Daniel Kaufman

Comparisons and the Case for Interaction among Neanderthals and Early Modern Humans in the Levant

Summary. There is good reason to believe that both archaic and anatomically modern humans occupied south-west Asia at the same time. On the assumption that this was indeed the case, this paper attempts to draw comparisons between the Neanderthals and their modern contemporaries and to examine the possibilities of interaction between the two. South-west Asia is the only region in the world where two biologically distinct hominids are associated with the Middle Palaeolithic. Thus, the region provides a unique opportunity to make direct comparisons between archaic hominids, notably the Neanderthals, and early representatives of anatomically modern humans. The primary question to be dealt with here is whether these two populations, defined on the basis of their morphological characteristics, also varied with regard to their cultural and behavioral adaptations. In addition, as will be seen, there is a strong possibility that both of the groups occupied the region simultaneously rather than in an alternating fashion, and this provides the opportunity to consider the question of possible interactions between them. In order to deal with these issues it is first necessary to present a brief overview of the Levantine Middle Palaeolithic with regard to assemblage types, chronology and hominid associations.

Microburins and microliths of the Levantine Epipalaeolithic: a comment on the paper by Neely & Barton

Issue is taken with the arguments offered by Neeley & Barton to explain interassemblage variability in the Epipalaeolithic. The techno-typological attributes they discuss do, indeed, mark cultural/temporal traditions and there are no grounds for viewing them as representing stages within a reduction sequence.

Re¿evaluating Subsistence Skills of Levantine Middle and Upper Palaeolithic Hunters: A Comparison of the Faunal Assemblages

It has long been argued that there were qualitative differences in the procurement strategies of the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic, with the hominids of the earlier period being less capable and efficient hunters than those of the subsequent period. This hypothesis is tested here through an examination of faunal assemblages from the two periods in the Levant by comparing measures of species diversity. It is concluded that no significant differences in hunting can be documented and that the hominids of both periods can be characterized as efficient foragers.

A Proposed Method for Distinguishing Between Blades and Bladelets

AbstractIn studies of lithic assemblages from the Levant, establishing metric parameters for distinguishing between blades and bladelets has been a recurrent problem. Recently, it has been shown that many assemblages simply do not fit the generalized definitions proposed by such researchers as Tixier and others. This paper presents a method for defining the two elements on an assemblage-specific basis thus providing a more valid foundation for defining interassemblage variability. The proposed method is based on the Observation of length/width scattergrams and frequency histograms, and the application of discriminant analysis.