Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

A chronology: Hunter – Gatherers of North Africa during the Pleistocene – Holocene transition. This research is focused on the hunter-gatheres of North Africa between approximately 16ka cal BP and 10ka cal BP in North Africa. The time between the end of the Last Glacial Maximum/ Terminal Pleistocene and the early Holocene is a period comprising drastic climate changes in the northern hemisphere. These events are often seen as the driver for human adaptation or movements. Paleoenvironmental research in the North African region affirmed severe aridity between 16ka calBP and 10ka calBP. Archaeological research in the area is continuing since several decades but mostly both ends of the territory are regarded separately. Therefore, a combined overview of East and West – North Africa could maybe demonstrate or refute a similar pattern of human behavior during the time between Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene. A brief discussion about climatic change and conditions is given because of the potential relevance to the human occupation and behavior. The chronological range from 16ka cal BP until 10ka cal BP is relative compared to the archaeological context, meaning that cultural complexes or archaeological settings do not correspond exactly with the minimum or maximum range. Therefore, sometimes dates are exceeding the minimum or maximum, but they are only used when more than 10% of the cal BP age falls within the set range of 16ka cal BP and 10ka cal BP. The chronological framework follows a geological reality namely from the Late Pleistocene to the Early Holocene. To have a coherent context the geological terminology will be used throughout the paper as well as the general accepted divide for the beginning of the Holocene at 11,7ka cal BP. The different cultural - complexes are briefly described. The dated sites are grouped together per cultural entity with an exhaustive description. The first part describes North-East Africa, this includes Egypt and part of Sudan. The second part describes North-West Africa from the Atlantic coast of Morocco to Libya. During the Final Pleistocene no human occupation was probably possible in the Saharan desert. Evidence from archaeological sites imply that groups retreated to the north and west coastal areas and along the Nile Valley. Archaeological evidence of human occupation around 16ka cal BP is more abundant in North-West Africa. There is a tendency of increasing occupation during the period between approximately 14,5ka cal BP to 12,5ka cal BP coeval with a more humid climatic time. In North-east Africa a diversification in culture complexes is also noticeable (Leplongeon 2017). Several groups occupied the same econiches at the same time but using a diverse lithic assemblage although a general tendency towards bladelets and the use of geometric tools can be observed. In North West Africa there is ample evidence in stratified cave environments which allowed chronostratigraphic excavation. Some periods related to climatic deterioration are noticeable due to decline in material findings. This chronology ends when in North East Africa the first hints of a neolithisation process are appearing. The presented chronology could be a starting point for further and more in-depth research Some data is not used due to biases of remains, dates or eroded locations. Also, the possibility that certain articles and sites are overlooked in the quantity of available

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

The end of the Pleistocene (c. 75-15 ka) is a key period for the prehistory of the Nile Valley. The climatic fluctuations documented during this period have led human populations from the Middle and Late Palaeolithic to adapt to a changing Nile. In particular, the global shift to more arid conditions regionally translated into the expansion of the Sahara, the lowering of sea levels and the desiccation of some major eastern African lakes. These climatically-induced environmental changes influenced the behaviour of the Nile —although how exactly is still debated— and its role as an ecological refugium for human populations living in its vicinity. Genetic and fossil evidence highlight a strong population substructure in Africa during this period, suggesting the alternation of phases of major dispersals of modern humans within the continent, as well as out-of and back-into Africa, with phases of relative isolation of populations, which might be linked to the creation of environmental refugia during the climatic fluctuations of this period. Understanding to what extent the technological variability observed in north-eastern Africa between 75,000 and 15,000 years ago is linked to environmental changes and/or possible contacts between different human populations is critical in this context. The best-preserved evidence for past human behavior are archaeological assemblages, most often lithic assemblages. However, the use of different terminologies, whether they refer to cultural or techno-typological entities, hampers any systematic comparison between the Nile Valley on one hand and neighbouring regions on the other hand. An outcome of this practice is the artificial ‘isolation’ of the north-eastern African record from its neighbouring regions. This monograph groups together chapters presenting updated reviews and new data on regional archaeological, palaeoenvironmental, palaeoanthropological and geological records from north-eastern Africa, North Africa, the Levant and…

History & Archaeology --- Vallée du Nil --- Le Levant --- Afrique du Nord --- recherches paléolithiques --- Nile Valley --- North Africa --- palaeolithic research --- the Levant