Isaac Gilead
Biographic Data
| ID | 109142 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Isaac Gilead |
| GIVEN NAMES | Isaac |
| FAMILY NAME | Gilead |
| SIGNATURE | GILEAD I |
| AFFILIATIONS | Ben-Gurion University of the Negev |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 56 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 449 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 56 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1979 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 10 |
New Insights on an Old Excavation
Revisiting collections from old excavations with new research objectives and analytical tools brings them to life and integrates them into evolving models of human-landscape interactions. This paper examines hominin behaviour and adaptations at the late Middle Palaeolithic open air camp site Far’ah II, dated to ~ 49 ka by analyzing the spatial patterning of assemblages from the 1976–1978 excavation seasons. This was facilitated by the large area …
Living in an ecotone
The north-western Negev is an under-researched ecotonal region. We excavated two late Middle Palaeolithic open-air sites and recovered rich lithic industries that could be refitted, as well as remains of fauna, and charcoal. Palaeoenvironmental information and dates indicate interesting inter-site differences
Introduction to special issue
Ghassulian Sickle Blade Workshops - The Case of Mitḥam C, Beer Sheva, Israel
Jacob Vardi, יעקב ורדי, Peter Fabian, פטר פביאן, Isaac Gilead, יצחק גלעד, Ghassulian Sickle Blade Workshops - בתי מלאכה ע'סוליים ללהבי מגל, Mitekufat Haeven: Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society / מתקופת האבן, כרך נ (2020), pp. 166-191
Ofer Bar-Yosef (1937-2020) and the New Israeli Prehistory
A Russian Before and After the Revolution
This paper offers a reappraisal of the Levantine prehistoric chronological sequence constructed by Pyotr Petrovich Efimenko (1884–1969). As a young Russian prehistorian, Efimenko visited Palestine in 1913, collected material from several sites and, in 1915, published a synthesis in which he compared the prehistory of Europe with that of the Near East. This was part of his comprehensive monograph on the Prehistory of Eurasia which was also based o…
Petrographic Study of the Pottery Assemblages from Ḥorvat Qarqar South, a Ghassulian Chalcolithic Cemetery in the Southern Levant
A petrographic study has been conducted on 181 identifiable, mostly complete vessels originating from Ḥorvat Qarqar South in the southern Shephelah, Israel. This is one of the largest Ghassulian Chalcolithic cemeteries in the southern Levant known to date. The results of the petrographic study demonstrate that 49% of the examined vessels were made non-locally, an unusual percentage for ceramic assemblages originating at a Ghassulian Chalcolithic …
Casting the sacred
Fifty Years Later
Isaac Gilead, Milena Gošić, יצחק גלעד, מילנה גושיץ', לאחר 50 שנה: מבט ביקורתי על הסטרטיגרפיה, הכרונולוגיה והקונטקסט של המטמון מנחל משמר / Fifty Years Later: A Critical Review of the Stratigraphy, Chronology and Context of the Nahal Mishmar Hoard, Mitekufat Haeven: Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society / מתקופת האבן, כרך מ"ד (2014), pp. 226-239
Excavations at Horbat 'Illit B
Ianir Milevski, Jacob Vardi, Isaac Gilead, Anna Eirikh-Rose, Michal Birkenfeld, Henk K. Mienis, Liora Kolska Horwitz, יניר מילבסקי, יעקב ורדי, יצחק גלעד, אנה אייריך-רוז, מיכל בירקנפלד, הנק ק. מיניס, ליאורה ק. הורביץ, חפירות באתר הכלקוליתי הע'סולי של חורבת עילית ב' בעמק האלה / Excavations at Horbat 'Illit B: A Chalcolithic (Ghassulian) Site in the Haelah Valley, Mitekufat Haeven: Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society / מתקופת האבן, כרך מ"ג (20…
Chalcolithic – Early Bronze Age I Transition in the Southern Levant
Cet article procède à un examen comparatif des assemblages d’outils lithiques du Ghassoulien, culture principale du Chalcolithique, et de ceux des premières phases du Bronze ancien. Il a été proposé récemment que les lames cananéennes, qui représentent un type d’outil typique du Bronze ancien I, apparaissaient dès le Ghassoulien. Selon nous, cette thèse est invalidée par les différences importantes observées entre les assemblages d’outils lithiqu…
Secondary burial cemeteries, visibility and land tenure
Shape Reproducibility and architectural symmetry during the Chalcolithic period in the southern Levant
Spinning in the 5th millennium in the Southern Levant
Artifacts and products related to spinning became relatively abundant in the southern Levant during the latter half of the 5th millennium BCE. Contrary to widespread scholarly opinions wool was not used for yarn production. Flax was the only fibre used. All the sites with remains of textiles or evidence for intensification of spinning are currently within the semi-arid zone, lacking the conditions favoured for flax cultivation or excess water for…
Reaping bare fields
Tracing sickle blade levels of wear and discard patterns
Settlement patterns, social complexity and agricultural strategies during the Chalcolithic period in the Northern Negev, Israel
Chalcolithic Agricultural Life at Grar, Northern Negev, Israel
Il est généralement admis qu’au Chalcolithique (4700-3800 avant J.-C.) dans le Nord-Néguev, les champs sont situés dans des plaines inondables et que s’y pratique une irrigation par eaux de ruissellement. Nous présentons ici une étude menée à Grar, site chalcolithique se trouvant sur le plateau de loess des rives du Nahal Grar, pour laquelle ont été examinés quantitativement des assemblages phytolithiques de deux aires de fouille distinctes. Les …
The Besorian
The “Besorian phase” and the “Qatifian culture” were defined in the late 1980s. They were regarded as Late Neolithic/ Early Chalcolithic entities, about 7000-6500 years old, and precursors of the Chalcolithic Ghassulian culture. During the last fifteen years, new Late Neolithic/ Early Chalcolithic sites have been excavated and more 14C dates of this time span are now available. Worth noting are the recently published stratigraphy and new dates of…
More Than Meets the Eye. Studies on Upper Palaeolithic Diversity in The Near East by Nigel A. Goring-Morris, Anna Belfer-Cohen
Analysis of Byzantine mortars from the Negev Desert, Israel, and subsequent environmental and economic implications
The Late Neolithic and Chalcolithic Periods in the Southern Levant, New Data from The Site of Teleilat Ghassul, Jordan, BAR International Series 974 by Jaimie L. Lovell
The History of the Chalcolithic Settlement in the Nahal Beer Sheva Area
There are now dozens of 14C determinations from the Chalcolithic sites in the Nahal Beer Sheva area, most of them from the site of Shiqmim. The role of those dates, and stratigraphy, in establishing the history of the Chalcolithic settlement is described. Outlined also are the problems and prospects of defining phases of settlement by averaging sets of radiocarbon dates. The radiometric data suggest that the sites of Horvat Beter and Bir es-Safad…
Upper Palaeolithic Sites in the Ramat Matred Area
In the course of the survey on the Ramat Matred plateau, four new Upper Palaeolithic sites—RM I, RM IV, HL IV, and HL V — have been found and collected. The first is a large site with numerous artefacts, while the other three are small and poor. On the basis of techno-typological analyses, the flint assemblages are dated to the second half of the Upper Palaeolithic period (c. 25,000–17000 B.P.). RM I and possibly RM IV are assemblages dominated b…
Early Upper Paleolithic Sites in the Qadesh Barnea Area, NE Sinai
The Upper Paleolithic period in the Levant
The chalcolithic period in the Levant
Far'ah II
The middle palaeolithic open-air site of Far'ah II was discovered and tested by the British Western Negev Expedition during the years 1972–73 (Price Williams 1973; 1975). After the British team concluded its field programme in 1976, the Archaeological Division of Ben Gurion University of the Negev in collaboration with the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem took over. For three seasons during 1976, 1977, and 1978, the …
Implications of Border Cave Skeletal Remains for Later Pleistocene Human Evolution [and Comments and Reply]
Recent excavations have helped to clarify the cultural and stratigraphic sequences at Border Cave, and human skeletal remains recovered at this South African site may well be associated with a Middle Stone Age industry. A partial adult cranium is of particular interest, and this was originally described as quite different both from African Negro and from Bushman individuals. Eleven measurements were taken on the fossil, and these provide a basis …
Early Upper Paleolithic Sites in the Qadesh Barnea Area, NE Sinai
This paper describes four Upper Paleolithic sites from NE Sinai, near Quseime. Three of them are in a primary context, two of which yielded radiocarbon dates of ca. 33,000–32,000 years b.p. They are embedded in a silt-sand terrace that is attributed to a relatively wet phase of the Early Upper Paleolithic period. The sites are small camps, remnants of living surfaces, with numerous flint artifacts, limestone anvils and hammers, ochre flecks, and …
Chalcolithic Agricultural Life at Grar, Northern Negev, Israel
Il est généralement admis qu’au Chalcolithique (4700-3800 avant J.-C.) dans le Nord-Néguev, les champs sont situés dans des plaines inondables et que s’y pratique une irrigation par eaux de ruissellement. Nous présentons ici une étude menée à Grar, site chalcolithique se trouvant sur le plateau de loess des rives du Nahal Grar, pour laquelle ont été examinés quantitativement des assemblages phytolithiques de deux aires de fouille distinctes. Les …
Settlement patterns, social complexity and agricultural strategies during the Chalcolithic period in the Northern Negev, Israel
Upper Palaeolithic Occurrences in Sinai and the transition to the Epi-palaeolithic in the Southern Levant
During the last decade numerous Upper Palaeolithic sites have been discovered in northern Sinai. The flint assemblages of these sites do not fall into any of the previously known phases which were described by Neuville and Garrod. This fact, along with early C14 dates for few assemblages (ca. 30,000 B.C.), present a new aspect of the Upper Palaeolithic. The Upper Palaeolithic assemblages from Gebel Maghara (northern Sinai) are analysed here since…
The Besorian
The “Besorian phase” and the “Qatifian culture” were defined in the late 1980s. They were regarded as Late Neolithic/ Early Chalcolithic entities, about 7000-6500 years old, and precursors of the Chalcolithic Ghassulian culture. During the last fifteen years, new Late Neolithic/ Early Chalcolithic sites have been excavated and more 14C dates of this time span are now available. Worth noting are the recently published stratigraphy and new dates of…
Stations of the Chalcolithic Period in Nahal Sekher, Northern Negev
This article describes small stations of the Chalcolithic period from the Nahal Sekher area, South of Ramat Hovav. This part of Nahal Sekher is covered by sands and is therefore greener than its surroundings. The stations consist of small ash-pits with few fragments of Chalcolithic pottery — bowls, jars and cornets — and flint artifacts. The stations are interpreted as encampments of herders coming from larger sites to exploit the greener pasture…
Tracing sickle blade levels of wear and discard patterns
Analysis of Byzantine mortars from the Negev Desert, Israel, and subsequent environmental and economic implications
New Excavations at Tel Erani
(1991). New Excavations at Tel Erani: A Preliminary Report of the 1985–1988 Seasons. Tel Aviv: Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 164-191
Geometric Kebaran sites in Nahal Rut Area, Western Negev, Israel
The Nahal Rut — Nahal Nizzana area is very rich in sites of the Terminal Pleistocene times. The report below describes the cultural assemblages of four Geometric Kebaran sites adjacent to Nahal Rut : Nahal Rut 48A - Nahal Rut 48D. These are four clusters which are a few hundred meters apart. The lithic assemblages are dominated by the trapeze/rectangles although there are some intrusive elements. Of special interest are decorated ostrich egg shel…
The Upper Palaeolithic to Epi-Palaeolithic Transition in the Levant
Le Paléolithique supérieur, en particulier le Paléolithique supérieur récent, présente des assemblages lithiques témoignant d'une grande complexité tant sur le plan technologique que typologique; celle-ci qui reste mal comprise est une entrave à une définition précise de la transition Paléolithique supérieur/épipaléolithique fondée sur des critères typologiques. Aussi l'auteur est-il conduit à proposer de simplifier cette complexité en étendant l…
Palaeolithic Sites in Northeastern Sinai
Old Stone Age assemblages from northeastern Sinai are described in this report. This is the first evidence for the occupation of the Sinai coastal plain during the Palaeolithic. The diffused scatter of A-306 includes Middle Palaeolithic artefacts which represent the earliest known settlement of the coastal plain in Sinai. A-306a is an Upper Palaeolithic assemblage dominated microliths. A-302 is an Epi-Palaeolithic assemblage of the Moushabian tra…
The Micro-Endscraper
Although certain aspects of the material culture of the Chalco lithic period have been known for more than fifty years, the flint assemblages of this time-span have been studied only sporadically. The large samples of flint artifacts recovered in the large-scale excavations of Teleilat Ghassul and the Beer Sheva sites have been only briefly described or totally ignored. The flint assemblages of T. Ghassul were published in Ghassul I-II by Neuvill…
Chalcolithic Sites in Northeastern Sinai
Is the Term 'Epipalaeolithic' Relevant to Levantine Prehistory
Chalcolithic – Early Bronze Age I Transition in the Southern Levant
Cet article procède à un examen comparatif des assemblages d’outils lithiques du Ghassoulien, culture principale du Chalcolithique, et de ceux des premières phases du Bronze ancien. Il a été proposé récemment que les lames cananéennes, qui représentent un type d’outil typique du Bronze ancien I, apparaissaient dès le Ghassoulien. Selon nous, cette thèse est invalidée par les différences importantes observées entre les assemblages d’outils lithiqu…
Spinning in the 5th millennium in the Southern Levant
Artifacts and products related to spinning became relatively abundant in the southern Levant during the latter half of the 5th millennium BCE. Contrary to widespread scholarly opinions wool was not used for yarn production. Flax was the only fibre used. All the sites with remains of textiles or evidence for intensification of spinning are currently within the semi-arid zone, lacking the conditions favoured for flax cultivation or excess water for…
Shape Reproducibility and architectural symmetry during the Chalcolithic period in the southern Levant
Chalcolithic Sites in Beit Netofa Valley, Lower Galilee, Israel
Description of two Chalcolithic assemblages recently found in the Lower Galilee (Israel). The assemblages found on the surface of what seems to be large open-air sites, include typical Ghassulian flint artifacts and pottery vessels, along with finds of Late Neolithic affinities. Until now, Chalcolithic sites from the Galilee were hardly known, and the recent finds suggest that a systematic study of the protohistory of this part of Israel is promi…
New Insights on an Old Excavation
Revisiting collections from old excavations with new research objectives and analytical tools brings them to life and integrates them into evolving models of human-landscape interactions. This paper examines hominin behaviour and adaptations at the late Middle Palaeolithic open air camp site Far’ah II, dated to ~ 49 ka by analyzing the spatial patterning of assemblages from the 1976–1978 excavation seasons. This was facilitated by the large area …
Early Upper Paleolithic Sites in the Qadesh Barnea Area, NE Sinai
Implications of Border Cave Skeletal Remains for Later Pleistocene Human Evolution [and Comments and Reply]
Recent excavations have helped to clarify the cultural and stratigraphic sequences at Border Cave, and human skeletal remains recovered at this South African site may well be associated with a Middle Stone Age industry. A partial adult cranium is of particular interest, and this was originally described as quite different both from African Negro and from Bushman individuals. Eleven measurements were taken on the fossil, and these provide a basis …
Prospection préhistorique dans le Néguev septentrional
During two seasons in 1977 and 1978 areas adjacent to the Yatir Observatory and Tell Arad (Northern Negev, Israel) were surveyed. The area and the main finds are described, emphasizing the better representation of Epi-paleolithic sites in the area
Chalcolithic Sites in Northeastern Sinai
Chalcolithic Sites in Northeastern Sinai
Upper Palaeolithic Occurrences in Sinai and the transition to the Epi-palaeolithic in the Southern Levant
During the last decade numerous Upper Palaeolithic sites have been discovered in northern Sinai. The flint assemblages of these sites do not fall into any of the previously known phases which were described by Neuville and Garrod. This fact, along with early C14 dates for few assemblages (ca. 30,000 B.C.), present a new aspect of the Upper Palaeolithic. The Upper Palaeolithic assemblages from Gebel Maghara (northern Sinai) are analysed here since…
The Micro-Endscraper
Although certain aspects of the material culture of the Chalco lithic period have been known for more than fifty years, the flint assemblages of this time-span have been studied only sporadically. The large samples of flint artifacts recovered in the large-scale excavations of Teleilat Ghassul and the Beer Sheva sites have been only briefly described or totally ignored. The flint assemblages of T. Ghassul were published in Ghassul I-II by Neuvill…
The Micro-Endscraper
Far'ah II
The middle palaeolithic open-air site of Far'ah II was discovered and tested by the British Western Negev Expedition during the years 1972–73 (Price Williams 1973; 1975). After the British team concluded its field programme in 1976, the Archaeological Division of Ben Gurion University of the Negev in collaboration with the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem took over. For three seasons during 1976, 1977, and 1978, the …
Palaeolithic Sites in Northeastern Sinai
Old Stone Age assemblages from northeastern Sinai are described in this report. This is the first evidence for the occupation of the Sinai coastal plain during the Palaeolithic. The diffused scatter of A-306 includes Middle Palaeolithic artefacts which represent the earliest known settlement of the coastal plain in Sinai. A-306a is an Upper Palaeolithic assemblage dominated microliths. A-302 is an Epi-Palaeolithic assemblage of the Moushabian tra…
Is the Term 'Epipalaeolithic' Relevant to Levantine Prehistory
The Settlement Patterns at Gebel Maghara (Northern Sinai) in The Upper Palaeolithic
Y. GILEAD, I. Gilead, The Settlement Patterns at Gebel Maghara (Northern Sinai) in the Upper Palaeolithic, Mitekufat Haeven: Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society / מתקופת האבן, כרך י"ח (תשמ"ו / 1985), pp. 67*-69
Quaternary Environment and Man at Nahal Sekher, Northern Negev
YUVAL GOREN, ISAAC GILEAD, Quaternary Environment and Man at Nahal Sekher, Northern Negev, Mitekufat Haeven: Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society / מתקופת האבן, כרך י"ט (תשמ"ו / 1986), pp. 66*-79
Stations of the Chalcolithic Period in Nahal Sekher, Northern Negev
This article describes small stations of the Chalcolithic period from the Nahal Sekher area, South of Ramat Hovav. This part of Nahal Sekher is covered by sands and is therefore greener than its surroundings. The stations consist of small ash-pits with few fragments of Chalcolithic pottery — bowls, jars and cornets — and flint artifacts. The stations are interpreted as encampments of herders coming from larger sites to exploit the greener pasture…
Excavations of Protohistoric Sites in The Nahal Besor and The Late Neolithic of The Northern Negev
ISAAC GILEAD, DAVID ALON, Excavations of Protohistoric Sites in the Nahal Besor and the Late Neolithic of the Northern Negev, Mitekufat Haeven: Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society / מתקופת האבן, כרך כא (תשמ"ט / 1988), pp. 109*-130
Shiqmim and the Chalcolithic Period In Southern Israel
The Upper Palaeolithic to Epi-Palaeolithic Transition in the Levant
Le Paléolithique supérieur, en particulier le Paléolithique supérieur récent, présente des assemblages lithiques témoignant d'une grande complexité tant sur le plan technologique que typologique; celle-ci qui reste mal comprise est une entrave à une définition précise de la transition Paléolithique supérieur/épipaléolithique fondée sur des critères typologiques. Aussi l'auteur est-il conduit à proposer de simplifier cette complexité en étendant l…
The chalcolithic period in the Levant
Les Hommes de Mallaha (Eynan) Israel
Knapped Limestone Series from The Chalcolithic Period of The Northern Negev, Israel
ISAAC GILEAD, Knapped Limestone Series from the Chalcolithic Period of the Northern Negev, Israel, Mitekufat Haeven: Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society / מתקופת האבן, כרך כב (תש"ן / 1989), pp. 98*-110
Petrographic Analyses of Fourth Millennium B. C. Pottery and Stone Vessels from the Northern Negev, Israel
This article presents results of a petrographic analysis of Chalcolithic period pottery and stone vessels from the northern Negev. The data base consists of about 400 thin sections from more than 20 Chalcolithic sites. Most of the pottery vessels were produced in the immediate vicinity of the sites, excluding Gilat, which probably was a central site. The Cream Ware were made of Eocene chalk and a few pieces were transferred to sites away from the…
Grar
Grar is one of the largest Chalcolithic sites in southern Israel. The first part of this article presents an overview of the results of excavations carried out on the site during 1981–1987. The site of Grar is a cluster of occupational units once inhabited by sedentary farmers growing cereals and raising sheep, goats, pigs, and cattle. Grar is similar to other sites in the northern Negev previously considered as ephemeral. This suggests that the …
Geometric Kebaran sites in Nahal Rut Area, Western Negev, Israel
The Nahal Rut — Nahal Nizzana area is very rich in sites of the Terminal Pleistocene times. The report below describes the cultural assemblages of four Geometric Kebaran sites adjacent to Nahal Rut : Nahal Rut 48A - Nahal Rut 48D. These are four clusters which are a few hundred meters apart. The lithic assemblages are dominated by the trapeze/rectangles although there are some intrusive elements. Of special interest are decorated ostrich egg shel…
Chalcolithic Sites in Beit Netofa Valley, Lower Galilee, Israel
Description of two Chalcolithic assemblages recently found in the Lower Galilee (Israel). The assemblages found on the surface of what seems to be large open-air sites, include typical Ghassulian flint artifacts and pottery vessels, along with finds of Late Neolithic affinities. Until now, Chalcolithic sites from the Galilee were hardly known, and the recent finds suggest that a systematic study of the protohistory of this part of Israel is promi…
The Neolithic-Chalcolithic Transition and the Qatifian of the Northern Negev and Sinai
During the years 19291930 E. Macdonald (1932) surveyed and excavated several protohistoric sites in the Nahal Besor area, adjacent to Tell Fara. A few of Macdonald's sites were later re-excavated and studied by other archaeologists. J. Perrot (1962), after excavating the Beer Sheva sites of the Chalcolithic period, made soundings in parts of sites A and D (his'Gisement I et 2) which had not been studied by Macdonald. D. Alon surveyed and excavate…
The Natufian as Seen from The Upper Palaeolithic Period
Geography (47 works) · Archaeology (45 works) · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies (33 works) · History (28 works) · Archaeology and Historical Studies (27 works) · Ancient history (24 works) · Chalcolithic (22 works) · Bronze Age (21 works) · Geology (21 works) · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology (20 works)