Misliya: anthropological perspective

The origin of Anatomically Modern Homo sapiens (AMHS) and the fate of Neandertals have been fundamental questions in human evolutionary studies for over a century and continue to dominate paleoanthropology today (Marean and Thompson, 2003). Many decades of excavations at the Mount Carmel caves (Garrod and Bate, 1937; McCown and Keith, 1939; Bar-Yosef et al., 1992) revealed the remains of both Neandertals and AMHS. Early AMHS, dated to ca. 100,000 (from 130-80,000) BP, appear to have inhabited the caves some 40-60,000 years before the Levantine Neandertals. Only for Tabun, the coexistence of Neanderthals and AMHS is suggested for the same layer, complicating the picture for modern human evolution. The direct predecessors of both human types in the Levant are unknown. A major obstacle to resolving these questions has been the lack of substantial and accurately dated hominid fossils from between 100,000 and 300,000 BP. Once unearthed, these will shed important light on the roots of inter-specific competition and the development of behavioral modernity in the area (Shea, 2003).
With the newly discovered remains of AMHS in Ethiopia (White et al., 2003), dated to 160,000-154,000 BP, the interest of the anthropological world has shifted once again to one of the fundamental issues in human paleontology: Where and when did modern humans first appear and what were their routes of dispersal? The hominid crania from Herto, Ethiopia, provided, for the first time, evidence on the location, timing and contextual circumstances of the emergence of Homo sapiens. Predating classic Neandertals, but exhibiting none of their derived features, these hominids manifest an intermediate morphology between archaic African fossils and later AMHS. White and colleagues (2003:745) described them as being "on the verge of anatomical modernity but not yet fully modern". These Ethiopian hominids lack any derived affinity with modern African crania or with any other modern group. They are likewise distinct from Pleistocene representatives of AMHS. Therefore, the Herto crania have been recognized by White et al (2003) as Homo sapiens idaltu, a new palaeosubspecies of Homo sapiens.
If the Ethiopian fossils at 160,000 are morphologically beyond the range of variation seen in AMHS, while Qafzeh and Skhul, at ca. 100,000 years are already fully modern, the key question is: What did the ultimate ancestor to Skhul and Qafzeh hominids look like? Are we going to find an Israeli "idaltu" at Misliya Cave? Although there are other African early AMHS dating from about 260,000-130,000 BP, their dating is questionable. Stringer (2003) stated "… the most securely dated and complete early fossils that unequivocally share an anatomical pattern with today's H. sapiens are actually from Israel, rather than Africa" (p. 692). The presence of AMHS in Skhul and Qafzeh at ca. 100,000 BP is usually explained by a range expansion from ancestral African populations. Yet, there is no evidence to confirm this hypothesis. Therefore, if a well-dated continuous LP-MP sequence at Misliya yields fossil hominids, they will add significantly to our understanding of early AMHS evolution, migration and expansion. Moreover, human populations from 160,000-100,000 BP show great anatomical variation (sometimes even between hominids of the same site and period). How this morphological variability coalesced, in a relatively short period of time, into modern morphology is as yet unknown. New fossils from Misliya Cave, predating Skhul and Qafzeh hominids, are likely to answers.
Despite the great importance of Kebara and Wadi el-Mughara and the ongoing research, they are probably rather over-exploited. None of these caves seem to be able to provide, in the near future, significant new evidence regarding the origins of AMHS and its early evolution. The only way to solve the puzzle of modern human origins is to look for human remains in layers 150,000-250,000 BP, largely coeval with layer D at Tabun. Since sites of this time span are rare in the Levant and Tabun D is void of bones, highlighting this period requires the exploration of new sites, preferably within the promising area of Mount Carmel.
Our newly initiated excavation in the Misliya Cave offers such an extraordinary opportunity. The cave is located five km north of Wadi el-Mughara. It has not been excavated before and awaits full-scale multi-disciplinary research. A geophysical survey (Weinstein-Evron et al., 2003a) and three seasons of excavation, indicate that the cave has great potential: rich LP and MP lithic and faunal assemblages were found within deep and spatially extended deposits. The presently collapsed roof of the cave protected sediments in significant parts of the site from erosion and other post-depositional processes (Weinstein-Evron et al., 2003b). The excellent preservation of animal bones suggests that human remains also await exposure. In fact, a fragment of human upper jaw has already been found. Although a surface find, preliminary anthropological analyses strongly suggest that it belongs to a Pleistocene specimen.
The research objectives can be achieved through the excavation of large areas and deep sections, with an experienced, multidisciplinary team. Zooarchaeological and taphonomic studies will contribute to our understanding of evolving foraging activities and hunting strategies. Comprehensive dating of previously unexcavated deposits will help solve some of the uncertainties regarding the chronological framework of comparable sites. The study of possible hearths and other site-features will provide insights into human behavioral patterns and social structure.
Finding human remains at Misliya will provide a good chance to arrive at a coherent reconstruction of human biological evolution in the area, within a framework of cultural developments and climatic changes. This will help shed important light on the study of the Acheulo-Yabrudian and Early Mousterian cultural complexes in the area and the yet unresolved question of the relationships between Neandertals and AMHS in the Levant.
Misliya Cave offers a unique opportunity to unearth a continuous LP-MP key sequence for the Levant and to define the nature of the transition between the two periods from the three main perspectives of culture, ecology and physical anthropology. No other site known in the area appears to contain a sequence of this kind, let alone provide us with the opportunity to expose it.
Our research will contribute significantly to the knowledge and understanding of human evolution in one of the most crucial, but still enigmatic moments of its long history. Given the common concern we share for deepening our “understanding of human origins and evolution”, we strongly feel that our proposal ties in ideally with the mission of the Leakey Foundation.