Program > By author > Otte Marcel

The importance of the transitional period is related to the disappearance of Neanderthals and the emergence of Modern Humans.

 Near East provide unique stone assemblages of transition (middle to upper Paleolithic) remains for the origin of modern humans. The Iranian Zagros region is one of the most important candidates for the replacement of Neanderthals by Homo sapiens.

This article intends to study some transitional sites in the Zagros Mountains and the Levant. This research will address to appearance process and tool continuing, the similarities and differences between the stone tools in the transitional period in the mentioned areas.

The Zagros Mountains with a large number of Paleolithic sites is a critical area for the arrival of modern humans out of Africa. Transitional sites in the Zagros Mountains such as Warwasi rockshelter, Kaldar Cave, Eshcaft e Gavi, Yafteh Cave, and Ghar-e- Boof. Aurignacian period with Early Upper Paleolithic characteristics has the oldest reported date of 54,000 cal BP from the Kaldar site. Kaldar Cave (Layer 5) includes Mousterian and Levallois assemblage, the Upper Palaeolithic artifacts of Layer 4 conclude blades and bladelets. Modern Humans remains from Kaldar Cave and Eshcaft e Gavi from deepest Upper Paleolithic levels Show initial Homo sapiens occupation in the Zagros Mountains. In the Levant, Initial upper Palaeolithic, Ahmarian culture, began 42-46 ka ago, identifies in Kasar Akil while Aurignacian period of this site dates to ca. 39-33 ka cal BP.

Stone tools may take an account as cultural indicators that could be used to recognize cultural groups. Similarities of stone collections show that their sings belong to the same culture. In verse, differences of stone tools mark different cultures. Transitional stone types are found almost everywhere, however, in transitional periods some types are only limited to a specific geographic area. Some important transition assemblages in Zagros include: 1) Blade; 2) Bladelet; 3) Laminer flakes (blades length twice as long as width); 4) Core reduction (Middle Paleolithic); 5) Flake; 6) Side scraper; 7) Carinated end scraper; 8) Carnater burins; 9) Font-Yves; 10) Dufour bladelet; 11) Truncated facetted. Some of these tools are also common in the Levantine transition. However, there are also differences of tools in these two areas which will be discussed in the article.

This study attempt to provide more insights in understanding the culture and human behavior during the transition period in Near East considering chronological and lithic techno-typological comparisons.