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Papers by Alice Leplongeon

American Antiquity

The ubiquity and durability of lithic artifacts inform archaeologists about important dimensions ... more The ubiquity and durability of lithic artifacts inform archaeologists about important dimensions of human behavioral variability. Despite their importance, lithic artifacts can be problematic to study because lithic analysts differ widely in their theoretical approaches and the data they collect. The extent to which differences in lithic data relate to prehistoric behavioral variability or differences between archaeologists today remains incompletely known. We address this issue with the most extensive lithic replicability study yet, involving 11 analysts, 100 unmodified flakes, and 38 ratio, discrete, and nominal attributes. We use mixture models to show strong inter-analyst replicability scores on several attributes, making them well suited to comparative lithic analyses. Based on our results, we highlight 17 attributes that we consider reliable for compiling datasets collected by different individuals for comparative studies. Demonstrating this replicability is a crucial first st...

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Sep 25, 2019

Supplementary Materials for "Backed pieces and their variability in the L... more Supplementary Materials for "Backed pieces and their variability in the Later Stone Age of the Horn of Africa", accepted in African Archaeological Review. Authors: Alice Leplongeon; Clément Ménard; Vincent Bonhomme; Eugenio Bortolini

The Horn of Africa, located at the crossroads of two main ‘routes’ Out of and Back into Africa, i... more The Horn of Africa, located at the crossroads of two main ‘routes’ Out of and Back into Africa, i.e., the Nile Valley and the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, is a key region for the history of human dispersals. Most of the data on these dispersals come from fossil evidence and genetic studies, but archaeological data for these dispersals remains scarce. Although the Horn of Africa has yielded some of the oldest known modern human remains, few are dated to the end of the Pleistocene and there is limited information on population dynamics in this region before the Holocene. In order to question the value of the distinction between the MSA and the LSA and their respective chronology, we aim to review current archaeological evidence in the Horn of Africa for the end of the Pleistocene (75‑12 ka). We use this evidence to discuss the impact of the Big Dry on the techno-cultural changes occurring during this timeframe, and to evaluate hypotheses of population dynamics.To better highlight patterns of...

African Archaeological Review, 2020

Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews, 2019

Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews, 2018

Journal of African Archaeology, 2017

sThe Late Pleistocene is a key period to understand the shift from the Middle (msa) to the Late S... more sThe Late Pleistocene is a key period to understand the shift from the Middle (msa) to the Late Stone Age (lsa) in Africa. More generally, it is also a crucial time for elucidation of changes in the technological behaviours of human populations in Africa after the main Out of Africa event of modern humans ca. 60-50 thousand years ago. However, the archaeological record for this period is relatively poor, particularly for the Horn of Africa. Here we present a detailed analysis of the lithic assemblages from Goda Buticha (gb), a cave in southeastern Ethiopia, which has yielded a long stratigraphic sequence including Late Pleistocene and Holocene levels. This study (1) contributes to a better knowledge of the latemsain the Horn of Africa; (2) documents a late Holocenelsalevel (gb– Complexi); (3) highlights the presence ofmsacharacteristics associated withlsafeatures in the Holocene (gb– Layeriic). This adds to the emerging record of great lithic technological variability during the Lat...

PloS one, 2017

Goda Buticha is a cave site near Dire Dawa in southeastern Ethiopia that contains an archaeologic... more Goda Buticha is a cave site near Dire Dawa in southeastern Ethiopia that contains an archaeological sequence sampling the late Pleistocene and Holocene of the region. The sedimentary sequence displays complex cultural, chronological and sedimentological histories that seem incongruent with one another. A first set of radiocarbon ages suggested a long sedimentological gap from the end of Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 3 to the mid-Holocene. Macroscopic observations suggest that the main sedimentological change does not coincide with the chronostratigraphic hiatus. The cultural sequence shows technological continuity with a late persistence of artifacts that are usually attributed to the Middle Stone Age into the younger parts of the stratigraphic sequence, yet become increasingly associated with lithic artifacts typically related to the Later Stone Age. While not a unique case, this combination of features is unusual in the Horn of Africa. In order to evaluate the possible implications ...

African Archaeological Review, 2011

ABSTRACT Between Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 4 and 2, Northeast Africa witnessed migrations of Hom... more ABSTRACT Between Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 4 and 2, Northeast Africa witnessed migrations of Homo sapiens into Eurasia. Within the context of the aridification of the Sahara, the Nile Valley probably offered a very attractive corridor into Eurasia. This region and this period are therefore central for the (pre)history of the out-of-Africa peopling of modern humans. However, there are very few sites from the beginning of the Upper Palaeolithic that document these migration events. In Egypt, the site of Nazlet Khater 4 (NK4), which is related to ancient H. sapiens quarrying activities, is one of them. Its lithic assemblage shows an important laminar component, and this, associated with its chronological position (ca. 33ka), means that the site is the most ancient Upper Palaeolithic sites of this region. The detailed study of the Nazlet Khater 4 lithic material shows that blade production (volumetric reduction) is also associated with flake production (surface reduction). This technological duality addresses the issue of direct attribution of NK4 to the Upper Palaeolithic. Entre les MIS 4 et 2, l’Afrique du Nord-Est est le théâtre de migrations d’Homo sapiens vers l’Eurasie. Dans le contexte d’une aridification importante du Sahara, la Vallée du Nil a probablement joué le rôle de corridor très attrayant. Cette région et cette période sont donc clés dans la (pré)histoire des peuplements extra-africains de l’Homme moderne. Cependant, très peu de sites du début du Paléolithique supérieur les documentent. En Égypte, Nazlet Khater 4, site d’occupation lié à des activités d’extraction de matière première est un de ces très rares gisements. L’assemblage lithique révèle une composante laminaire importante, qui, associée à sa position chronologique, en fait le plus ancien site Paléolithique supérieur de la région. Néanmoins, son étude détaillée montre que la production de lames est aussi associée à une exploitation de surface. Et cette dualité technologique de poser la question de son attribution directe au Paléolithique supérieur. KeywordsNazlet Khater 4–Upper Palaeolithic–Middle Stone Age–Quarry site–Blade industry–Egyptian Nile Valley–Migration corridor

The end of the Pleistocene (~75-15 ka) is a key period for the prehistory of the Nile Valley. The... more The end of the Pleistocene (~75-15 ka) is a key period for the prehistory of the Nile Valley. The climatic fluctuations documented during this period have led human populations from the Middle and Late Palaeolithic to adapt to a changing Nile. In particular, the global shift to more arid conditions regionally translated into the expansion of the Sahara, the lowering of sea levels and the desiccation of some major eastern African lakes. These climatically-induced environmental changes influenced the behaviour of the Nile – although how exactly is still debated – and its role as an ecological refugium for human populations living in its vicinity. Genetic and fossil evidence highlight a strong population substructure in Africa during this period, suggesting the alternation of phases of major dispersals of modern humans within the continent, as well as out-of and back-into Africa, with phases of relative isolation of populations, which might be linked to the creation of environmental re...

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Anthropology

Research on the North-Eastern African Stone Age is intrinsically linked to the study of human occ... more Research on the North-Eastern African Stone Age is intrinsically linked to the study of human occupation along the Nile, which flows north through the now hyperarid eastern Sahara to meet the Mediterranean, forming a natural route toward the Sinai Peninsula. Since this is the only land bridge between Africa and Eurasia, the region is often referred to as a “corridor,” with the hypothesis that the Nile Valley may have repeatedly acted as a possible route used by hominins out of (and back into) Africa, guiding many research projects on the Stone Age of this region. However, past human occupation of North-Eastern Africa is far from restricted to the Nile Valley and includes evidence from areas that are now desert on either side of the Nile, as well as the Red Sea Mountains. Throughout the Pleistocene (2.58–0.01 Ma), the region was subject to climatic and environmental fluctuations that may have alternately rendered the desert habitable or the Nile Valley inhospitable for hominin settle...

Journal of Lithic Studies

Despite its strategic location within the continent, Central Africa is rarely integrated into the... more Despite its strategic location within the continent, Central Africa is rarely integrated into the reconstruction of population dynamics during the Middle Stone Age (MSA) of Africa, especially in terms of the emergence, diffusion and behavioural patterns of Homo sapiens. However, hundreds of sites have been discovered in Central Africa during the 20th century and attributed to the Lupemban, one of the main MSA technological complexes of the region. This complex is mainly characterised by typological criteria based on the numerous bifacial pieces found in the Congo Basin and interpreted as an adaption to the rainforest environment. Most of these Lupemban assemblages have not been studied for decades and thus it is particularly difficult to assess their diversity. This paper presents a detailed combined morphometrical approach (linear measurements and indices, Log Shape Ratio, Elliptic Fourier Analysis) to take a fresh and rigorous look at the Lupemban bifacial tools. We discuss the co...

Frontiers in Earth Science, 2021

Under present environmental conditions, the Nile Valley acts as a ‘natural’ route between Africa ... more Under present environmental conditions, the Nile Valley acts as a ‘natural’ route between Africa and Eurasia, and is often considered as a corridor for dispersals out of and back into Africa in the past. This review aims to address the role played by the Nile Valley at the end of the Pleistocene (28-15 ka) in the context of post-‘Out of Africa’ modern human dispersals. Genetic studies based on both modern and ancient DNA suggest pre-Holocene dispersals ‘back into Africa’ as well as genetic interactions between modern humans across Africa and the Levant. During the Last Glacial, the lowering, or even complete desiccation of major eastern African lakes, including Lake Victoria, reduced the White Nile to a highly seasonal river, depriving the main Nile from its most important tributary in the dry season. This had major consequences, the specifics of which are still debated, on the behavior of the main Nile and the landscape around the Nile Delta. Despite this shift to more arid conditions, there is abundant evidence for human occupation in the main Nile Valley. Combining available geological, palaeoenvironmental, anthropological, genetic and archaeological data, this article discusses problems encountered when trying to reconcile results from different fields, the current limitations of the available data and research perspectives to further address the role of the Nile Valley as a dispersal corridor or an environmental refugium at the end of the Pleistocene.

Not Just a Corridor. Human Occupation of the Nile Valley and Neighbouring regions between 75,000 and 15,000 years, 2020

The archaeological data available in Africa for the period ranging from 75 to 12 ka are generally... more The archaeological data available in Africa for the period ranging from 75 to 12 ka are generally attributed to two major Palaeolithic phases: the Middle Stone Age (MSA) and the Later Stone Age (LSA). This timeframe corresponds to the last glacial period the Earth experienced, characterised by high climatic variability and a general trend towards more arid conditions (lower temperatures and precipitation) culminating in Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2, also referred as the Big Dry (ca. 29-15 ka) before a shift to more humid conditions (African Humid Period). In this paper, we review current archaeological evidence in the Horn of Africa between 75 and 12 ka. We first discuss this evidence in light of palaeoenvironmental data and in particular with regard to the potential impact of the Big Dry on human occupation in the region. We then discuss the place of the Horn of Africa in a wider macro-regional context and evaluate potential links with neighbouring regions.

African Archaeological Review, 2020

Backed pieces became widespread in the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene and are part of the classic... more Backed pieces became widespread in the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene and are part of the classic definitions for the Later Stone Age in many parts of Africa. However, the association of backed pieces with Later Stone Age is not clear in the Horn of Africa. These pieces are present in both Middle Stone Age (MSA) and Later Stone Age (LSA) contexts. To what extent was the “backing phenomenon” homogeneous or diverse between and within the two periods? Here, we start with a review of the literature on backed pieces in the Horn of Africa, noting the lack of terminological consensus and the absence of a shared typology in the region. We then describe the variability of backed pieces using two complementary approaches: (1) multivariate statistical analysis on a set of 28 attributes of 188 artifacts from eight securely dated contexts and (2) 2D geometric morphometric analyses on the same dataset. The two approaches provide complementary results, which allow us to identify and discuss the chronological trends in backing technology and morphology, without introducing a new terminology or proposing a new formal “descriptive” typology.

Journal of Lithic Studies, 2020

Evolutionary Anthropology, 2019

The end of the Pleistocene (~75–15 ka) is an intriguing period for the Nile Valley prehistory. Th... more The end of the Pleistocene (~75–15 ka) is an intriguing period for the
Nile Valley prehistory. The global shift to more arid conditions regionally
translated into the lowering of the Mediterranean Sea level, the desiccation
of some major eastern African lakes and the expansion of the
Sahara. These climatically induced environmental changes influenced the
behavior of the Nile river and the valley's role as an ecological refugium
for human populations living in its vicinity. Genetic studies suggest that
this period saw several dispersals of modern humans “out-of” and “backinto” Africa. Although the Nile Valley constitutes one of the possible routes for these dispersals, archeological evidence for contacts between the Nile Valley and its neighboring regions remain scarce and debated.

American Antiquity

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Sep 25, 2019

African Archaeological Review, 2020

Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews, 2019

Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews, 2018

Journal of African Archaeology, 2017

PloS one, 2017

African Archaeological Review, 2011

Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Anthropology

Journal of Lithic Studies

Frontiers in Earth Science, 2021

Not Just a Corridor. Human Occupation of the Nile Valley and Neighbouring regions between 75,000 and 15,000 years, 2020

African Archaeological Review, 2020

Journal of Lithic Studies, 2020

Evolutionary Anthropology, 2019

La transition d'une technologie Middle Stone Age (MSA) à une technologie Later Stone Age (LSA) se... more La transition d'une technologie Middle Stone Age (MSA) à une technologie Later Stone Age (LSA)
semble prendre place en Afrique sub-saharienne au cours de la seconde partie du Pléistocène
supérieur. L'examen des sites de la Corne de l'Afrique datés de cette période présente un tableau
mitigé avec des assemblages lithiques présentant des caractéristiques mixtes MSA et LSA. L'étude
comparative des assemblages lithiques des sites de Porc-Epic et de Goda Buticha dans le Sud-Est
éthiopien, présentant tous deux de longues séquences stratigraphiques et ayant livré un très riche
matériel, notamment lithique, permet d'aborder la question de la nature du changement technique
entre le MSA et le LSA à une échelle locale.
L’analyse typo-technologique du matériel lithique s’appuie sur les critères-clés autour desquels
semble se cristalliser le changement; il s’agit de la production de (1) supports allongés, (2) pointes
retouchées et (3) microlithes. L’étude montre la présence d’éléments techniques communs aux
niveaux pléistocènes et holocènes pour les trois critères étudiés. Ces éléments peuvent être
interprétés en termes de continuité technique, dénotant alors une transition très graduelle du MSA
vers le LSA, ou en termes de convergence technique. Cette analyse permet d’aborder des questions
majeures liées à cette période, c’est-à-dire, l’instabilité climatique, marquée par des phases très
arides (le Big Dry) et les migrations de l’Out of Africa 3. L’analyse du matériel lithique de ces deux
sites constitue un référentiel pour le Sud-Est de l’Éthiopie. Il pourra permettre des comparaisons
futures avec les régions adjacentes.

The behavioural shift from the Middle to the Later Stone Age (MSA/LSA) has been the focus of an... more The behavioural shift from the Middle to the Later Stone Age (MSA/LSA) has been the focus of an increasing amount of papers nowadays. This transitional period, beginning around 60kyr, is pointed out by genetic studies as a key episode for later migration waves of Homo sapiens out of Africa. Unlike in Europe where the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic shift is generally attributed to the arrival of new populations (species or subspecies), other factors must be quested for in East Africa to explain the shift from the MSA to the LSA.
What is a transition from a technological point of view? How may we identify in prehistoric archaeology what is triggered by movements of ideas, artefacts, or people and what is the result of in situ innovations? Are the MSA and LSA chrono-cultural systems well enough defined to discuss the mode of the shift (gradual or punctuated)? Basically, MSA core technology is defined by a planimetric conception while the LSA one is characterized by a volumetric conception. Typologically, retouched points are found in MSA assemblages, while microliths mark the LSA. However, volumetric conception and microliths do exist within the MSA and very few data are actually known about early LSA. Where is the boundary between these two technological behaviours?
Ethiopia provides data which allow us to discuss these key questions. Particularly, two sites in eastern Ethiopia are of great interest. Porc Epic cave was excavated in 1933 by Abbé Breuil and P. Wernert from the Institut de Paléontologie Humaine (Paris, France) and in the 1970's by J.D. Clark and K.D. Williamson from the University of Berkeley (California, USA). Buticha cave has been excavated since 2008 by an international team led by Z. Assefa(Smithsonian Institution, USA). The two caves are geographically close to each other (around 35 kms apart). They have both yielded long stratigraphic sequences including the beginning of the Late MSA. Materials found from both sites are composed of faunal and human remains, ostrich eggshell beads and rich lithic assemblages showing MSA and LSA affinities. A comparative study of these lithic assemblages allows us to highlight similarities and changes in techno-typology within the same environment.

Both sites document an evolutionary pattern from mainly flake-based assemblages at the base of the sequences toward a clear trend for the production of elongated blanks upper in the sequences. Part of the laminar components in both caves appear to be related to a volumetric conception of debitage (crested products and prismatic cores). Backed blades/bladelets, generally considered as typical LSA components, are also present. Products of planimetric conception, which are related to Levallois and Discoid methods as well as “opportunistic” debitage (multi-platform cores), and retouched points constitute a high percentage of the assemblages. In the present study, these features, with a special focus on the blade component, are described in detail. This will allow us to test the hypothesis of a gradual change from MSA to LSA, or the presence of independent innovations within the MSA. In so doing, the significance of technological differences between the MSA and the LSA will be discussed.

The Late Palaeolithic of the Nile Valley, particularly in Nubia and Upper Egypt, has been charact... more The Late Palaeolithic of the Nile Valley, particularly in Nubia and Upper Egypt, has been characterised by great variability of the lithic industries. Most of these industries were defined during the Nubia Salvage Campaign and the following expeditions from the 1960's to the 1980's. This paper focuses on three sites from the Idfu / Isna region in Upper-Egypt, surveyed and excavated in 1967-68 by the Combined Prehistoric Expedition. These sites have yielded assemblages attributed to different industries: E71P1, type-site of the Levallois Idfuan (Wendorf and Schild, 1976), with Levallois cores and elongated retouched tools; E71K18, type-site of the Afian (Close et al., 1979; Wendorf and Schild, 1976), characterised by a blade industry with truncations and geometrics; and E71K20 (Wendorf and Schild, 1976), linked with the Silsilian (Phillips and Butzer, 1973; Smith, 1966), a blade industry without Levallois technology and with tools dominated by arch-backed bladelets and truncations. The material, along with the associated archives from their collection / excavation, is stored in the British Museum in London.

The definitions of these industries rely mainly on typological criteria. With the exception of site E71K18, no complete description or analysis of the assemblages is available. The current study aims to analyse three case studies representing the three industries from a technological point of view, in order to further discuss variability during the Late Palaeolithic and provide data that can be used in comparative analyses between the Egyptian Nile Valley and adjacent areas. A representative sample from each assemblage was analysed using methods derived from the chaîne opératoire approach and complemented by attribute analyses, in order to best characterise each assemblage qualitatively and quantitatively. This study highlights (1) the presence of at least two mixed components in assemblages E71P1A and (2) technological criteria which, in addition to typological features, distinguish assemblage E71K18 (Afian) from E71K20 (Silsilian). Furthermore, preliminary results from a comparative analysis with southern Levant records do not support hypotheses of contacts between these two regions during the late Upper Pleistocene. These observations bear major implications for current debates on human dispersals at the end of the Pleistocene.

Close, A.E., Wendorf, F., Schild, R., 1979. The Afian: a study of stylistic variation in a Nilotic industry. Department of Anthropology, Institute for the Study of Earth and Man, Southern Methodist University.
Phillips, J.L., Butzer, K.W., 1973. A Silsilian occupation site (GS-2B-II) of the Kom Ombo Plain, Upper Egypt: Geology, Archeology and Paleo-ecology. Quaternaria 17, 343–386.
Smith, P.E.L., 1966. The Late Paleolithic of Northeast Africa in the light of recent research. American Anthropologist 68, 326–355.
Wendorf, F., Schild, R., 1976. Prehistory of the Nile Valley, Studies in Archaeology. Academic Press, New.

Terminal Pleistocene (ca 25-15ka) lithic assemblages from the Nile Valley and the southern Levant... more Terminal Pleistocene (ca 25-15ka) lithic assemblages from the Nile Valley and the southern Levant are compared in order to test the hypothesis of contacts between populations in these two regions, including possible “Back-to-Africa” migrations, as indicated by genetic studies , e.g. [1].

The study focuses on Late Palaeolithic chipped stone industries of the Idfu/Esna area in Upper Egypt [2], and Epipalaeolithic industries in the western Negev Desert in Israel [3]. Both regions display a high diversity of lithic assemblages with numerous industries defined for the terminal Pleistocene. These industries are characterised by bladelet production associated with microliths, some systematically manufactured using the microburin technique and others without. Lithic assemblages are compared using a
typo-technological approach, in order to reconstruct the chaînes opératoires of their production that enable the identification of common technical features between the different regions. The study of lithic artefacts has the potential of indicating technical diffusions, indicating contacts between human groups whether by the movement of ideas or actual human groups.

First, the chrono-stratigraphic context of the sites was critically reviewed. Lithic assemblages from six Early (Azariq XIII – Masraqan; Azariq IV – Kebaran; Hamifgash IV - Nizzanan) and Middle (Azariq XVI – Geometric Kebaran; Azariq XII – Mushabian;
Shunera XXI – Ramonian) Epipalaeolithic sites in the Negev have been studied, covering a time range between23-14.5 ka cal BP [4]. Most are short-term occupation sites, associated with one or two hearths, some in situ and others on deflated surfaces, although the material is fresh and an extensive refitting program was accomplished previously [5]. The two Nile Valley sites discussed in this study, E71K18 (Afian) and E71K20 (Silsilian), were not directly dated, but rather by geological correlations based on radiocarbon dating elsewhere; the lithic material shows evidence for long-term surface exposure. The contemporaneity of these sites with the Early and Middle Epipalaeolithic of the Negev cannot therefore be securely confirmed, although an attribution to the end of the Pleistocene may be indicated by comparable material in dated sites from Middle Egypt (Makhadma area) and Wadi Kubbaniya.

Notwithstanding these limitations, comparisons of the Nile Valley and the Negev lithic assemblages indicate the presence of three technical complexes, i.e. two in the Levant (Masraqan/Kebaran/Geometric Kebaran vs Nizzanan/Mushabian/Ramonian) and one in the Nile Valley, which are highly distinct from one another from a technological point of view. This includes: preparation of core striking platforms, techniques of percussion, direction of debitage, presence and modalities of the application of the microburin technique. They also differ from a typological point of view (one or two standardised microlithic morphotypes in the Levant vs atypical geometric microliths or truncations in the Nile Valley). The assemblages of the Negev and Nile Valley probably reflect two distinct cultural spheres with little, if any, contact between each other. Rather than supporting the hypothesis of contacts between human groups at the end of the Pleistocene, our results support a hypothesis of isolation between the two regions during this period. However, this needs to be further investigated by studying other assemblages from the Nile Valley with more secure chrono-stratigraphic contexts.

Acknowledgements: We thank the Fyssen Foundation for supporting this research (grant to AL), the staff at the Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan of the British Museum of London for help in accessing the “Wendorf Collection” (Late Palaeolithic Nile Valley sites). Many thanks to Professor Erella Hovers for her support and valuable comments throughout this research.

References:
[1] Hodgson, J.A., Mulligan, C.J., Al-Meeri, A., Raaum, R.L., 2014. Early Back-to-Africa Migration into the Horn of Africa. PLoS Genet. 10, e1004393.
[2] Wendorf, F., Schild, R., 1976. Prehistory of the Nile Valley, Studies in Archaeology. Academic Press, New York.
[3] Goring-Morris, A.N., 1987. At the edge: terminal Pleistocene hunter-gatherers in the Negev and Sinai. BAR-IS 361, Oxford.
[4] Belfer-Cohen, A., Goring-Morris, A.N., 2014. e Upper Palaeolithic and Earlier Epi-Palaeolithic of Western Asia. In: Renfrew, C., Bahn, P. (Eds.), e Cambridge World Prehistory. CUP, Cambridge, pp. 1381–1407.
[5] Goring-Morris, A.N., Marder, O., Davidzon, A., Ibrahim, F., 1998. Putting Humpty together again: Preliminary observations on refitting studies in the eastern Mediterranean. In: Milliken, S. (Ed.), e Organization of Lithic Technology in Late Glacial and Early Postglacial Europe. BAR-IS 700, Oxford, pp. 149–82.

Evolutionary Anthropology, 2019

The workshop “Comparative Analysis of Middle Stone Age Artefacts in Africa (CoMSAfrica)” aimed to... more The workshop “Comparative Analysis of Middle Stone Age Artefacts
in Africa (CoMSAfrica)” aimed to reflect upon a common and replicable analytical framework, as well as proposing concrete solutions for
its implementation. It builds on previous efforts to standardize panAfrican comparisons which focused on higher taxonomic entities specific categories of stone artifacts, or individual regions. Organized
by C. Tryon and M. Will, the workshop brought together 12 international
scholars (see author list) working in different periods and regions of
Africa, with varied methodological backgrounds. The workshop was held
between November 5th and 6th 2018 at Harvard University (USA),
and funded through the Accelerator Workshop Program of the
Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study (https://projects.iq.harvard.
edu/comsafrica). The meeting included short introductory presentations
by all participants followed by a series of more focused roundtable discussions to define the main problems and issues confronting comparative lithic analyses of African MSA assemblages. The final goal was the development of a unified analytical approach. As a two-day workshop was obviously insufficient to solve problems of such magnitude, the final discussion focused on outlining a working model and roadmap for future meetings and collaborations through the CoMSAfrica network.

The late Pleistocene (~75,000-15,000 years ago) is a key period for the prehistory of the Nile Va... more The late Pleistocene (~75,000-15,000 years ago) is a key period for the prehistory of the Nile Valley. The climatic fluctuations documented during this period have led human populations to adapt to a changing Nile. In particular, major environmental changes in the Nile headwaters, such as the desiccation of some major eastern African lakes, influenced the Nile Valley environment —although how exactly is still debated— as is its role as an ecological refugium for human populations. In addition, while the Nile Valley is generally considered as a main ‘corridor’ of dispersals out of and back into Africa, differences in field methods and the terminology used hamper any systematic comparison between the Nile Valley and its neighbouring regions. This monograph groups together chapters presenting updated reviews and new data on regional archaeological, palaeoenvironmental, palaeoanthropological and geological records from north-eastern Africa and neighbouring regions (North Africa, eastern Africa and the Levant) for the period ranging from 75,000 to 15,000 years ago. Taking a multidisciplinary approach, this book allows the exploration of topical issues, such as modern humans’ capacity for adaptation, particularly in the context of climate change, as well as population interactions and human dispersals in the past.