Underwater Excavations Reveal How Neolithic Village Adapted to Drought
Around 6,200 BC, the global climate experienced a dramatic shift. Temperatures dropped, sea levels rose, and the southern Levant, encompassing modern-day Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Lebanon, southern Syria, and the Sinai desert, faced a severe drought. Previously, archaeologists believed this abrupt climate event, known as the 8.2ka event, led to the widespread abandonment of coastal settlements in the region. However, new research suggests that at least one village, Habonim North, not only survived but thrived during this period.
Discovering Habonim North
The village of Habonim North, discovered off Israel’s Carmel Coast in the mid-2010s, has provided new insights into human resilience during the Neolithic period. Initially surveyed by a team led by the University of Haifa’s Ehud Arkin Shalev, the site underwent its first formal excavation during the COVID-19 lockdown, explains a UC San Diego release. This challenging endeavor was a coordinated 24/7 effort between partners at UC San Diego and the University of Haifa.
The full report on this has now been published by Antiquity Publications Ltd.
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 same university, the international team used sediment dredging, sampling, photogrammetry, and 3D modeling to excavate the site. They uncovered a wealth of artifacts, including pottery shards, stone tools, ceremonial weapons, fishing-net weights, animal and plant remains, and architectural structures.
Among other architecture, researchers excavated two adjoining walls at the submerged village of Habonim North. (UC Sandiego)
Evidence of Continuous Occupation
Radiocarbon dating of the recovered bones of wild and domesticated animals, charred seeds of wild plants, crops like wheat and lentils, and accompanying weeds traced these materials back to the Early Pottery Neolithic (EPN). This period coincided with both the invention of pottery and the 8.2ka event. The artifacts and architecture at Habonim North indicated continuous activity during the EPN and surprisingly, into the Late Pottery Neolithic, when the village was thought to have been abandoned.
The discovery of fishing-net weights and tools made of basalt, a stone not native to the region, suggests that the villagers adapted to the climate crisis by diversifying their economy. They incorporated maritime culture and trade, demonstrating their resilience and ability to thrive amidst environmental challenges.
Tools including these possible fishing net weights points to an economy that diversified once the region entered a drought during the 8.2ka climate event. (UC Sandiego)
Resilience Through Innovation
The findings at Habonim North highlight the village’s ability to adapt through innovation and cultural development. The researchers noted signs of an economy that expanded beyond farming to include fishing and trade, which helped the village sustain itself during the 8.2ka event. The presence of fishing-net weights and basalt tools, along with a ceremonial mace head, points to a society that developed new strategies for survival and maintained a distinct cultural identity.
“This study helped fill a gap in our understanding of the early settlement of the Eastern Mediterranean coastline,” said Thomas Levy, a co-author on the paper and co-director of the Center for Cyber-Archaeology and Sustainability at the UC San Diego Qualcomm Institute. “It deals with human resilience.”
In situ kurkar bowl found at the site. (Nickelsberg et al./Antiquity Publications Ltd)
Technological Advances in Archaeology
The research team leveraged advanced technology to enhance their study of Habonim North. Through 3D “digital twin” technology and collaboration between Haifa and UC San Diego QI, they recreated the excavation virtually and 3D-printed artifacts, allowing for further analysis and study. This innovative approach earned the team an Innovations in Networking Award for Research Applications from CENIC for their exemplary work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shifting Perspectives on Ancient Societies
The 8.2ka event, potentially triggered by the collapse of the Laurentide ice sheet, which altered ocean currents and global temperatures, was a significant climatic upheaval. However, the discovery of continuous social activity at Habonim North suggests that early Neolithic societies were more resilient than previously thought. The villagers’ ability to adapt and thrive laid the foundations for later urban societies, highlighting the importance of viewing historical developments through the lens of resilience rather than collapse.
“To me, what’s important is to change how we look at things,” said Nickelsberg.
“Many archaeologists like to look at the collapse of civilizations. Maybe it’s time to start looking at the development of human culture, rather than its destruction and abandonment.”
The study, published in the journal Antiquity, underscores the resilience of early human societies and their capacity to adapt to environmental challenges, offering valuable lessons for understanding our own responses to climate change today.
Top image: Divers on a research team examine architectural remains at the underwater village of Habonim North, off Israel's Carmel Coast. Source: UC Sandiego
By Gary Manners
