Middle Palaeolithic occupations in central Saudi Arabia during MIS 5 and MIS 7: new insights on the origins of the peopling of Arabia

Although Middle Palaeolithic stratified and dated sites are still rare in Arabia, recent archaeological, palaeoenvironmental, population genetic, geomatic and geochronological studies have noticeably contributed to a re-evaluation of the prehistory of the region. Here, we report the discovery of a s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archaeological and anthropological sciences 2019-07, Vol.11 (7), p.3101-3120
Main Authors: Crassard, Rémy, Hilbert, Yamandú H., Preusser, Frank, Wulf, Gerwin, Schiettecatte, Jérémie
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anthropology
Archaeology
Archaeology and Prehistory
Chemistry/Food Science
Discovery
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Exploitation
Geography
Humanities and Social Sciences
Hunter-gatherers
Life Sciences
Lithic
Occupations
Original Paper
Pleistocene
Prehistoric era
Stone
Stone Age
Technology
Traditions
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Summary:Although Middle Palaeolithic stratified and dated sites are still rare in Arabia, recent archaeological, palaeoenvironmental, population genetic, geomatic and geochronological studies have noticeably contributed to a re-evaluation of the prehistory of the region. Here, we report the discovery of a stratified open-air Middle Palaeolithic site in central Saudi Arabia, a novelty given the paucity of dated Pleistocene lithic assemblages in the region. The site of Umm al-Sha’al is located in the Rufa Graben where a substantial number of Middle Palaeolithic surface occurrences have been reported. It contains artefacts produced using Levallois technology, indicative of Middle Palaeolithic human exploitation of locally abundant quartzite raw material. The site comprises two horizons with archaeological finds dating to Marine Isotope Stages 5 and likely 7 or even older. During this period, hunter-gatherers would have benefited from bodies of water and streams in the vicinity of the site, which were active during humid phases, contributing to the development of a significant biomass. Our discovery supports the hypotheses of an early colonisation of inland Arabia by hominins and of a solid link with North and East African lithic traditions of the Middle Stone Age, which awaits further refinement.
ISSN:1866-9557
1866-9565
1866-9565
DOI:10.1007/s12520-018-0743-2