% pubman genre = article @article{item_2519850, title = {{Evaluating the intensity of fire at the Acheulian site of Gesher Benot Ya{\textquotesingle}aqov{\textemdash}Spatial and thermoluminescence analyses}}, author = {Alperson-Afil, Nira and Richter, Daniel and Goren-Inbar, Naama}, language = {eng}, issn = {1932-6203}, doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0188091}, publisher = {Public Library of Science}, address = {San Francisco, CA}, year = {2017}, abstract = {{This manuscript presents an attempt to evaluate the intensity of fire through spatial patterning and thermoluminescence methodology. Previous studies of Layer II-6 Level 2 at the Acheulian site of Gesher Benot Ya{\textquoteleft}aqov suggested that hominins differentiated their activities across space, including multiple activities around a hearth reconstructed on the basis of the distribution of burned flint artifacts. A transect of {\textasciitilde}4 m was extended from the center of the reconstructed hearth of Level 2 to its periphery in order to examine the intensity of fire. Burned and unburned flint microartifacts were sampled along this transect. The results of earlier and current thermoluminescence (TL) analysis demonstrate a general agreement with the macroscopic determination of burning, indicating that the possibility of misinterpretation based on macroscopic observations is negligible. The TL signal from flint microartifacts close to the hearth{\textquoteright}s center shows unambiguous signs of strong heating, whereas with increasing distance from the hearth the TL signal can be interpreted as a result of decreasing temperatures and/or shorter durations of exposure to fire in addition to a decreasing number of flints showing fire damage. Our study shows that TL analysis can identify some variation in fire intensity, which allows a more precise classification of burned flint microartifacts with respect to their heating history.}}, journal = {{PLoS One}}, volume = {12}, number = {11}, eid = {e0188091}, }