Lithic technologies
Anthropological research of ancient societies
Social anthropology
Current Projects
My current projects examine the cultural variability of human groups in the Near East and Eastern Europe roughly 40–30 thousand years ago through the study of archaeological remains, primarily focused on lithic technologies. It tests the potential transfer of knowledge and tradition between geographical regions and through time, as a tool for tracing the dispersal of specific human groups or behaviors and for a better insight into human cultural evolution.
Curriculum Vitae
Fellowships and Grants (selection)
- (2025-2026) University of Connecticut postdoctoral fellowship
- (2024-2025) The Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program postdoctoral fellowship (Yale University; University of Connecticut)
- (2024-2025) The Yad HaNadiv Rothschild postdoctoral fellowship (Yale University; University of Connecticut)
- (2020–2024) The Negev fellowship for outstanding graduate students (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev)
Prizes
- (2023) MHR Award for Excellent Publication in the Social Sciences and Humanities, Ben-Gurion University. Granted for the title Early Upper Paleolithic cultural variability in the Southern Levant: New evidence from Nahal Rahaf 2 Rockshelter, Judean Desert, Israel, published in Journal of Human Evolution, Vol. 178, 103342.
Education
- Ph.D. (2019–2024) Archaeology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Dissertation title: Cultural dynamics in the Levant ca. 40–30,000 years ka cal BP: Insights on variability between the Levantine Aurignacian and the Upper Paleolithic ’flake-based industries’ based on Manot Cave (Western Galilee) and Nahal Rahaf 2 Rock-shelter (Judean Desert). Supervisors: Prof. Ofer Marder, Prof. Omry Barzilai.
- M.A. (2012–2016) Archaeology, University of Haifa. Thesis title: Spatial Patterns in the Last Stage of Occupation at the Mousterian Site ‘Nesher Ramla’. Supervisors: Prof. Yossi Zaidner, Prof. Mina Evron.
- B.A. (2008–2011) Archaeology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
Publications
Peer-reviewed articles (selection)
Ujma, C., Marder, O., Barzilai, O., Hershkovitz, I., Shemer, M., Yeshurun, R., 2025. From Pigeons to Raptors: Avifauna Across the Early Upper Paleolithic Sequence of Manot Cave, Israel. International Journal of Osteoarchaeology, 35(6), 526–541.
Barzilai, O., Marder, O., Tejero, J.M., Ayalon, A., Bar-Matthews, M., Abulafia, T., Lavi, R., Goder-Goldberger, M., Shemer, M., Edeltin, L., Wiegmann, A., Frumkin, A., Karasik, A., Yasur, G., Yeshurun, R., Zohar, I., Berna, F., Hans, M., Goldberg, J.S., McDermott, Y., Spurlock, L., Pokhojaev, A., Habashi, W., May, H., Sarig, R., Hershkovitz, I., 2024. Early Human Collective Practices and Symbolism in The Early Upper Paleolithic of Southwest Asia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 121(51), e2404632121
Shemer, M., Barzilai, O., Marder, O. 2024. Cultural Dynamics in the Levantine Upper Paleolithic, ca. 40–33 ky BP: Insights Based on Recent Advances in the Study of the Levantine Aurignacian, the Arkov-Divshon, and the Atlitian. Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology, 7(1), 10.
Shemer, M., Brailovsky-Rokser, L., Birkenfeld, M. 2024. The Early PPNB of Amqa (Western Galilee, Israel) from a regional perspective. Paléorient 49, 43–64.
Shemer, M., Barziali, O., Boaretto, E., Hershkovitz, Lavi, R., Edeltin, L., Marder, O., 2024. Intra site variability – analysis, characterization and cultural affiliation of the Upper Paleolithic sequence of Manot Cave, Area E. Archaeological Research in Asia 37, 100501.
Shemer, M., Boaretto, E., Greenbaum, N., Bar-Yosef Mayer, D., Tejero, J.M., Langgut, D., Gnezdilov, D.L., Barzilai, O., Marder, O. and Marom, N., 2023. Early Upper Paleolithic cultural variability in the Southern Levant: New evidence from Nahal Rahaf 2 Rockshelter, Judean Desert, Israel. Journal of Human Evolution 178, 10334.
Shemer, M., Greenbaum, N., Taha, N., Brailovsky-Rokser, L., Ebert, Y., Shaar, R., Falgueres, C., Voinchet, P., Porat, N., Faershtein, G., Kolska Horwitz, L., Rosenberg-Yefet, T., Barkai, R. 2022. Late Acheulian Jaljulia – Early human occupations in the paleo-landscape of the central coastal plain of Israel. Plos One 17(5), e0267672.
Shemer, M., Crouvi, O., Shaar, R., Ebert, Y., Matmon, A., ASTER Team, Horwitz, L. K., Eisenmann, V., Enzel, Y., Barzilai, O., 2019. Geochronology, paleogeography and archaeology of the Acheulian locality of 'Evron Landfill in the western Galilee, Israel. Quaternary Research 91(2), 729–750.
Presentations (selection)
- (March 2026) Carinated Typology in the Levantine Upper Paleolithic and its Potential Value for Lithic Comparative Analyses. Presented in an international workshop titled "Cultural Evolution during the Middle-to-Upper Paleolithic Transition in the Levant and Surrounding Regions", University of Tokyo.
- (April 2025) Tracing Cultural Connections in the Levantine Upper Paleolithic: The Case of the Levantine Aurignacian. Presented at the annual conference of the Society for American Archaeology, Denver, Colorado.
- (January 2025) Cultural Dynamics during the Levantine Upper Paleolithic Period. Presented in the Anthropology Department prehistory seminar, University of Connecticut