Tel Aviv

Journal of the Institute of Archaeology of Tel Aviv University

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Prehistoric Wood Remains of Cupressus

Sempervirens L. from the Natufian Layers of El-
Wad Cave, Mount Carmel, Israel

Simcha Lev-Yadun & Mina Weinstein-Evron

To cite this article: Simcha Lev-Yadun & Mina Weinstein-Evron (1993) Prehistoric Wood
Remains of Cupressus Sempervirens L. from the Natufian Layers of El-Wad Cave, Mount
Carmel, Israel, Tel Aviv, 20:1, 125-131, DOI: 10.1179/tav.1993.1993.1.125

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/tav.1993.1993.1.125

Published online: 02 Dec 2013.

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 PREHISTORIC WOOD REMAINS OF
CUPRESSUS SEMPERVIRENS L. FROM
THE NATUFIAN LAYERS OF EL-WAD CAVE,
MOUNT CARMEL, ISRAEL
Simcha Lev-Yadun and Mina Weinstein-Evron

ABSTRACT

Wood remains of Cupressus sempervirens L. were found in the Early Natufian

(11th-9th millennia B.C.E.) layers of el-Wad Cave, Mount Carmel, Israel. This
.new find and other early remains indicate that Cupressus sempervirens is a natural
member of the local flora.

Introduction

The botanical landscape of Israel has been greatly influenced by human activity
(Zohary 1983), including denudation of large areas (Zohary 1959:338-520) and
both deliberate and unconscious introduction of new plants (Zohary 1962:208-229;
Liphschitz and Waise11974; Dafni and Heller 1990). Since the Middle East was a
major arena for the domestication of many plants (Zohary and Hopf 1988), it is
sometimes difficult to distinguish between local natural plants and adventive plants
that escaped from cultivation, e.g. Ficus sycomorus (Galil, Stein and Horovitz
1976) and Ceratonia siliqua (Liphschitz 1987a; Kislev 1988). The reproductive
biology of Ficus sycomorus indicates that it was probably introduced by man,
although it was suggested that the loss of seed set may be secondary (Galil, Stein
and Horovitz 1976).On the other hand, Ceratonia siliqua seems to be indigenous to
Israel, but its natural distribution was restricted until about two thousand years ago
(Liphschitz 1987a; Kislev 1988). Recently, the question of whether Cupressus
sempervirens belongs to the natural flora of Israel, or is an introduced plant, was
raised, and it was suggested by Liphschitz and Bigger (1989) that this tree was not a
part of the natural forest of Israel in antiquity. In this study we shall present new
evidence to the contrary, indicating that Cupressus sempervirens was part of the
natural forests of Israel, although it was not a common species.

Materials and Methods

Charcoals 5-10 mm.long were collected from the Early Natufian layer of el-Wad
Cave in Mount Carmel (Fig. 1),dated to ca. 11,000-8,700 B.C.E. (Weinstein-Evron
1991). Samples of cross, tangential and radial longitudinal planes were prepared

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 Tel Aviv 20 (1993)

Fig. I. SEM photographs of the wood fragment. I) A cross-section showing four wavy ring
borders (arrows). No resin ducts were found (X 76). 2) A tangential longitudinal section
showing many uniseriate and some biseriate (thick arrows) rays. Radial resin ducts were
not found. The height of rays ranged from one or two cells (small arrows) to 30 cells (X
175). 3) A radial longitudinal section showing the pits between tracheids and ray
parenchyma (X 2630). 4) A radial longitudinal section showing smooth walls of ray
parenchyma cells (X 1750).

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 Lev-Yadun and Weinstein-Evron: Prehistoric Wobd Remains

from the charcoals, mounted on metal discs and coated with gold. The samples
were studied under a Jeol JSM 840 A SEM at various magnifications. The plant
material was compared with wood samples of recent trees under both light
microscopy and SEM. Published monographs on xylem anatomy (Greguss 1955;
Fahn, Werker and Baas 1986; Schweingruber 1990) were also used for anatomical
comparison.

Results

One of the samples, EW -89 G-40-C, 172, was of a conifer. The wood was
composed of tracheids, and four growth rings were seen in the cross-section (Fig.
1:1). No resin ducts were found, and the ring border was somewhat wavy, a
common shape for the ring border in Cupressus sempervirens. The curvature of the
growth rings was small, indicating that the charcoal came from a mature tree.
Another indication of its origin from a mature specimen was the occurrence of
biseriate rays (Fig. 1:2), which, in conifers, appear in mature wood. The pit pairs in
the rays were small (Cupressoid) (Fig. 1:3) and not window-like (Pinoid) (IAWA
Committee on Nomenclature 1964:38). Mean ray height was 8.4 cells, and ranged
from 1-30 cells (Fig. 1:2). The end walls of the ray parenchyma cells were smooth
(Fig. 1:4).

Discussion

This is the first record of conifer wood remains from a prehistoric Mount Carmel
site. The early date indicates that this wood was local, and not imported. The lack of
several diagnostic anatomical structures: resin ducts, tracheids in the rays, window-
like pit pairs in the rays and fringed torus margins excluded both Pinus and Cedrus
as well as all other members of the Pinaceae that grow in the Eastern Mediterranean
region (see Greguss 1955; Fahn, Werker and Baas 1986; Schweingruber 1990). The
distinction between Juniperus and Cupressus was based on two criteria: ray height
and indentures of ray parenchyma end walls (Greguss 1955; Fahn, Werker and
Baas 1986:55-56; Schweingruber 1990:135-147). The differences in the two
characteristics were very clear when fresh wood of mature Cupressus sempervirens
was compared with that of Juniperus phoenicea. The wood was thus defined as the
trunk-wood of Cupressus sempervirens.
Members of the genus Cupressus do not form extensive forests as do members of
the genus Pinus. American species of the genus Cupressus usually grow in small
populations (Wolf 1948). Wolf suggested that. Cupressus is not sufficiently
aggressiveto colonize new territories since seed production and methods of dispersal
are such that there is practically no possibility of reaching nearby suitable areas.

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 Tel Aviv 20 (1993)

Cupressus sempervirens is an important participant in several plant communities

in the Middle East, but it usually does not form large forests (Zohary 1973). In most
of its area of distribution C. sempervirens forms small or large stands or loose
woods, and only in Cyprus does it form thick woods (Browicz 1982:7-8). In
Cyprus, C. sempervirens and Pinus brutia grow in the same district, but divide the
area between them: P. brutia occupies the soft rocks and the soil-clad patches, while
C. sempervirens inhabits principally the hard base rock (Zohary 1973:155). In
Crete, C. sempervirens and Acer orientale compose the main plant association at
elevations higher than 1000 m. on Mts. Lefka Ori,Psiloritis and Lasithi (Zohary
and Orshan 1965). In Turkey, C. sempervirens is abundant in the environs of
Antalya, but even there it is not dominant (Zohary 1973). Zohary and Orshan
(1965) conclude that according to their observations in Turkey, Lebanon and
Crete, C. sempervirens is a very occupative tree which flourishes on the ruins of
other plant communities.
In Israel, regeneration of Cupressus sempervirens from seeds occurs mainly in
disturbed sites (Lev-Yadun 1988). It was suggested that the reason for this pattern
of regeneration is its low compatibility with other plants (ibid.) as was also found in
field experiments (Zeide 1977). This pattern of regeneration agrees with its
occupative nature as described by Zohary and Orshan (1965). We conclude that
according to the pattern of distribution of Cupressus in both the Old World and the
New, C. sempervirens was only a secondary component in most areas of distribution
in the past.
Natural stands of Cupressus sempervirens exist in regions adjacent to Israel: in
Lebanon (Post and Dinsmore 1932:800; Feinbrun 1959), and on Mount Hermon
(Koach 1982). It was also found in two districts of Jordan: Gilead (Feinbrun and
Zohary 1955)and Edom(Dalman 1928:81;Fig. 32; Chapman 1947).In Israel, a few
plants were found on Mount Ukam in the Upper Galilee (Zohary 1980:139).
Therefore, from a geobotanical point of view, and from ecological considerations,
the view that C. sempervirens is and was a native plant in Israel needs no special
explanations.
Additional archaeobotanical and palynological data from Israel seem to support
our view: namely, the occurrence of wood remnants and pollen of Cupressus
sempervirens well before its possible import. The earliest evidence of the import of
wood to Israel during antiquity is charred beams of Cedrus libani in the Middle
Bronze Age (16th century B.C.E.) palace at Lachish (Ussishkin 1983; Liphschitz
1987b). However, the first documentation of wood import in the Middle East
comes from Egypt: import of timber from Lebanon in the Early Bronze Age III
(2600 B.C.E.), from the records of Pharaoh Snefru (Mikesell 1969).Egypt was then
the main power in this region, and Canaan was a province. We suggest that wood
remains found in Canaan in Early Bronze Age and earlier contexts most likely

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 Lev-Yadun and Weinstein-Evron: Prehistoric Wood Remains

reflect the local vegetation rather than trade.

The earliest remnants of Cupressus sempervirens wood in Israel are from the
Epipaleolithic period, 11,500 RC.E., from Nahal Zin in the Negev (Liphschitz and
WaiseI1977). This is only slightly earlier than the el-Wad remains. A second sample
of C. sempervirens from the Nahal Zin site dates to the Chalcolithic period, ca. 4000
RC.E. (Liphschitz and WaiseI1977). A single wood sample from the Early Bronze
Age was found at Tel Yarmut in the southern Shephelah (Liphschitz and Biger
1989).
Regarding the palynological data, Cupressaceae (Horowitz 1971;1979;Weinstein
1976; Baruch 1986) or more specifically, Cupressus sempervirens (Horowitz 1974;
1979; 1983), was present in Israel, usually in small numbers, throughout the
"Glacial Pleistocene" and Holocene, i.e., for about the last 1.8 million years
(Horowitz 1987; 1989). Pollen of C. sempervirens was also reported from the Lower
and Middle Paleolithic layers of the Tabun cave (Horowitz 1979), which is dated
150,000-200,000 years RC.E. (Griin, Stringer and Schwarcz 1991), and is situated
in the same cliff as the el-Wad Cave. The above evidence together with the wood
remains from el-Wad Cave, indicates that C. sempervire'}s was present in the Mt.
Carmel area during the last 150,000-200,000 years.

Acknowledgments

We thank Prof. Amots Dafni, Dr. Ella Werker and Dr. Daniel Kaufman for their
comments on the manuscript, and Mr. Felix Skandarani for his help with the SEM
work. This study was supported by the Irene Levi Sala Care Archaeological
Foundation, The Nature Reserves Authority of Israel and The Faculty of
Humanities, University of Haifa.

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