Building with Tel-Hai logo

faculty member

  • Prof. Gonen Sharon
  • Associate Professor
  • Galilee Studies
  • Galilee Studies - M.A.
  • +972(0)50-8652630
  • [email protected]

  • Prehistoric Archaeology

    Prehistory of the upper Jordan River

    Lithic Technology

    Paleo-Environment

    Paleo-Diet

    Dolmens - megalithic Bronze Age Burials

  • In the News

    Prehistoric Sites in the Hula Valley

    Story in Haaretz about prehistoric sites in the Hula Valley
    https://www.haaretz.co.il/travel/.premium-MAGAZINE-1.5958969 

    Turtle & Tortoise - both are food!

    Freshwater turtle or tortoise? The exploitation of testudines at the
    Mousterian site of Nahal Mahanayeem Outlet, Hula Valley, Israel
    Haaretz: https://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/1.803364 

    4,000 year old Dolmen with mysterious engravings

     

    A 4,000 year old table like stone structure, known as a dolman, inscribed with unprecedented mtsterious art, was recently discovered next to Kibbutz Shamir in the Upper Galilee.

     

  • Updated 2021

    DOCTORAL DISSERTATION:

    1. Sharon, G., Acheulian Large Flake Industries: Technology, Chronology, Distribution and Significance. Supervisor: Prof. Naama Goren-Inbar, awarded Summa cum Laude, February 2007, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

    Published as a book, 2007, Archaeopress, Oxford.

     

    BOOKS:

    1. Sharon, G. Acheulian Large Flake Industries: Technology, Chronology, and Significance. 2007. 236 pages, BAR (British Archaeological Reports) International Series 1701, Archaeopress, Oxford;

    BOOKS EDITED:

    1. Goren-Inbar, N. and Sharon G. (editors). Axe Age: Acheulian Tool-making from Quarry to Discard. 2006. 514 pages, Equinox,
    2. Sharon, G., Zaidner, Y. and Hovers, E. (editors). Special Issue: Opportunities, problems and future directions in the study of open-air Middle Paleolithic sites. 2014. Quaternary International, 331: 1‒278.
    3. Sharon, G. and Ronen, A. (editors). Proceeding of the 20th(1) Congress: Suyanggae and Her Neighbors, Haifa, Israel. 2016. 156 pages, Archaeopress, Oxford.

     

    CHAPTERS IN COLLECTIONS:

    1. Sharon, G., Feibel, C. S., Belitzky, S., Marder, O., Khalaily, H. and Rabinovich, R. 2002. 1999 Jordan River Drainage Project Damages Gesher Benot Ya'aqov: A Preliminary Study of the Archaeological and Geological Implications. In: Eretz Zafon - Studies in Galilean Archaeology, edited by Z. Gal, pp. 1-19. Israel Antiquities Authority, Jerusalem.
    2. Sharon, G. and Beaumont, P. 2006. Victoria West: A Highly Standardized Prepared Core Technology. In: Axe Age: Acheulian Tool-making from Quarry to Discard, edited by N. Goren-Inbar and G. Sharon, pp. 181-199. Equinox, London. 57.
    3. Goren-Inbar, N. and Sharon, G. 2006. Invisible Handaxes and Visible Acheulian Biface Technology at Gesher Benot Ya´aqov, Israel. In: Axe Age: Acheulian Tool-making from Quarry to Discard, edited by N. Goren-Inbar and G. Sharon, pp. 111-135. Equinox, London. 71.
    4. Sharon, G. 2011. New Acheulian Locality North of Gesher Benot Ya´aqov – Contribution for the Study of the Levantine Acheulian. In: The Lower and Middle Palaeolithic in the Middle East and Neighboring Regions, edited by J. M. L. Tensorer, R. Jagher and M. Otte, pp. 25-33. ERAUL, vol. 126. Liège.
    5. Grosman, L., Sharon, G., Goldman-Neuman, T., Smikt, O. and Smilansky, U. 2013. 3D Modeling: New Method for Quantifying Post-depositional Damages. In: Scientific Computing and Cultural Heritage, Contributions in Mathematical and Computational Sciences, edited by H. G. Bock, W. Jäger and M. J. Winckler, pp. 11–20. Springer, Berlin.
    6. Sharon, G. 2014. The Early Prehistory of West and Central Asia. In: The Cambridge World Prehistory, edited by C. Renfrew and P. Bahn, pp. 1357-1378. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
    7. *Sharon, G. 2017. The Acheulian of the Levant. In: Quaternary of the Levant, edited by Y. Enzel and O. Bar-Yosef, pp. 539–547. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
    8. *Sharon, G. 2018. A Week in the Life of the Mousterian Hunter. In: The Middle and Upper Paleolithic Archaeology of the Levant and Beyond, edited by T. Akazawa and Y. Nishiaki, pp. 35-47. Springer, Singapore.
    9. *Sharon, G., 2019. Early Convergent Cultural Evolution – Acheulian Giant Core Methods. In: Squeezing Minds from Stones, edited by T. Wynn, F. L. Coolidge and K. A. Overmann, pp. 237-250. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

     

    ARTICLES:

    1. Sharon, G. and Goren-Inbar, N. 1999. Soft percussor use at the Gesher Benot Ya'aqov Acheulian site? Mitekufat Haeven - Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society, 28:55-79. 43.
    2. Sharon, G., Marder, O. and Boaretto, E. 2002. A note on 14C dates from the Epi-Paleolithic site at Gesher Benot Ya'aqov. Mitekufat Haeven - Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society, 32:5-15. 7.
    3. Goren-Inbar, N., Sharon, G., Melamed, Y. and Kislev, M. 2002. Nuts, nut cracking, and pitted stones at Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, Israel. Proceeding of the National Academy of Science, 99(4):2455-2460. 9.504;5/64;215.
    4. Sharon, G. and Goring-Morris, A. N. 2004. Knives, bifaces, and hammers: A study in technology from the Southern Levant. Eurasian Prehistory, 2(1):53-76. 8.
    5. Sharon, G. 2008. A lion skull and additional finds from the Mousterian site at the Mahanayeem Stream outlet to the Jordan River. Qadmoniot, 41(136):93-95 (in Hebrew).
    6. Sharon, G. 2008. The impact of raw material on Acheulian large flake production. Journal of Archaeological Science, 35(5):1329-1344. 3.06;7/85;101.
    7. Goren-Inbar, N., Sharon, G., Alperson-Afil, N. and Laschiver, I. 2008. The Acheulian massive scrapers of Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov: A product of the bifaces’ Chaîne Opératoire. Journal of Human Evolution, 55:702-712. 3.992;3/85;43.
    8. Sharon, G. 2009. Acheulian giant core technology: A worldwide perspective. Current Anthropology, 50(3):335-367. 2.362;15/85;128.
    9. Alperson-Afil, N., Sharon, G., Kislev, M., Melamed, Y., Zohar, I., Ashkenazi, S., Rabinovich, R., Biton, R., Werker, E., Hartman, G., Feibel, C. and Goren-Inbar, N. 2009. Spatial organization of hominin activities at Gesher Benot Ya'aqov, Israel. Science, 326(5960):1677-1680. 41.058;2/64;122.
    10. Sharon, G. 2010. Large Flake Acheulian. Quaternary International, 223-224:226-233. 2.163;29/49;70.
    11. Sharon, G., Feibel, C., Alperson-Afil, N., Harlavan, Y., Feraud, G., Ashkenazi, S. and Rabinovich, R. 2010. New evidence for the Northern Dead Sea Rift Acheulian. PaleoAnthropology, 2010:79-99. 16.
    12. Sharon, G., Grosman, L., Fluck, H., Melamed, Y., Rak, Y., Rabinovich, R. and Oron, M. 2010. The first two excavation seasons at NMO: A Mousterian site at the bank of the Jordan River. Eurasian Prehistory, 7(1):135-157. 25.
    13. Goren-Inbar, N., Grosman, L. and Sharon, G. The technology and significance of the Acheulian giant cores of Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov, Israel. Journal of Archaeological Science, 38:1901–1917. 3.06;7/85;30.
    14. Sharon, G. 2011. The early prehistory of the Dead Sea Rift. Melakh Haaretz, 5:93-110 (in Hebrew).
    15. Sharon, G., Alperson-Afil, N. and Goren-Inbar, N. 2011. Cultural conservatism versus variability in the Acheulian sequence of Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov. Journal of Human Evolution, 60:387-397. 3.992;3/85;71.
    16. Sharon, G. 2011. Flakes crossing the straits? Entame flakes and the Northern Africa-Iberia contact during the Acheulian. African Archaeological Review, 28:125-140. 44.
    17. Grosman, L., Sharon, G., Goldman-Neuman, T., Smikt, O. and Smilansky, U. 2011. Studying post depositional damage on Acheulian bifaces using 3D scanning. Journal of Human Evolution, 60(4):398-406. 3.992;3/85;40.
    18. Sharon, G., Zaidner, Y. and Hovers, E. 2014. Opportunities, problems and future directions in the study of open-air Middle Paleolithic sites: An introduction. Quaternary International, 331:1-5. 2.163;29/49;18.
    19. Sharon, G. and Oron, M. 2014. The lithic tool arsenal of a Mousterian hunter. Quaternary International, 331:167-185. 2.163;29/49;34.
    20. Kalbe, J., Sharon, G., Porat, N., Zhang, C. and Mischke, S. 2014. Geological setting of the Middle Paleolithic site of NMO (Upper Jordan Valley, Israel). Quaternary International, 331:139-148. 2.163;29/49;16.
    21. Aharonovich, S., Sharon, G. and Weinstein-Evron, M. 2014. Palynological investigations at the Middle Paleolithic site of Nahal Mahanayeem Outlet, Israel. Quaternary International, 331:149-166. 2.163;29/49;9.
    22. Kalbe, J., Mischke, S., Dulski, P. and Sharon, G. The Middle Palaeolithic Nahal Mahanayeem Outlet site, Israel: Reconstructing the environment of Late Pleistocene wetlands in the eastern Mediterranean from ostracods. Journal of Archaeological Science, 54:385-395. 3.06;7/85;6.
    23. Goren-Inbar, N., Sharon, G., Alperson-Afil, N. and Herzlinger, G. 2015. A new type of anvil in the Acheulian of Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov, Israel. Special issue: Percussive technology in human evolution, edited by I. de la Torre and S. Hirata. Philosophical Transactions B of the Royal Society, 370:20140353. 5.666;7/85;19.
    24. Marder, O., Biton, R., Boaretto, E., Feibel, C. S., Melamed, Y., ‎Mienis, H. K., Rabinovich, R., Zohar, I. and Sharon, G. 2015. Jordan River Dureijat: A new Epipaleolithic site in the Upper Jordan Valley. Mitekufat Haeven - Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society, 45:5-30.
    25. Marder, O., Ashkenazy, H., Frumkin, A.Grosman, L., Langford, B., Sharon, G., Ullman, M., Yeshurun, R.  and Peleg, Y. 2015. El-Hamam Cave: A new Natufian site in the Samaria Hills. Mitekufat Haeven ‎‎- Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society, 45:131-142.
    26. Sharon, G. and Barsky, D. 2016. The emergence of the Acheulian in Europe: A look from the east. Quaternary International, 411:25–33. 2.163;29/49;15.
    27. Sharon, G. Comment to: Hosfield, R., Walking in a winter wonderland? Strategies for Early and Middle Pleistocene survival in mid-latitude Europe. Current Anthropology, 57(5), 653–682. 2.362;15/85.
    28. *Biton, R., Sharon, G., Oron, M., Steiner, T. and Rabinovich, R. 2017. Freshwater turtle or tortoise? The exploitation of testudines at the Mousterian site of Nahal Mahanayeem Outlet, Hula Valley, Israel. Journal of Archaeological Science Reports, 14:409–419. 1.
    29. *Sharon, ‎, Barash, A., Eisenberg-Degen, D., Grosman, L., Oron, M. and ‎Berger‎, U. 2017. Monumental megalithic burial and rock art tell a new story about the Levant Intermediate Bronze “Dark Ages”‎. PLoS One, 12, e0172969. 2.766;15/64.
    30. *Baena Preysler, J., Torres Navas, C.and Sharon, G. Life history of a large flake biface. Quaternary Science Reviews, 190:123-136. 4.334;5/49.
    31. *Biton, R., Bailon, S., Goren-Inbar, N., Sharon, G. and Rabinovich, R. 2018. Pleistocene amphibians and squamates from the Upper Jordan Rift Valley, Gesher Benot Ya’aqov and Nahal Mahanayeem Outlet (MIS 20–18 and MIS 4/3). Quaternary Research 91:345-366.
    32. *Berger, U. and Sharon‎, G. 2018. Dolmens of the Hula Basin. Mitekufat Haeven: Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society, 48:147-166.
    33. *Berger, U., Goren, H. and Sharon‎, G. 2020. In the footsteps of Prince Albert Victor and Prince George of Wales:‎ Rediscovering the Nukheileh Dolmen Field. Israel Exploration Journal, 70(2):129-149.
    34. *Finkel, M., Gopher, A., Sharon, G., Tirosh, O. and Ben-Yosef, E. 2020. Kela – A Middle Paleolithic flint extraction and reduction site in the northern Golan Heights. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 30:102208.
    35. *Sharon, G., Grosman, L., Allué, E., Barash, A., Bar-Yosef Mayer, D. E., Biton, R., Bunin, E., Langgut, D., Melamed, Y., Mischke, S., Valletta, F., Munro, N. 2020. Jordan River Dureijat: 10,000 years of intermittent Epipaleolithic activity on the shore of Paleolake Hula. PaleoAnthropolgy, 2020:34–64.
    36. *Sharon, G., Berger, U., 2020. Rock Art in South Levantine Dolmens. Asian Archaeology. 4, 17–29.
    37. *Pedergnana, A., Cristiani, E., Munro, N., Valletta, F. and Sharon, G. Early line and hook fishing at the Epipaleolithic site of Jordan River Dureijat (Northern Israel). PLoS ONE. 16(10): e0257710. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0257710
    38. *Langgut, D., Cheddadi, R., Sharon, G., 2021. Climate and environmental reconstruction of the Epipaleolithic Mediterranean Levant (22-12 ka). Quaternary Science Review. 270, 107170.

    OTHER PUBLICATIONS:

    1. Sharon, G. 2008. Migration and Dispersal. In: The Middle East – The Cradle of Civilization Revealed, edited by S. Bourke, pp. 28-29. Ancient Civilizations. Thames and Hudson, London.
    2. Sharon, G. 2008. Modern Humans Emerge. In: The Middle East – The Cradle of Civilization Revealed, edited by S. Bourke, pp. 30-31. Ancient Civilizations. Thames and Hudson, London.
    3. Sharon, G. 2008. Out of Africa. In: The Middle East – The Cradle of Civilization Revealed, edited by S. Bourke, pp. 26-27. Ancient Civilizations. Thames and Hudson, London.
    4. Sharon, G. 2012. Nahal Mahanyeem Outlet (NMO): Hunters camp at the shore of the Paleo-Hula Lake. Eretz Hakinneret, 6:30-33 (in Hebrew).
    5. Sharon, G. 2013. In the Beginning. Segula: Israeli Journal of History, 34:28-35 (in Hebrew).
    6. Sharon, G. 2016. The Prehistory of the Upper Jordan River: The first million years. In: Streams and Water in the Upper Galilee, edited by H. Amit, pp. 138-151. Yad Yitzhak Ben Tzvi, Jerusalem (in Hebrew).
    7. Berger, U. and G. 2017. Shamir, the Dolmen Field. Hadashot Arkheologiot, Vol. 129. http://www.hadashot-esi.org.il/report_detail_eng.aspx?id=25208&mag_id=125
    8. Berger, U. and Sharon, G. 2017. The Shamir Dolmen Field and the Intermediate Bronze Age – Stones and Social Complexity. Ancient Near East Today, 12. http://www.asor.org/anetoday/2017/12/shamir-dolmen-field
    9. Sharon, G. 2018. The Prehistory of the Upper Jordan River—The First Million Years. Corner Stone, 2:54–61 (in Arabic).
    10. Sharon, G., Barkai, R. and Rosenberg, D. 2018. In Memoriam - A man of his land - Amnon Assaf 1928-2018. Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society. 48:173–176.
    11. Sharon, G. and Oron, M. 2020. A Week in the Life of the Mousterian Hunter. Ancient Near East Today. VIII.
    12. Berger, U. and Sharon, G. 2019. Deir Saras. Hadashot Arkheologiyot. 131. hadashot-esi.org.il/Report_Detail_Eng.aspx?id=25595&mag_id=127
    13. Berger, U., Peleg, M. and Sharon, G. 2020. Nahal Meshushim Nature Reserve. Hadashot Arkheologiyot. 132. hadashot-esi.org.il/Report_Detail_Eng.aspx?id=25709&mag_id=128
    14. Berger, U. and Sharon, G. 2020. Dolmen Rock Art in the Golan Heights and the Upper Galilee. Corner Stone. 6:50–55. (in Arabic).
    15. Sharon, G. The First Stone Tools: Earliest Industries in the Earliest Site in the Middle East, ’Ubeidiya, in the Jordan Valley. Corner Stone. 6:55–60. (in Arabic).
    16. Sharon, G., 2021. Early fishers on the banks of the Paleo-Lake Hula at the end of the Last Ice Age. Ertz Hakinneret. 32, 22–25 (in Hebrew).
    17. Sharon, ‎G. 2021. Jordan River Dureijat. Hadashot Arkheologiyot. Vol. 133. http://hadashot-esi.org.il/report_detail_eng.aspx?id=26090&mag_id=133
    18. Sharon, ‎G. In Press. Ma'ayan Barukh. Hadashot Arkheologiyot.
    19. Sharon, G. In Press. Terra Amata Acheulian assemblage: A look from the Levant. In: Terra Amata, Nice, Alpes-Maritimes, France, edited by H. de Lumley. CNRS, Paris.

     

    EDUCATIONAL FILM:

    1. Madsen, B., Sharon, G. and Goren-Inbar, N. 2007. The Cutting Edge: A Million Years of Stone Technology. Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem.

  • https://www.prehistoricgalilee.site 

    Gonen Sharon on Academia

    Gonen Sharon on researchgate