Digging (and Crawling) Deep into the Past
To join Micka Ullman on a research trip, you’re going to need to pack a few things: some good lengths of rope, a handful of carabiners, a head lamp, and of course – a solid dose of courage. This is not a trip for the light-hearted or the claustrophobic.
Micka is a fourth-year doctoral student at the Hebrew University’s Institute of Archaeology, writing her dissertation on archaeological findings in prehistoric caves in Israel. Specifically, Micka studies karst caves, which are formed by the dissolution of rock. These nooks are hard to find – and even harder to explore. But once inside, they are a trove of archaeological data.
“While some Israeli karst caves are well-known and visited, others are not. I am always saddened when I find a previously unexplored cave full of modern-day trash. These caves can reveal crucial information about our collective, human past, which I hope to elucidate through my research. But even the most well-traversed caves reveal archaeological secrets that shed light on the past peoples who used them.”
Working with a team of researchers, students, and intrepid explorers, Micka surveys caves used by humans between 4,000-8,000 years ago. She looks for sherds (pieces of pottery), flint and stone tools, and any form of architecture, such as constructed walls. She also frequently finds bones, shells, and beads. After mapping the cave and the layout of the artifacts, Micka documents the archeological finds and dates them through a combination of techniques: measuring carbon-14, comparing the objects with those from other sites, and examining production techniques. Micka’s analysis then sheds light on the site: what kind of people occupied these caves? What was their culture and what was the cave used for?
When not deep underground, the Institute of Archaeology has become Micka’s second home. She earned her bachelor’s degree with a dual major in archaeology and geography, then continued to a master’s degree in prehistoric archaeology. Her doctoral research is being supervised by Dr. Uri Davidovich from the Institute of Archaeology along with Prof. Amos Frumkin from the Institute of Earth Sciences, who also founded and heads the Israel Cave Research Center.
To date, Micka has published and co-published numerous peer-reviewed articles, books, and chapters, as well as presented at numerous conferences.