Abstract
This study reviews geoarchaeological research on several Paleolithic sites in the Syrian steppe-desert, and reports on renewed geoarchaeological investigations at the cave site of Jerf al-Ajla, near the oasis town of Palmyra in central Syria. Major Middle Paleolithic complexes are associated with extensive exposed Eocene and Cretaceous chert-bearing formations, particularly at sites near permanent water sources. Renewed field investigations at Jerf al-Ajla refined previously reported stratigraphic relationships and Paleolithic industries, particularly for the Middle to Upper Paleolithic boundary. Analysis of burned Middle Paleolithic flints/chert indicate the latter are sufficiently heated for TL dating. Thermoluminescence dates were obtained on five heated flint artifacts from the Mousterian layer C1, giving a weighted mean of 35.6 ± 3.4 ka. This dating of a late Middle Paleolithic industry (Mousterien tardif) at Jerf al-Ajla is in agreement with data from the adjacent El Kowm basin in east-central Syria at the site of Umm el-Tlel, indicating a new aspect of Middle Paleolithic in Levantine Paleolithic research. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
