Abstract
This review summarizes the paleoecology of the Early and Middle Pleistocene of southwestern Asia, based on both flora and fauna, retrieved from a series of ‘windows’ provided by the excavated sites. The incomplete chrono-stratigraphy of this vast region does not allow to accept the direct chronological correlation between the available sites and events of faunal and hominin dispersals from Africa. It also demonstrates that hominins survived in a mixed landscape of open parkland with forested surrounding hills. In addition, the prevailing environmental conditions are not sufficient to explain successful adaptations to new ecological niches away from the African savanna of the bearers of ‘core and flake’ and the Acheulian industries, The differences in knapping and secondary shaping of stone artifacts probably reflect the learned traditions of different groups of hominins. The current distribution of lithic industries across Eurasia is undoubtedly incomplete due to lack of cultural continuities as well as paucity of field research in several sub-regions. This observation supports the contention that what we view as a constant stream of migrants was actually interrupted many times. The continuous occupation of southwestern Asia by the makers of the Acheulian is in contrast with neighboring regions such as the Iranian plateau and Eastern Europe. A more complex model is required to explain the recorded Eurasian archaeological–cultural mosaic.
Highlights
The effect of climate change on the tempo and mode of early hominids dispersals from Africa during the Early and Middle Pleistocene is one of the main interests in paleoanthropology and Paleolithic archaeology (Behrensmeyer, 2006)
We would like to focus on southwestern Asia that served as the main corridor for hominin dispersal during the Early and Middle Pleistocene and address the assertion that we can test hominids co-dispersed with other taxa and the extent of the response to climatic forcing
In order to provide a continuous narrative of hominin and faunal dispersals we need to combine the chronologically patchy information with the physiographic variability of this vast region, as well as the incomplete paleo-climatic conditions that determined the distribution of resources in each sub-region
Summary
The effect of climate change on the tempo and mode of early hominids dispersals from Africa during the Early and Middle Pleistocene is one of the main interests in paleoanthropology and Paleolithic archaeology (Behrensmeyer, 2006). In the absence of radiometric dating and/or paleomagnetic information the ages of several of the localities rely on faunal correlations within the region including long distance comparisons with European sites. Most of the Pleistocene data was acquired through archaeological excavations while the number of assemblages derived from natural accumulations is limited to a few Pliocene sites in the Caucasus region such as Kvabebi (Vekua and Lordkipadinze, 2008; Agustí et al, 2009b) and Bethlehem in the Levant (see below).
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