufian Middle Paleolithic (ca. 250,000-40,000 BP) or Middle sites determined that some shells originated from Stone Age (Bar-YosefMayer 2005; Bar-YosefMayer the Mediterranean, others from the Red Sea and et al. 2009; d’Errico et al. 2009; Vanhaeren et al. yet others are from Pliocene geological formations 2006). The use of shell beads intensifies in the Upper (Avnimelech 1937). Due to uncertainties regarding Paleolithic (ca. 45-20,000 BP) and the Epipaleolithic the origins of these shells, we attempted to re-eval- (ca. 23-14,500 cal BP) periods (Kuhn et al. 2001), uate the regions from which Dentalium shells were and this is when Dentalium shells occur for the first collected during prehistoric periods in the Levant. time. Beyond the Levant, scaphopods are found in Once we assess from where the shells were brought archaeological sites in Europe (e.g. Taborin 1993; into Natufian and other archaeological sites, we Hahn 1972), Asia (Bar-YosefMayer 2005; Kuhn et will be able to better determine the role that trade al. 2001; Sonawane 2002) and Australia (Balme and exchange played in these past societies, as well and Morse 2006). as the value of these shells to Natufian and other In the Natufian Culture ( 14,5 -11,500 cal BP), populations. at the end of the Epipaleolithic period in the Levant, scaphopod shells become very common, so much B. Methods so, that Garrod (1957), who defined this culture, considered Dentalium shells to be one of its hall­ B. 1. Species identification and marks. The recognition that Dentalium shells were description used as beads was established more then a century ago (e.g. Rivière 1905) and therefore we encounter Within the framework of this project, the re­ the terms Dentalium shells’ or Dentalium beads’. search on archaeological shell assemblages was However, Dentali um is the largest genus within the preceded by a detailed taxonomic study. One of us class Scaphopoda, but is not the only one recognized (AK) studied scaphopods at the Vienna Museum of among the shells found at the archaeological sites. Natural History. Subsequently selected specimens In addition, frequent changes in classification and of scaphopod shells (mainly of the family Den­ taxonomy cause some of the names to be confusing taliidae) were studied at the mollusk collections and no longer valid. Scaphopods are a class of marine of the National Collections of Natural History of mollusks, commonly known as‘tusk’ or‘tooth’ shells. Tel Aviv University and the National Collections Their shells have a shape of a tapered tube, open of Natural History at the Hebrew University of at both ends, usually curved, smooth or sculptured Jerusalem. Initially the study addressed species and their lengths range from 2 to 50 mm (but some recently recorded by H.K. Mienis (unpublished) may reach 130 mm) (Ross and Wells 1998). In this on the ‘Revised, checklist of mollusks from the paper, the terms ‘scaphopod shells’ and ‘scaphopod SE-corner of the Mediterranean Sea’ and by Dek­ beads’, are introduced as more appropriate for the ker and Orlin (2000) on the ‘Check-list of Red Sea group. Mollusca’. This was followed by a study of fossil Complete scaphopod shells have usually very specimens (Pliocene and Pleistocene), present in narrow apex ( 1 mm or less in diameter) thus they the above-mentioned collections, that was carried cannot be strung. Moreover apices are frequently out based on descriptions found in Sacco (1897), absent in shell assemblages from archaeological Caprottii 1961,1979) and Moshkovitz ( 1963,1968). 611 Aldona Kurzawska, Daniella E. Bar-YosefMayer and. Henk K. Mienis Classification of Scaphopoda in this study follows Shells were measured with a digital caliper. Steiner (1992), Steiner and Rabat (2001) and all Scaphopods found at archaeological sites consist species names are given after Steiner and Rabat mostly of segments or fragments of complete (2004). shells. We distinguish between segments that are incomplete shells that retain their tube-like form, B. 2. Database and terminology and fragments that are a part of a shell wall that does not appear as a complete tube or ring. Seg­ We chose to investigate the shell assemblages of ments were divided into the following categories: the following Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene sites Apical (the narrower end), middle, and apertural in Israel: Urkan e-Rub Ila (Rebaran) (Hovers et al. ( the widest end ) segments. This information, along 1988), Hayonim Cave (Belfer-Cohen 1988), Eynan with other species characteristics including number (Vallaet al. 2007), HilazonTachtit Cave (Grosman and shape of primary and secondary ribs visible and Munro 2007 ), Raqefet Cave (Nadel et al. 2008), in cross-section, type of intercostal structure (the Gilgal (Final Natufian and Pre-Pottery Neolithic structure in between the ribs), apex and aperture A) (Bar-Yosef et al. 2010) and Ramat Harif (GVIII) features, traces of growth interruptions as well as (Harifian) (Bar-YosefMayer 1999). A total of 5829 taphonomic observations (presence of holes made scaphopod shells were processed. by predators and their location, traces of burning, For each of the archaeological shell assemblages breakages) were entered into the database. The a database was created. It comprises: archaeological information was gathered while using a stereoscopic context information, species identification, size/ microscope (xlO - x40). measurements (length and diameter); shell shape, shell segment (apical, middle, apertural); apex/ C. Results aperture features (apical structure and section, following the terminology of Scarabino (1995); A total of5829 scaphopod shells were processed. shell sculpture (if ribbed - number of primary and The main results that pertain to species identifica­ secondary ribs), their shape in cross section, char­ tions from these sites are presented in Table 1. In acteristic of intercostal structures and presence of the studied assemblages, seven different species of growth interruptions. scaphopods were identified. In addition, some shells Table 1. Summary of scaphopod shells analyzed during the laboratory research Site Hilazon Urkan Gilgal Ramat Species Origin Hayonim Raqefet Eynan Tachtit e-Rub Harif Cave 06 (LII, Cave Ila III) (GVIII) Dentalium RS - - - - - - 18 bisexangulatum Dentalium reevei RS 11 - - 1 - 4 89 Dentalium clavus RS 1 - - 2 - 1 40 Dentalium reevei RS 6 - 1 2 - - 56 complex Antalis dentalis group MS 1528 188 10 - 16 14 106 Antalis vulgaris MS 1968 36 360 6 54 6 2 Antalis sp. MS 836 95 102 4 22 - 38 Fustiaria rubescens MS 2 - - - - - - Laevidentalium RS - - - - - - 54 longitrorsum Dentaliidae RS - - - - - 1 31 MS/ Scaphopoda 49 - 7 14 - - 48 RS/F MS/ Other shells 135 X X 2 162 X X RS/F Total: X 4536 319 480 31 254 26 482 612 Scaphopod Shells in the Natufian Culture (19%) were identified only at genus level (Antalis the Eastern Atlantic (and some authors consider A. sp.), a few (0.5%) at family level (Dentaliidae) and inaequicostata as the Mediterranean subspecies of some (2%) remained at class level without further the Atlantic A. novemcastata ). Another species that identification. At one site (Eynan) only three species appeared during the Pleistocene, Antalis vulgaris were present, but at Hayonim Cave and at Ramat (Da Costa, 1778), is characterized by multiple ribs Harif at least seven or eight different species of with as many as 30 at the apex that vanish towards scaphopods were present, both from the Mediter­ the aperture (Moshkovitz 1968). Its recent distri­ ranean and the Red Sea, as well as, possibly, fossil bution is confined to the Eastern Atlantic (Steiner scaphopods. and Rabat 2004). Antalis rossati (Caprotti, 1966) and Antalis panorma (Chenu, 1842) are additional D. Discussion Mediterranean scaphopods that are characterized by longitudinal ribs near the apex (vanishing and/or D.l. The natural scaphopod fauna changing into striae toward the aperture ) ( Caprotti 1966a; Poppe and Goto 2000:34). D.l.a.Fossil shells The following scaphopod species occur nowa­ days in the Eastern Mediterranean: Scaphopods are known from the Miocene Family Fustiariidae Steiner, 1991 through Pliocene in the Mediterranean basin Genus Fustiaria Stoliczka, 1868 from what used to be the Tethys sea and they are Fustiaria rubescens (Deshayes, 1826) represented by large and robust members of fam­ Family Dentaliidae Gray, 1834 ily Dentaliidae that are characterized by shells Genus Antalis H. and A. Adams, 1854 with an hexagonal cross-section (e.g. Dentalium Antalis dentalis (Linnaeus, 1758) sexangulum Gmelin, 1791, Dentalium michelotti Antalis inaequicostata (Dautzenberg, 1891) Hörnes, 1856). According to Moshkovitz (1963), Antalis panorma (Chenu, 1842) who studied them from deep sediment cores, they Antalis rossati (Caprotti, 1966) are common in the Pliocene horizons of the Israeli Antalis vulgaris (Da Costa, 1778) coastal plain. They are also known from different The term Antalis dentalis group relates to two exposures in Turkey, Syria, Cyprus and Lebanon similar species: Antalis dentalis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Roman 1940; Erünal-Erentöz 1958; Karakus and and Antalis inaequicostata (Dautzenberg, 1891). Taner 1994; îslamoglu et al. 2009; Bar-YosefMayer