Investigation of Levantine Mousterian Sites

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With National Science Foundation support Dr. Donald Henry will continue his archaeological research in southern Jordan. He will excavate at three stratified sites proven rich in archaeological remains. The materials they contain are attributable to the "Mousterian" cultural tradition and the upper layers of one have been dated to ca. 65,000 years ago. All are rich in cultural remains. Work will center on a block (ca 45 square meters) excavation of Tor Faraj which contains a large deep (+3.5m) Levantine Mousterian deposit. The top 80 cm. of the deposit display hearths and ash lenses defining three "living floors." In addition to analysis of lithic and faunal remains, Dr. Henry and his colleagues will study the pollen and phytoliths contained in the sediments as well as the matrix itself. The team's goal is to reconstruct and date the changing environment and understand Mousterian adaptation within this context. Many anthropologists are interested in the question of when and where anatomically modern humans emerged and how these groups spread across both the Old and New Worlds. While most recent data points to an African origin, the Near East has been the focus of much attention because of the apparent intermixing of "modern" and more "ancient" forms as well as the archaeological remains which characterize each. The term "Mousterian" refers to the stone tool tradition and culture which, in the Near East, North Africa and Europe, characterizes the last of the pre-modern forms. Archaeologists wish to understand how these groups were socially organized and what subsistence strategies they followed since they set the stage from which modern humans emerged. The sites which Dr. Henry will excavate date from the end of the Mousterian period and are thus directly relevant to this question. They are also extremely rich in cultural remains and the apparently undisturbed living floors should yield valuable social information. This research is important for several reasons. It will increase our understanding of the factors which led to the emergence of anatomically modern humans. It will shed new light on the prehistory of the Near East and provide data of interest to many archaeologists.