Back to the lithics: technological comparison of early Upper Palaeolithic assemblages from Al-Ansab/ Jordan, Româneşti-Dumbrăviţa/ Romania and Fumane/ Italy database

Abstract

The dissertation addresses the technological variability in the European and Levantine early Upper Palaeolithic (eUP). The eUP is often linked to the major dispersal event of H. sapiens into Europe and the final affirmation of our species into the Eurasian continent over the 43–38 ka cal BP timespan. The main feature is the introduction of bladelets, elongated items less than 12 mm wide, whose production processes are the hallmark for technocomplexes. The principal difference is the disassociation of blades and bladelets productions, like in the Early Aurignacian and the Northern Ahmarian, or the use of a single core for both products, like in the Protoaurignacian and the Southern Ahmarian. The interpretations of the different technical behaviours are an internal evolution over time, climatic and environmental adaptations or changed mobility strategies. New results downsized the technological differences between the Protoaurignacian and the Early Aurignacian, while the Southern Ahmarian affinity with the Protoaurignacian is still unclear. The analysis brings together three in situ, abundant, early Upper Palaeolithic assemblages, attributed to different technocomplexes: Al-Ansab 1, Românești-Dumbrăvița I GH3 and Grotta di Fumane A1-A2. The aim is to define the technological role of the bladelets and assess variation or similarity between the assemblages. They have been analysed through chaîne opératoire approach corroborated by morpho-technological attributes of laminar blanks. The results point to a generalised production of bladelets. When the production is intercalated between blades and bladelets, the latter are predominantly showing characteristics linked to a primary goal of the knapping. They are using convexities installed by blades or flakes, and they have a much more regular morphology than blades. The results advocate for the rejection of the current taxonomical framework, as of the present technological criteria, and may imply a more complex dynamic of dispersal.

• ahmarian
• aurignacian
• bladelets
• early upper palaeolithic
• lithic technology

Resources

• Information sheet Database.pdf
• Blade_&_Bladelets_Gennai.xls
• Flakes_Gennai.xls
• Cores_Gennai.xls
• Link to the KUPS repository and download of the thesis

Bibliography

Gennai, J. (2021): Back to the lithics: technological comparison of early Upper Palaeolithic assemblages from Al-Ansab/ Jordan, Româneşti-Dumbrăviţa/ Romania and Fumane/ Italy database. CRC806-Database, DOI: 10.5880/SFB806.77