Nubian Levallois technology associated with southernmost Neanderthals

Abstract

Neanderthals occurred widely across north Eurasian landscapes, but between ~ 70 and 50 thousand years ago (ka) they expanded southwards into the Levant, which had previously been inhabited by Homo sapiens. Palaeoanthropological research in the first half of the twentieth century demonstrated alternate occupations of the Levant by Neanderthal and Homo sapiens populations, yet key early findings have largely been overlooked in later studies. Here, we present the results of new examinations of both the fossil and archaeological collections from Shukbah Cave, located in the Palestinian West Bank, presenting new quantitative analyses of a hominin lower first molar and associated stone tool assemblage. The hominin tooth shows clear Neanderthal affinities, making it the southernmost known fossil specimen of this population/species. The associated Middle Palaeolithic stone tool assemblage is dominated by Levallois reduction methods, including the presence of Nubian Levallois points and cores. This is the first direct association between Neanderthals and Nubian Levallois technology, demonstrating that this stone tool technology should not be considered an exclusive marker of Homo sapiens.

No direct evidence for the presence of Nubian Levallois technology and its association with Neanderthals at Shukbah Cave

“…This collection is demonstrably biased, as is the case for the analysed sample presented by Blinkhorn et al [ref. 1 . SI7].…”

“…In sum, the mixed collection from Shukbah Layer D in the Rockefeller Museum calls into question the integrity of Layer D as a whole. Furthermore, since technological and typological characteristics from different chronological stages within the Middle Palaeolithic are also present, ascribing unprovenanced sub-samples of the entire assemblage to the late Middle Palaeolithic 1 is unwarranted.…”

“…Blinkhorn et al 1 present a reanalysis of fossil and lithic material from Garrod’s 1928 excavation at Shukbah Cave, identifying the presence of Nubian Levallois cores and points in direct association with a Neanderthal molar. The authors argue that this demonstrates the Nubian reduction strategy forms a part of the wider Middle Palaeolithic lithic repertoire, therefore its role as a cultural marker for Homo sapiens population movements is invalid.…”

Directional changes in Levallois core technologies between Eastern Africa, Arabia, and the Levant during MIS 5

“…In particular, in order to identify a Levallois core, key elements of the design and preparation features must be evident, rather than further ad hoc flaking of cores beyond the application of a Levallois reduction sequence. Elsewhere, we have demonstrated considerable overlaps in Levallois core morphologies 29 , 30 that likely reflect such design constraints, though substantive differences between flake and point production schemes are apparent 29 . Here, we focus on examining patterns of variability within Levallois flake cores.…”

“…Considerable focus has been placed upon identifying discrete technological features, particularly the appearance of Nubian Levallois technology, to illuminate patterns of human dispersals from lithic assemblages 55 , 56 . However, Nubian Levallois cores typically occur in low proportions in most assemblages where present and have a questionable association with Homo sapiens fossils 57 , as well as having recently been identified in association with Neanderthal populations 30 . We contend that further focus on centripetal Levallois technologies is best placed to illuminate patterns of cultural inheritance at the interface of Africa and Eurasia in MIS 5, capitalising on its dominance within assemblages directly associated with Homo sapiens and leveraging this strength to document communities of technical practice and enable parallel examination of behavioural evolution for a key phase of demographic change.…”