Universität zu Köln

Al Kassem, Amal (2021). Variability of core reduction strategies of the late Middle Palaeolithic of assemblages 6 and 4 of Yabroud I (Syria): An analytical and comparative study. PhD thesis, Universität zu Köln.

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Abstract

There is a pronounced technological diversity in the Levantine Mousterian. This diversity has been interpreted by some researchers as a result of the diffusion of different human groups, while others see it rather as an expression of technological plasticity within a single group. Between these poles, the current study focuses on an analytical and comparative study of the lithic industry of assemblages 6 and 4 of Yabroud Shelter I (Syria) to elucidate the differences and similarities in technological behaviour with reference to resource exploitation, mobility systems, and land use. Yabroud Shelter I is located 60 km north of Damascus, at an elevation of 1420 m.a.s.l, in an ecotone area between the Mediterranean coast and the arid steppe region in the inland. Dated between 70.000 and 45.000 years ago, assemblages 6 and 4 both accumulated under fairly similar environmental conditions. The analogous technological behaviour of exploitation, core management, and raw material procurement attested in assemblages 6 and 4 support the notion that the Levallois concept was the only concept applied, and the core on flakes and Nahr Ibrahim technique in assemblage 6 are interlinked behaviourally with the Levallois concept. Taking into consideration the previous models of Levantine Middle Palaeolithic land-use strategies, the total absence of exotic raw material in both assemblages, especially amongst the high number of personal gears, and frequent reuse of discarded lithic materials from previous periods, the emerging picture supports the interpretation that hunter-gatherers from Yaborud might have moved in rathe close vicinity of the site between the highland in warm seasons and the lowland in cold seasons. This strengthens the possibility that humans stayed in the region year-round, suggesting that the observable technological diversity is related to the technological plasticity of a single group of people.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD thesis)
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Al Kassem, Amal aalkasse@smail.uni-koeln.de UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-534143
Date:	10 October 2021
Publisher:	KUPS
Place of Publication:	Köln
Language:	English
Faculty:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities
Divisions:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Fächergruppe 2: Archäologie, Altertumskunde und Kulturen des Mittelmeerraums > Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte > Abteilung A - Ältere Steinzeit
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language Yabroud Shelter I; late Middle Paleolithic; Lithic industries; Analogous technological behaviour of exploitation; Land use; High Mobility. UNSPECIFIED
Date of oral exam:	7 July 2021
Referee:	Name Academic Title Richter, Jürgen Prof. Dr.
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/53414