Prof. Anna Belfer-Cohen

Anna Belfer-Cohen
Prof.
Anna
Belfer-Cohen
Dept. of Prehistory. Office Hours: Wednesday 13:00-14:00

Research Interests: The evolution, spread and characteristics of Upper Palaeolithic entities, Burial customs of prehistoric societies, The transition from mobile hunter-gatherers to sedentary farmers, The evolution of human cognition.

Ongoing Projects:

  • The study and publication of Upper Palaeolithic assemblages from the cave of Kebara, Mt. Carmel. These were excavated between 1981-1990 as part of an international project headed by Prof. Vandermeersch (Bordeaux, France) and Prof. Bar-Yosef (Harvard, Cambridge, USA).
  • The study and publication of the Natufian assemblages from the cave of Hayonim, Galilee. Excavated between 1992-2000 as part of the aforementioned project.
  • The study of the burials and graves from the Natufian layers at Hayonim Cave and Hilazon Tachtit Cave.
  • Excavations and study of two sites in western Georgia (a joint project with Prof. O. Bar-Yosef, Harvard, and Dr. T. Meshveliani, Georgian Academy of Science):
    1. The cave of Dzudzuana (an Upper Palaeolithic sequence) .
    2. The rock shelter Kotias Klde (late Upper Palaeolithic to Neolithic occupations).

Teaching Topics:

  • Models and Theories in Prehistoric Research
  • The Natufian Culture and the Origins of Agriculture
  • Lithic Technology and Typology
  • Palaeolithic Art
  • Paleoanthropology and Human Evolution
  • The Human Skeleton
  • The Evolution of the Human Brain
  • Complex Societies
  • The Meaning of Style in the Material Culture
  • Upper Palaeolithic Archaeological Entities

Other Activities:

  • Member of the editorial board of "Qadmoniot", published by the Israel Exploration Society, Jerusalem (in Hebrew).
  • Member, the scientific editorial board of "Masa Aher", Tel-Aviv (in Hebrew).
  • Co-editor of the "Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society", Jerusalem (in English and French with Hebrew abstracts).
  • Member of the scientific editorial board of "Paleorient" (CNRS), Paris (in French and English).
  • Member of the scientific editorial board of "Journal of Eurasian Prehistory", Harvard University, Cambridge (USA) and Warsaw University (Poland).
  • Member of the scientific editorial board of "Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry - International Journal", Crete, Greece.
  • Member of the Steering Committee of the "International Union of Prehistory and Protohistory" - Commission VII - Upper Palaeolithic .