Excavations at Ghār-e Boof in the Fars Province of Iran and its bearing on models for the evolution of the Upper Palaeolithic in the Zagros Mountains

Ghasidian, Elham; Bretzke, Knut; Conard, Nicholas J.

doi:10.1016/j.jaa.2017.03.001

Cited by 24 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…People’s high mobility may have permitted cultural interactions between different regional groups with exchanges of technological knowledge over large territories. In this regard, the association of the Aurignacian techno-complex with the spread of AMHs requires the design of a large-scale study that incorporates a detailed comparison of Eurasian Early Upper Paleolithic techno-complexes, such as the Baradostian [ 153 – 155 ], the Rostamian [ 155 – 157 ], and the Early Ahmarian [ 158 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A critical assessment of the Protoaurignacian lithic technology at Fumane Cave and its implications for the definition of the earliest Aurignacian

2017

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In the scenario of the spread of the anatomically modern humans (AMHs) into Europe, the techno-complex known as Protoaurignacian is defined by the production of blades and bladelets within a single and continuous stone knapping sequence from the same core as the result of its progressive reduction. However, the growing re-evaluation of some assemblages is revealing that bladelets are frequently obtained from independent reduction sequences, hence discouraging the direct application of the model developed in southwestern France. High-resolution regional signatures are thus needed to reconstruct a more accurate portrait of the AMH colonization dynamic. Northeastern Italy, with the key site of Fumane Cave, is one among the regions of Mediterranean Europe worthy of consideration for reconstructing this colonization process and its cultural dynamics. Within the framework of a critical discussion of the technological definition of the Protoaurignacian and its relationship with contemporaneous industries on a regional and supra-regional scale, we present the results of a detailed analysis of the lithic technology from units A2-A1 based on reduction sequence and attribute analyses. Results show that bladelets are the first goal of production and they do not originate from reduced blade cores but from a broad range of independent and simultaneous core reduction strategies. One implication is that the most commonly used technological trait that is said to define the Protoaurignacian has been over-emphasized and that the Protoaurignacian is technologically consistent across its geographical extent. Additional data based on carinated core technology imply that this techno-complex shares a common technological background with the Early Aurignacian and that no features are restricted to one of the two facies. Furthermore, the major difference between the Protoaurignacian and Early Aurignacian appears to be more typological in nature, with retouched bladelets being less common in the Early Aurignacian.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A critical assessment of the Protoaurignacian lithic technology at Fumane Cave and its implications for the definition of the earliest Aurignacian

2017

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“…Beginning in the early 2000s and into the present, joint Iranian-European teams have surveyed, excavated, and reported results from multiple Palaeolithic sites across the Zagros Mountains (e.g., Conard et al, 2006;Jaubert et al, 2006;Otte et al, 2007;Conard and Ghasidian, 2011;Bazgir et al, 2014Bazgir et al, , 2017Heydari-Guran and Ghasidian, 2017). This new field research may shed light on some of the major questions of interest to prehistorians in this region, including the issue of the origin of the Aurignacian and the Zagros Mountains, as well as the potential presence of mutually distinct and coeval lithic industries within the region during the UP (see Ghasidian et al, 2017).…”

Section: Previous Research Within the Zagrosmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…As such, it is hypothesised that the Rostamian technocomplex evolved locally in the southernZagros. This documents a high degree of cultural diversity in the region during the UP(Conard and Ghasidian, 2011;Ghasidian, 2014;Ghasidian et al, 2017).During fieldwork, an area of 2 by 9m was excavated. This extended from the drip line to the back of the cave on a north-south axis.…”

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confidence: 91%

Chronometric investigations of the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in the Zagros Mountains using AMS radiocarbon dating and Bayesian age modelling

Becerra‐Valdivia

Douka

Comeskey

et al. 2017

Journal of Human Evolution

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The Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition is often linked with a bio-cultural shift involving the dispersal of modern humans outside of Africa, the concomitant replacement of Neanderthals across Eurasia, and the emergence of new technological traditions. The Zagros Mountains region assumes importance in discussions concerning this period as its geographic location is central to all pertinent hominin migration areas, pointing to both east and west. As such, establishing a reliable chronology in the Zagros Mountains is crucial to our understanding of these biological and cultural developments. Political circumstance, coupled with the poor preservation of organic material, has meant that a clear chronological definition of the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition for the Zagros Mountains region has not yet been achieved. To improve this situation, we have obtained new archaeological samples for AMS radiocarbon dating from three sites: Kobeh Cave, Kaldar Cave, and Ghār-e Boof (Iran). In addition, we have statistically modelled previously published radiocarbon determinations for Yafteh Cave (Iran) and Shanidar Cave (Iraqi Kurdistan), to improve their chronological resolution and enable us to compare the results with the new dataset. Bayesian modelling results suggest that the onset of the Upper Paleolithic in the Zagros Mountains dates to 45,000-40,250 cal BP (68.2% probability). Further chronometric data are required to improve the precision of this age range.

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“…A contrasting view is presented by Ghasidian et al (2017) based on a technotypological study of the lithics from the cave of Ghār-e Boof and comparisons with materials from Shanidar, Warwasi and Yafteh. They argue that, far from there being a coherent pattern of in situ development, the record shows multiple technological traditions instead of a single one.…”

Section: The Zagros Aurignacianmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Yafteh was also used for hide working and, on the evidence of colouring materials, bone artefacts, and perforated teeth and mollusc shells, for ornament making (Shidrang 2018). There is one view that sees the Baradostian as an in situ development from local Mousterian traditions that gave rise to the Aurignacian technocomplex, but the evidence for this, especially the chronological control, remains slight (Ghasidian et al 2017;Shidrang et al 2016).…”

Section: The Zagros Aurignacianmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shanidar Cave and the Baradostian, a Zagros Aurignacian industry

et al. 2018

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Whilst there has been significant interest in the origins and spread of the Aurignacian industry, usually linked with the physical dispersal of anatomically modern humans into Europe, comparatively little attention has been paid to possible origins or movements further east. Recent work at Shanidar Cave, a site better known for the Neanderthal evidence discovered by Ralph Solecki in his 1951-1960 excavations, has recovered new information on the 'Baradostian' Upper Palaeolithic in Iraq. This paper reviews the regional evidence for the Baradostian as an example of the Zagros Aurignacian and discusses its place in debates about Neanderthal/Modern Human relations.

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Excavations at Ghār-e Boof in the Fars Province of Iran and its bearing on models for the evolution of the Upper Palaeolithic in the Zagros Mountains

Cited by 24 publications

References 24 publications

A critical assessment of the Protoaurignacian lithic technology at Fumane Cave and its implications for the definition of the earliest Aurignacian

A critical assessment of the Protoaurignacian lithic technology at Fumane Cave and its implications for the definition of the earliest Aurignacian

Chronometric investigations of the Middle to Upper Paleolithic transition in the Zagros Mountains using AMS radiocarbon dating and Bayesian age modelling

Shanidar Cave and the Baradostian, a Zagros Aurignacian industry

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