Prehistoric Subsistence Strategies in the Sinai Desert

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This action permits Drs. Phillips and Gladfelter to complete archaeological excavation at four sites in the Wadi Feiran area of the Southern Sinai in Egypt. They have previously conducted two seasons of NSF supported research in this area and located a number of sites which cover a long span of time. All sites date to the Upper Paleolithic period and contain not only lithic remains but floral and faunal materials as well. Analysis of these remains, coupled with geological work will permit the investigators to reconstruct the environment over the period of occupation and determine how the Upper Paleolithic hunters and gatherers utilized it. Because several of the sites represent camping places, it should be possible to reconstruct the spacial distribution of activities and gain some insight into social organization. The Upper Paleolithic period marks the appearance of anatomically modern human beings as well as cultural elements such as art. Evidence seems to indicate that the transition from Neanderthal to modern human may have occurred in the Near East and archaeologists are interested in documenting this transformation and determining the cause of it. This research will help to achieve that goal.