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The evidence suggests that Nesher Ramla functioned as a seasonal water reservoir, attracting animals from various regions, including the Samaria mountains, the Judean foothills, and the coastal plain.
By Pesach Benson, TPS
New research reveals that early humans at the prehistoric site of Nesher Ramla in Israel’s coastal plain did not hunt indiscriminately but focused on specific species, sometimes scavenging or ambushing prey in findings that challenge previous assumptions about prehistoric man’s ability to adapt to environmental and predatory dynamics.
“Our research findings provide a fascinating glimpse into the behavior and relationship of early humans with their environment,” said Prof. Reuven Yeshurun of the School of Archaeology and Maritime Civilizations at the University of Haifa, one of the authors of the study.
Nesher Ramla, located near the modern city of Ramla, was excavated in 2010–2011 by Prof. Yossi Seidner of the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa.
The site consists of a large natural depression with archaeological layers up to eight meters thick, dating back to the Middle Paleolithic period.
Evidence from the lower layers of the excavation suggests the presence of hunting camps where early humans processed large animals such as wild cattle.
Researchers found bones bearing cut and break marks, flint tools for processing meat and hides, as well as fire remains.
However, the upper layers of the site told a different story. They contained bones from a broader range of animals, many of which were intact and showed minimal signs of human intervention.
This contrast raised an intriguing question: How did these animals die, and if they were not regularly hunted, why were their remains found at the site?
In a study recently published in the peer-reviewed Quaternary Science Reviews, doctoral student Meir Orbach and Yeshurun, along with colleagues from Hebrew University, the University of Connecticut, and the Catalan Institute for the Study of Ancient Ecology and Cultural Evolution, set out to analyze the remains.
They examined bone damage, the physical and chemical composition of herbivore teeth, and identified the animal species present at the site.
The study revealed a diverse range of animal remains, including herbivores such as the Eretz Israel deer, wild horses, and the extinct European wild ass. Other species included red deer, Carmel deer, Persian ass, an extinct species of rhinoceros, wild cattle, wild goats, wild boars, and even ostriches.
The evidence suggests that Nesher Ramla functioned as a seasonal water reservoir, attracting animals from various regions, including the Samaria mountains, the Judean foothills, and the coastal plain.
Microscopic analysis of the bones indicated that many had been gnawed by predators such as hyenas and lions, while only a few showed signs of human processing. Some remains were completely intact.
“This is not a site of early human habitation, but rather a concentration of animals that died under various circumstances, presumably after coming to drink from the waterhole,” Orbach explained.
“Some were hunted by early humans, some by predators like hyenas and lions, and some may have drowned or fallen due to natural causes. Human hunters and predators took advantage of the animals’ presence, possibly hunting from ambush or scavenging carcasses.”
The findings suggest that early humans at Nesher Ramla did not engage in indiscriminate hunting but instead showed selective patterns. While a variety of animals were available, evidence from similar sites indicates that wild cattle were the primary target for hunting.
“The prehistoric site of Nesher Ramla opens a window into understanding the behavior of early humans, the ancient landscape of the coastal plain, and the herds of animals that roamed it,” the researchers said.
“Humans exploited their environment in different ways—sometimes hunting opportunistically, as seen in this study, and other times selectively, as demonstrated by other sites from the same period, including the lower layers of Nesher Ramla itself.”
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