epi paleolithic cultures

8/12/2019 Epi Paleolithic Cultures

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*+, to ,./, 0P (before present inradiocarbon years, ie uncalibrated radiocarbondates)

!he Epi-paleolithic assemblages in the Nile1alley include the Arinian, the 2hamarian, el-3abian and 4arunian, and span a period fromcirca *+,-5,6 0P No Neolithic sites in theNile 1alley date before the si7th millennium 0P0y contrast, evidence for domesticated cattlefrom the tenth millennium 0P has been

advocated, but not widely accepted #owever, itis very liely that domesticated cattle, as well assheep and goats, were herded in the 8estern9esert (Eastern 2ahara) during the eighthmillennium 0P

Tool assemblages from the WesternDesert,which are regarded either as earlyNeolithic or Post-Paleolithic, are characterized bybaced and truncated bladelets, denticulates,burins, perforators, end-scrapers, geometricmicroliths and pro:ectile points 0one has beenreported, but is scarce Pottery is especially rarein 0aharia and 2iwa ;ases %n the Nile 1alley,tool assemblages include end-scrapers, burins,perforators, notches, denticulates, bacedbladelets and flaes, (;uchtata) bladelets, scaledpieces, truncated flaes, geometrics and

microburins


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4arunian assemblage 0one tools have alsobeen reported from 4arunian sites and from thesite of =atfish =ave, near 3oroso in >ower

Nubia

Faunal remains from theNilotic Epi-paleolithicsites include those of wild cattle, hartebeest andfish ?ed-fronted gazelle, adda7 andhippopotamus were reported from 4arunian

sites >arge amounts of fish were recovered fromthe lower layers at =atfish =ave and from the4arunian sites in the &ayum depression Potteryhas been reported from 2hamarian sites (circa,/ 0P) and from el-!arif (circa /,@* 0P) in!hebes !he occurrence of pottery in the 2udandates to circa ,B 0P at the site of 2arurab %nthe central 2ahara, pottery dates to circa ,B-, 0PEpi-paleolithic sites apparentlyreflect aterminal development of cultural changes thatwere underway as early as +, years ago inresponse to the advent of arid, cooler conditions

A cooling of as much as C = is suggested forEast and 2outh Africa then North Africa wouldhave been sub:ected to icy blasts in winter fromnorthwesterly winds 9esert dunes advancedsome 6m south of their present limits 0y*B, 0P, conditions began to change as thebelt of summer monsoon rains moved northward,

coinciding with the retreat of the glaciers in the


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mountains of East Africa !he rain-fed waterpools created mini-oases in many parts of theeastern 2ahara Nile floods also began to rise,

and by circa *+,6 0P, e7ceptionally high Nilefloods inundated the desert margin beyond thelimits of the modern floodplain 0etween circa*,-5, 0P, mean annual rainfall in thesouthern part of the Egyptian 2ahara was about+mmThe climatic changes during the end of

thePleistocene seem to have triggered a varietyof responses, indicated by the emergence ofnovel stone tool types (especially microlithictools), bone tools for fishing, grinding stones andpottery !he subsistence base, which includedhunting, fowling, plant gathering and fishing, wasfairly broad &ish were apparently e7ploited moreregularly than before 2pecialized hunting mayhave been pursued by some groups, such as the2ebilian &ishing may have also been the mainsubsistence activity for other groups (4arunian)&reuent changes in climatic conditions duringthe terminal Pleistocene and early #olocene also

seem to have led to a fast rate of culturalchange, as shown by the relatively uicsuccession of different industries %nteractionamong peoples in the Nile 1alley was inevitable%n the 2ahara, populations would have had tochange or e7pand their home range freuently,thus facilitating the e7change of ideas and

artifacts across a broad belt of Africa

epi paleolithic cultures

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