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Publication Details
AFRICAN RESEARCH NEXUS
SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON AFRICAN RESEARCH
Hominin Dispersal into the Nefud Desert and Middle Palaeolithic Settlement along the Jubbah Palaeolake, Northern Arabia
PLoS ONE, Volume 7, No. 11, Article e49840, Year 2012
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Description
The Arabian Peninsula is a key region for understanding hominin dispersals and the effect of climate change on prehistoric demography, although little information on these topics is presently available owing to the poor preservation of archaeological sites in this desert environment. Here, we describe the discovery of three stratified and buried archaeological sites in the Nefud Desert, which includes the oldest dated occupation for the region. The stone tool assemblages are identified as a Middle Palaeolithic industry that includes Levallois manufacturing methods and the production of tools on flakes. Hominin occupations correspond with humid periods, particularly Marine Isotope Stages 7 and 5 of the Late Pleistocene. The Middle Palaeolithic occupations were situated along the Jubbah palaeolake-shores, in a grassland setting with some trees. Populations procured different raw materials across the lake region to manufacture stone tools, using the implements to process plants and animals. To reach the Jubbah palaeolake, Middle Palaeolithic populations travelled into the ameliorated Nefud Desert interior, possibly gaining access from multiple directions, either using routes from the north and west (the Levant and the Sinai), the north (the Mesopotamian plains and the Euphrates basin), or the east (the Persian Gulf). The Jubbah stone tool assemblages have their own suite of technological characters, but have types reminiscent of both African Middle Stone Age and Levantine Middle Palaeolithic industries. Comparative inter-regional analysis of core technology indicates morphological similarities with the Levantine Tabun C assemblage, associated with human fossils controversially identified as either Neanderthals or Homo sapiens. © 2012 Petraglia et al.
Available Materials
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3501467/bin/pone.0049840.s001.docx
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3501467/bin/pone.0049840.s002.doc
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3501467/bin/pone.0049840.s003.pdf
https://efashare.b-cdn.net/share/pmc/articles/PMC3501467/bin/pone.0049840.s004.docx
Authors & Co-Authors
Petraglia, Michael D.
United Kingdom, Oxford
Oxford Social Sciences Division
United States, Washington, D.c.
Smithsonian Institution
Alsharekh, Abdullah M.
Saudi Arabia, Riyadh
King Saud University
Saudi Arabia, Riyadh
Ministry of Higher Education
Breeze, Paul S.
United Kingdom, London
King's College London
Clarkson, Chris
Australia, Brisbane
The University of Queensland
Crassard, Rémy
France, Paris
Cnrs Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Drake, Nick A.
United Kingdom, London
King's College London
Groucutt, Huw S.
United Kingdom, Oxford
Oxford Social Sciences Division
Jennings, Richard P.
Ireland, Cork
University College Cork
Parker, Adrian G.
United Kingdom, Oxford
Oxford Brookes University
Parton, Ash
United Kingdom, Oxford
Oxford Brookes University
Roberts, Richard G.
Australia, Wollongong
Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health
Shipton, Ceri B.K.
Australia, Brisbane
The University of Queensland
Matheson, Carney D.
Canada, Thunder Bay
Lakehead University
Al-Omari, Abdulaziz
Saudi Arabia, Taif
The Saudi General Commission for Tourism and Antiquities
Veall, Margaret Ashley
Canada, Thunder Bay
Lakehead University
Statistics
Citations: 113
Authors: 15
Affiliations: 12
Identifiers
Doi:
10.1371/journal.pone.0049840
e-ISSN:
19326203
Research Areas
Environmental
Health System And Policy