A long-lost ritual site has been uncovered in the most remote and secluded section of a cave situated in present-day northern Israel. Groups of Homo sapiens are believed to have gathered in this cave for torch-lit ceremonies, possibly driven by mythological or religious motivations, as early as approximately 37,000 years ago, according to a study published on December 9 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This discovery of a unique chamber within Manot Cave provides the earliest documented evidence of collective ritual practices in the Middle East, according to archaeologist Omry Barzilai of the University of Haifa and his team. They estimate that up to around 100 individuals could have comfortably occupied this space.

The ritual compound in Manot Cave bears a striking resemblance to an older cave chamber found in France. Neanderthals constructed circular structures using broken rock formations inside Bruniquel Cave around 176,500 years ago, though the purpose of these constructions remains uncertain. Both European Neanderthals and Homo sapiens were also known to paint and draw on cave walls at least 40,000 years ago.

"The deliberate creation of enclosed spaces deep within caves is a practice shared by Middle Eastern Homo sapiens with Neanderthals and early Homo sapiens in Europe," notes archaeologist Paul Pettitt of Durham University in England. He suggests that activities beyond daily survival, such as rituals involving regional groups of hunter-gatherers, may have taken place in caves before the advent of cave wall decorations.

Previous excavations near the entrance of Manot Cave have unearthed stone tools, butchered animal bones, and other artifacts, indicating regular human presence from about 46,000 to 33,000 years ago. This period overlaps with the time when collective rituals were conducted at the cave's rear. Fossil evidence has previously placed Homo sapiens at this site as early as 50,000 years ago.

The ritual chamber's activity coincides with a period when artifacts in the living areas exhibit influences from Europe's ancient Aurignacian culture. This culture is characterized by distinctive stone tools, bone points, ivory beads and figurines, and early cave art. "Manot Cave's ritual compound is linked to incoming Aurignacian populations from Europe, likely reflecting their established ritual practices," Barzilai explains. The cave's exceptional natural acoustics would have made it an ideal venue for group ceremonies.

A series of slender, natural rock formations just outside the rear chamber of Manot Cave appear to act as a guard. Inside the chamber, a round boulder placed in a niche features engraved lines that form a three-dimensional representation of a tortoise shell, according to Barzilai. Microscopic marks within the V-shaped grooves suggest that these engravings were made using sharp stones.

Barzilai hypothesizes that collective rituals at Manot Cave may have centered around the tortoise shell replica. The spiritual significance of tortoises to ancient Middle Easterners, who often collected these slow-moving creatures for food, remains unclear. However, tortoise shells became increasingly common in the graves of prominent individuals in this region towards the end of the Stone Age.

Barzilai's team determined a minimum age for the engraving by analyzing the decay rate of radioactive uranium in a thin mineral crust that had formed on the boulder. The accuracy of this dating method for cave paintings is currently under debate. A close match in the chemical composition of the mineral crust to that of previously dated rock formations in the cave helped to narrow the age estimate to between roughly 37,000 and 35,000 years ago.

A mineral layer on a deer antler found on the chamber floor was dated to around the same period. The researchers identified several small, human-made incisions on the antler. Wood ash particles detected in a rock formation inside the chamber indicated that visitors had used torches to illuminate the otherwise pitch-black space. No remnants of fire pits were found.

Source link:   https://www.sciencenews.org