Note sur un site paléolithique en Anatolie orientale : Hırbe Helale

Abstract

Selon la population locale, il y a une dizaine d'années, la rivière coulait durant toute l'année.

New evidence of Pleistocene hominin occupation in Mardin Province, south-east Turkey: Şıkefta Elobrahimo Cave

“…It is characterised by a heavily Acheulean industry, with 30 biface tools and 47 bifacial tools. Another is Hırbe Helale, located about 4km north of Şıkefta Elobrahimo Cave, where we found more than 2000 biface tools (Kodaş 2020). It is becoming clear that, starting from the Middle Palaeolithic period and possibly earlier, hominin groups were not only passing through this area but occupying it quite intensively.…”

“…Until now, no Palaeolithic site has been securely dated east of Kaletepe Deresi 3 (in Central Anatolia) and in Northern Mesopotamia between El Kown in Central Syria and Shanidar in Iraqi Kurdistan. The cultural and chronological characteristics of the Palaeolithic in this region and their possible interactions with surrounding areas are therefore not known (Bar-Yosef & Belfer-Cohen 2001; Muhesen 2012; Kodaş 2020; Matthews & Nashli 2022). The recording of Şıkefta Elobrahimo Cave during the first season of our survey (Figure 1, nos 1–2), with preserved archaeological layers exhibiting clear signs of hominin occupation, therefore enhances the significance of this region.…”