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Intra- and Inter-Site Variability within the Levantine Upper Palaeolithic: Evidence from Jebel Humeima (J412), South-west Jordan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2014

Kristopher W. Kerry
Kristopher W. Kerry
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Emil W. Haury Building, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
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Abstract

Expanded excavations at the rockshelter of Jebel Humeima (J412) in south-west Jordan provide the basis for re-evaluation of its Upper Palaeolithic lithic assemblage. Initially identified as Levantine Aurignacian, the sample is more closely aligned with the Early Ahmarian. The framework currently used for the Levantine Upper Palaeolithic, combined with spatial clustering of specific blank and tool types, is directly responsible for initial misidentification. This spatial clustering is thought to represent two distinct activity loci: early-stage core reduction and later-stage blade and tool production. This kind of technological and typological variability may also help account for some of the ambiguity within the current Upper Palaeolithic framework of the southern Levant.

Résumé

Des fouilles étendues à l'abri sous roche de Jebel Humeima (J412) dans le sud-ouest de la Jordanie fournissent la base d'une réévaluation de son assemblage lithique du paléolithique supérieur. Identifié initialement comme Aurignacien levantin, l'échantillon se rapproche plus étroitement de l'Ahmérien primitif. Le tableau couramment utilisé pour le paléolithique supérieur levantin, associé à des groupements spatiaux de types d'ébauches et d'outils spécifiques est directement responsable de l'erreur d'identification initiale. On pense que ce regroupement spatial représente deux lieux d'activité distincts: un premier stade de réduction de nucléus et un deuxième stade de production de lames et outils. Cette sorte de variabilité technologique et typologique peut aussi aider à expliquer certaines ambigüités à l'intérieur du cadre actuel du paléolithique supérieur du Levant méridional.

Zusammenfassung

Umfangreiche Ausgrabungen im Abri von Jebel Humeima (J412) in Südwest Jordanien liefern die Grundlage für eine Neubewertung seines jungpaläolithischen lithischen Inventars. Dieses Inventar, das ursprünglich dem levantinischen Aurignacien zugeordnet wurde, ist enger mit dem frühen Ahmarian verbunden. Der Rahmen, der momentan für das levantinische Jungpaläolithikum benutzt wird, ist zusammen mit der räumlichen Häufung spezifischer Kern- und Gerätetypen unmittelbar für diese anfängliche falsche Zuordnung verantwortlich. Diese räumliche Häufung stellt wahrscheinlich zwei unterschiedliche Aktivitätszonen dar: eine frühe Phase der Kernreduktion, und eine späte Phase der Produktion von Klingen und Geräten. Diese technologische und typologische Variabilität könnte zudem helfen einige der Unklarheiten in der spätpaläolithischen Forschung in der Südwest Levante zu erklären.

Resúmen

La ampliación de las excavaciones en el abrigo de Jebel Humeima (J412) en el sudoeste del Jordán proporciona la base para una re-evaluación de su material lítico del Paleolítico Superior. Aunque en un principio éste fué identificado como perteneciente al Auriñaciense levantino, el grupo está más próximo al Ahmarian temprano. El marco actualmente en uso para el Paleolítico Superior levantino, junto con la agrupación espacial de determinados tipos de instrunmentos lisos y de utensilios, es la causa directa del error en la identificación. Este agrupamiento espacial se interpreta como representativo de dos estadios diferentes de actividad: un momento inicial de reducción del núcleo, y un segundo momento de producción de hojas y utensilios. Este tipo de variabilidad tecnológica y tipológica quizá puede ayudar a explicar también algunas de las ambigüedades que se dan dentro del actual marco interpretativo del Paleolítico Superior en el Levante meridional.

Type
Research Article
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 66 , 2000 , pp. 29 - 46
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 2000

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