Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Hominin Dispersal Into The Nefud Desert And Middle Palaeolithic Settlement Along The Jubbah Palaeolake, Northern Arabia, M Petraglia, Abdullah M. Alsharekh, P Breeze, Christopher Clarkson, Remy Crassard, Nick A. Drake, Huw Groucutt, R Jennings, Adrian Parker, A Parton, Richard Roberts, C Shipton, Carney Matheson, A Al-Omari, M Veall

Richard G Roberts

The Arabian Peninsula is a key region for understanding hominin dispersals and the effect of climate change on prehistoric demography, although little information on these topics is presently available owing to the poor preservation of archaeological sites in this desert environment. Here, we describe the discovery of three stratified and buried archaeological sites in the Nefud Desert, which includes the oldest dated occupation for the region. The stone tool assemblages are identified as a Middle Palaeolithic industry that includes Levallois manufacturing methods and the production of tools on flakes. Hominin occupations correspond with humid periods, particularly Marine Isotope Stages 7 …