Nesher Ramla Homo

File:Nesher Ramla Homo fossils- reconstruction of their location in the head.png

File:Nesher Ramla Homo fossils- a skull fragment and a lower jaw.jpg

The Nesher Ramla Homo group are an extinct population of archaic humans who lived during the Middle Pleistocene in what is now Israel. In 2010, evidence of a tool industry had been discovered during a year of archaeological excavations at the {{ill|Nesher Ramla|de|Nesher Ramla|he|נשר רמלה (אתר פלאוליתי)}} site. In 2021, the first Nesher Ramla Homo individual was identified from remains discovered during further excavations.

Taxonomy

{{Location map many| Israel

| relief = yes

| caption = Locations of the Nesher Ramla remains, alongside locations of previously discovered human fossils that a team led by Zaidner in 2021 hypothesised as representing the same group

| coordinates1 = {{coord|31.9079|34.9285}}

| label1 = Nesher Ramla

| coordinates2 = {{coord|32.11|34.98}}

| label2 = Qesem Cave

| coordinates3 = {{coord|32.855797|35.527210}}

| label3 = Mugharet el-Zuttiyeh

| coordinates4 = {{coord|32|40|13.80|N|34|57|55.80|E}}

| label4 = Tabun Cave

| float = right

}}

The Nesher Ramla site was discovered in a karst depression following quarrying from a nearby cement factory. The site was excavated by archaeologists between 2010–2011 and yielded artefacts in archaeological deposits from the Middle Paleolithic that were reported by D. Friesem, Y. Zaidner, and R. Shahack-Gross.{{Cite journal|last1=Friesem|first1=David E.|last2=Zaidner|first2=Yossi|last3=Shahack-Gross|first3=Ruth|date=8 May 2014|title=Formation processes and combustion features at the lower layers of the Middle Palaeolithic open-air site of Nesher Ramla, Israel|url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1040618213001560|url-access=subscription|journal=Quaternary International|language=en|volume=331|pages=128–138|doi=10.1016/j.quaint.2013.03.023|bibcode=2014QuInt.331..128F|issn=1873-4553|oclc=67285037}} Evidence of a lithic industry was found during the excavation. The artefacts from the site contained Levallois tools and lithic cores.{{Citation|last1=Zaidner|first1=Yossi|title=An Open-Air Site at Nesher Ramla, Israel, and New Insights into Levantine Middle Paleolithic Technology and Site Use|date=2018|url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-981-10-6826-3_2|url-access=subscription|work=The Middle and Upper Paleolithic Archeology of the Levant and Beyond|pages=11–33|editor-last=Nishiaki|editor-first=Yoshihiro|place=Singapore|publisher=Springer Singapore|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-981-10-6826-3_2|isbn=978-981-10-6825-6|last2=Centi|first2=Laura|last3=Prevost|first3=Marion|last4=Shemer|first4=Maayan|last5=Varoner|first5=Oz|editor2-last=Akazawa|editor2-first=Takeru|oclc=1203992920}}

Later excavations led by anthropologist Israel Hershkovitz in 2021 led to the discovery of five pieces of a braincase and a nearly-complete lower jaw. The remains were dated to 140–120 kya, during the Middle Pleistocene.

Hershkovitz speculated that the specimen might be categorised as among the last survivors of a population that would contribute to the Neanderthals and East Asian Homo.{{Cite journal|last1=Hershkovitz|first1=Israel|last2=May|first2=Hila|last3=Sarig|first3=Rachel|last4=Pokhojaev|first4=Ariel|last5=Grimaud-Hervé|first5=Dominique|last6=Bruner|first6=Emiliano|last7=Fornai|first7=Cinzia|last8=Quam|first8=Rolf|last9=Arsuaga|first9=Juan Luis|last10=Krenn|first10=Viktoria A.|last11=Martinón-Torres|first11=Maria|date=25 June 2021|title=A Middle Pleistocene Homo from Nesher Ramla, Israel|url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abh3169|url-access=subscription|journal=Science|language=en|volume=372|issue=6549|pages=1424–1428|doi=10.1126/science.abh3169|bibcode=2021Sci...372.1424H |s2cid=235628111|issn=0036-8075|oclc=1644869}} Philip Rightmire of Harvard University did not agree with the findings, believing instead that properly, the skull should be categorised as among early Neanderthals. Rightmire also discussed the possibility of a Neanderthal population having migrated to the area from Europe.{{Cite journal|last=Jones|first=Nicola|date=25 June 2021|title=Mysterious skull fossils expand human family tree — but questions remain|journal=Nature|language=en|volume=595|issue=7865|pages=20|doi=10.1038/d41586-021-01738-w|doi-access=free|pmid=34172962|bibcode=2021Natur.595...20J |issn=0028-0836|oclc=759932692}} Yoel Rak of Tel Aviv University stated that the mandible bore characteristics typical of a Neanderthal, and that the specimen itself should be classified as a Neanderthal.{{cite journal |last1=Marrom|first1=Assaf |last2=Rak |first2=Yoel |date=2 December 2021 |title=Comment on "A Middle Pleistocene Homo from Nesher Ramla, Israel" |journal=Science |volume=374 |issue=6572 |pages= eabl4336|doi-access=free|doi=10.1126/science.abl4336|pmid=34855484 |issn=0036-8075}}

Artefacts

More than 6,000 stone tools were excavated in the fossil-bearing sediment of the site. The Nesher Ramla Homo population mastered stone tool production technologies previously known among Neanderthals and Homo sapiens. The team led by Zaidner interpreted the presence of this tool industry as evidence of cultural interactions between Nesher Ramla populations and Homo sapiens populations.{{Cite journal|last1=Zaidner|first1=Yossi|last2=Centi|first2=Laura|last3=Prévost|first3=Marion|last4=Mercier|first4=Norbert|last5=Falguères|first5=Christophe|last6=Guérin|first6=Gilles|last7=Valladas|first7=Hélène|last8=Richard|first8=Maïlys|last9=Galy|first9=Asmodée|last10=Pécheyran|first10=Christophe|last11=Tombret|first11=Olivier|date=25 June 2021|title=Middle Pleistocene Homo behavior and culture at 140,000 to 120,000 years ago and interactions with Homo sapiens|url=https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abh3020|url-access=|journal=Science|language=en|volume=372|issue=6549|pages=1429–1433|doi=10.1126/science.abh3020|bibcode=2021Sci...372.1429Z |s2cid=235628141|issn=0036-8075|oclc=1644869}}

Gallery

File:Video showing the reconstructed location of Nesher Ramla 1 on a skull.webm|Video showing the location on a skull of the skullcap fragment dubbed "Nesher Ramla 1"

Nesher Ramla 2 Homo mandible (lower jaw).jpg|Mandible (lower jaw

Scan of the mandible (lower jaw) Nesher Ramla 2.jpg|Scan of the mandible (lower jaw)

File:Levallois flake from Nesher Ramla.jpg|Levallois flake found at Nesher Ramla

Nesher Ramla Homo

Taxonomy

Artefacts

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading