Seasonality and gazelle hunting at Hayonim Cave : new evidence for "sedentism" during the Natufian

Identifying the seasons during which archaeological sites were occupied is a major problem for archaeologists, and is essential for studying the evolution of hunter-gatherer resource acquisition strategies. The application of cementum increment analysis to the problem of determining site seasonality is discussed along with evidence that at Hayonim Cave hunter-gatherers during the Natufian period were occupying the site throughout the year, unlike their predecessors during the Kebaran period, who most likely used the site sometime between November and February. The relevance of these data is discussed regarding the question of the origins of preagricultural sedentism in the Levant during the Natufian period from Hayonim Cave.