Acheulo-Yabrudian complex
Encyclopedia
The Acheulo-Yabrudian complex is an archaeological culture
in the Levant
at the end of the Lower Palaeolithic. It follows the Acheulian and precedes the Mousterian
.
The Acheulo-Yabrudian complex has three periods, the Acheulo-Yabrudian, the Yabrudian and the Pre-Aurignacian
or Amudian. It is also called the Mugharan Tradition.
. The recently escavated Qesem
and Tabun
caves however suggest the oldest period is about 350 kyr and the most recent 200 kyr. This would make the Lower–Middle Palaeolithic transition rapid occurring at 215,000 BP within a 30,000 year period.
Archaeological culture
An archaeological culture is a recurring assemblage of artifacts from a specific time and place, which are thought to constitute the material culture remains of a particular past human society. The connection between the artifacts is based on archaeologists' understanding and interpretation and...
in the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
at the end of the Lower Palaeolithic. It follows the Acheulian and precedes the Mousterian
Mousterian
Mousterian is a name given by archaeologists to a style of predominantly flint tools associated primarily with Homo neanderthalensis and dating to the Middle Paleolithic, the middle part of the Old Stone Age.-Naming:...
.
The Acheulo-Yabrudian complex has three periods, the Acheulo-Yabrudian, the Yabrudian and the Pre-Aurignacian
Aurignacian
The Aurignacian culture is an archaeological culture of the Upper Palaeolithic, located in Europe and southwest Asia. It lasted broadly within the period from ca. 45,000 to 35,000 years ago in terms of conventional radiocarbon dating, or between ca. 47,000 and 41,000 years ago in terms of the most...
or Amudian. It is also called the Mugharan Tradition.
- Yabrudian is dominated by thick scraperScraper (archaeology)In archaeology, scrapers are unifacial tools that were used either for hideworking or woodworking purposes. Whereas this term is often used for any unifacially flaked stone tool that defies classification, most lithic analysts maintain that the only true scrapers are defined on the base of...
s shaped by steep Quina retouch; - Acheuleo-Yabrudian contains Yabrudian scrapers and handaxes
- Pre-Aurignacian/Amudian is dominated by bladeBlade (archaeology)In archaeology a blade is a type of stone tool created by striking a long narrow flake from a stone core.Blades are defined as being flakes that are at least twice as long as they are wide and that have parallel or subparallel sides and at least two ridges on the dorsal side...
s and blade-tools
Dating
Determining the age period for the Acheulo-Yabrudian has been difficult as its major excavations occurred in the 1930s and 1950s before modern radiometric datingRadiometric dating
Radiometric dating is a technique used to date materials such as rocks, usually based on a comparison between the observed abundance of a naturally occurring radioactive isotope and its decay products, using known decay rates...
. The recently escavated Qesem
Qesem Cave
The Qesem Cave is an archeological site 12 km east of Tel-Aviv in Israel that is dated during the Lower Paleolithic as having been occupied by early humans from before 382,000 BP to around 200,000 BP....
and Tabun
Tabun
Tabun may refer to:* Tabun Cave, a cave near Tabun, Israel where remains of Neanderthal Man were found.* A tabun oven, a clay oven used to make tabun bread...
caves however suggest the oldest period is about 350 kyr and the most recent 200 kyr. This would make the Lower–Middle Palaeolithic transition rapid occurring at 215,000 BP within a 30,000 year period.
Major sites
- YabrudYabrudYabrud is a city in Syria, located in the Rif Dimashq governorate about 80 km north of the capital Damascus. The city is known for its ancient caves, most notably the Iskafta cave , and the Yabrud temple, which was once Jupiter...
I in Syria - Tabun Cave in Israel
- Zuttiyeh Cave in Wadi Amud in Israel, the location of ‘Galilee Man’
- Qesem CaveQesem CaveThe Qesem Cave is an archeological site 12 km east of Tel-Aviv in Israel that is dated during the Lower Paleolithic as having been occupied by early humans from before 382,000 BP to around 200,000 BP....
, the southernmost site yet found
See also
- Pre-history of the Southern LevantPre-history of the Southern LevantThe prehistory of the Southern Levant includes the various cultural changes that occurred, as revealed by archaeological evidence, prior to recorded traditions in the area of the Southern Levant, also referred to by a number of other largely overlapping historical designations, including Canaan,...
- Synoptic table of the principal old world prehistoric culturesSynoptic table of the principal old world prehistoric culturesThe synoptic table of the principal old world prehistoric cultures gives a rough picture of the relationships between the various principal cultures of prehistory outside the Americas, Antarctica, Australia and Oceania...