Book contents
- Quaternary of the Levant
- Quaternary of the Levant
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgements
- 1 The Quaternary of the Levant
- Part I: The Evolution of Current Landscapes and Basins
- Part II: Palaeoclimates
- Part III: Archaeology of Human Evolution
- Part IV: Palaeoecology
- Part V: Quaternary Geomorphology
- Part VI: Humans in the Levant
- 59 The Acheulian of the Levant
- 60 The Palaeolithic Sequence in Southeast Turkey
- 61 Lower and Middle Palaeolithic of Lebanon
- 62 The Lower Palaeolithic of Syria
- 63 The Lower Palaeolithic of Jordan
- 64 The Middle Palaeolithic of Southern Jordan
- 65 Middle Palaeolithic Open-Air Sites
- 66 A Hominid ‘Archetype’
- 67 Neanderthals and Modern Humans in the Levant: An Overview
- 68 Human Fossils from the Upper Palaeolithic through the Early Holocene
- 69 The Initial Upper Palaeolithic in the Levant
- 70 The Upper Palaeolithic in Cisjordan
- 71 The Early and Middle Epipalaeolithic of Cisjordan
- 72 The Early Epipalaeolithic in the Eastern Levant
- 73 The Upper and Epipalaeolithic of Southern Jordan
- 74 The Upper and Epipalaeolithic of the Azraq Basin, Jordan
- 75 Late Quaternary Refugia, Aggregations, and Palaeoenvironments in the Azraq Basin, Jordan
- 76 The Epipalaeolithic and Pre-Pottery Neolithic of Lebanon
- 77 The Natufian Culture
- 78 The Natufian Period in Syria
- 79 Natufian and Early Neolithic in the Black Desert, Eastern Jordan
- 80 The Archaeology of Early Farming in Southeast Turkey
- 81 Early Agriculture in the Southern Levant
- 82 Domesticating Plants in the Near East
- 83 The Neolithic of Southern Jordan
- 84 The Beginning of Animal Domestication and Husbandry in Southwest Asia
- 85 Environmental Change and Society in Holocene Prehistory
- Index
- Plate section
- References
67 - Neanderthals and Modern Humans in the Levant: An Overview
from Part VI: - Humans in the Levant
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 May 2017
Book contents
- Quaternary of the Levant
- Quaternary of the Levant
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Contributors
- Acknowledgements
- 1 The Quaternary of the Levant
- Part I: The Evolution of Current Landscapes and Basins
- Part II: Palaeoclimates
- Part III: Archaeology of Human Evolution
- Part IV: Palaeoecology
- Part V: Quaternary Geomorphology
- Part VI: Humans in the Levant
- 59 The Acheulian of the Levant
- 60 The Palaeolithic Sequence in Southeast Turkey
- 61 Lower and Middle Palaeolithic of Lebanon
- 62 The Lower Palaeolithic of Syria
- 63 The Lower Palaeolithic of Jordan
- 64 The Middle Palaeolithic of Southern Jordan
- 65 Middle Palaeolithic Open-Air Sites
- 66 A Hominid ‘Archetype’
- 67 Neanderthals and Modern Humans in the Levant: An Overview
- 68 Human Fossils from the Upper Palaeolithic through the Early Holocene
- 69 The Initial Upper Palaeolithic in the Levant
- 70 The Upper Palaeolithic in Cisjordan
- 71 The Early and Middle Epipalaeolithic of Cisjordan
- 72 The Early Epipalaeolithic in the Eastern Levant
- 73 The Upper and Epipalaeolithic of Southern Jordan
- 74 The Upper and Epipalaeolithic of the Azraq Basin, Jordan
- 75 Late Quaternary Refugia, Aggregations, and Palaeoenvironments in the Azraq Basin, Jordan
- 76 The Epipalaeolithic and Pre-Pottery Neolithic of Lebanon
- 77 The Natufian Culture
- 78 The Natufian Period in Syria
- 79 Natufian and Early Neolithic in the Black Desert, Eastern Jordan
- 80 The Archaeology of Early Farming in Southeast Turkey
- 81 Early Agriculture in the Southern Levant
- 82 Domesticating Plants in the Near East
- 83 The Neolithic of Southern Jordan
- 84 The Beginning of Animal Domestication and Husbandry in Southwest Asia
- 85 Environmental Change and Society in Holocene Prehistory
- Index
- Plate section
- References
Summary
The nomadic hunter-gatherers producers of Mousterian techno-complexes in the Mediterranean Levant are known from Syria and Israel. They bring evidence of within- (Tabun, Skhul, Qafzeh and Dederiyeh) and inter-site (Tabun-Amud-Kebara) marked biological diversity. This individual variation exists across both time and space, as it was recently reinforced by new ages of some specimens. A short review of the fossil record indicates that queries concerning this biodiversity are not yet fully resolved. We did not intend to attempt to resolve the issue of the pattern of Levantine population settlements but to address question of the current dichotomizing of two populations. It is suggested that, in place of a Neanderthal versus modern human scenario of population movements which is currently accepted, a more complicated situation in the region cannot be rejected. In fact, the common usage which tends to categorize certain Levantine hominins as Neanderthals preclude posing any meaningful inquiries about their affinities and evolutionary significance. Furthermore genetic exchanges between distinct human groups from South and East cannot be avoided.
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- Quaternary of the LevantEnvironments, Climate Change, and Humans, pp. 607 - 610Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2017
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