The transition from the Middle Palaeolithic/Middle Stone Age (MSA) to the Upper Palaeolithic/Later Stone Age (LSA) is particularly interesting in North-West Africa because it displays some peculiar dynamics that do not find precise parallels either inside or outside Africa. This region is in a significant geographic position, being adjacent to the main Out of Africa corridor connecting East Africa with the Levant. Most modern human aspects, anthropological as well as behavioural, are not really “revolutionary” components of the LSA. Morphologically modern types existed since the Early MSA and modern behaviour appeared in numerous forms during the Aterian, the typical Late MSA of North Africa. Thus, the transition to the LSA followed an “evolutionary”, rather than “revolutionary”, path in these terms. On the other hand, “revolutions” regarding behavioural patterns did occur, but earlier, during the Aterian, and minor, basically technological, “revolutions” took place in patchy evidence during the Lower LSA. North-West Africa, and especially North-West Libya, provides new data on the evolutions and the revolutions that happened before and at the MSA-LSA transition. In order to better understand their impact on the succeeding populations, they are presented and discussed separately according to the chrono-cultural periods of their appearance (Late MSA and Lower LSA). Furthermore, they are related to various potentially influential factors, including Maghrebi, East African and Levantine contacts, as well as replacement vs. continuity issues, and environmental and climatic agents.

The evolutions and revolutions of the Late Middle Stone Age and Lower Later Stone Age in north-west Africa.

GARCEA, Elena Antonella Alda
2009-01-01

Abstract

The transition from the Middle Palaeolithic/Middle Stone Age (MSA) to the Upper Palaeolithic/Later Stone Age (LSA) is particularly interesting in North-West Africa because it displays some peculiar dynamics that do not find precise parallels either inside or outside Africa. This region is in a significant geographic position, being adjacent to the main Out of Africa corridor connecting East Africa with the Levant. Most modern human aspects, anthropological as well as behavioural, are not really “revolutionary” components of the LSA. Morphologically modern types existed since the Early MSA and modern behaviour appeared in numerous forms during the Aterian, the typical Late MSA of North Africa. Thus, the transition to the LSA followed an “evolutionary”, rather than “revolutionary”, path in these terms. On the other hand, “revolutions” regarding behavioural patterns did occur, but earlier, during the Aterian, and minor, basically technological, “revolutions” took place in patchy evidence during the Lower LSA. North-West Africa, and especially North-West Libya, provides new data on the evolutions and the revolutions that happened before and at the MSA-LSA transition. In order to better understand their impact on the succeeding populations, they are presented and discussed separately according to the chrono-cultural periods of their appearance (Late MSA and Lower LSA). Furthermore, they are related to various potentially influential factors, including Maghrebi, East African and Levantine contacts, as well as replacement vs. continuity issues, and environmental and climatic agents.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11580/10701
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