Excavation of the Plaeolithic Cave 'Dederiyeh' : Palaeoanthropological Researches in Afrin Rift Valley, Syria.

Dederiyeh洞穴位于大马士革以北400公里处，阿勒颇西北60公里处。这个洞穴提供了尼安德特人埋葬习俗的最佳证据，以及尼安德特人形态学和黎凡特莫斯特人背景下人类类型的时间位置的数据。这名婴儿是在莫斯特存款的原地被发现的，仰卧着，手臂伸展，腿弯曲，表明是故意埋葬的。在埋葬填充物的最无菌层中发现了头部顶部的一个亚矩形石灰岩板和婴儿心脏上的一小块三角形燧石。这种类型的石灰岩板在Dederiyeh洞穴沉积物中是罕见的。Dederiyeh孩子的骨架保存得非常好。从许多与欧洲尼安德特人婴儿相同的形态特征来看，德德里耶·莫斯特人的孩子肯定是尼安德特人。这名婴儿是在莫斯特人存款的第8层发现的，距离地表约1.5米。对第8层岩石组合的分析表明，在Dederiyeh发现的Tabun B型组合与Levantine Mousterian或Kebara Neanderthal的组合非常相似。除了在Dederiyeh的新发现之外，Qafzeh和Kebara洞穴是黎凡特唯一的其他地点，在bominid化石和定义明确的石器工业之间存在明确的地层联系。

The Dederiyeh cave is located 400 km north of Damascus and 60 km northwest of Aleppo. The cave is providing the best evidence yet of Neanderthal burial practices, as well as data on the morphology of Neanderthals and the chronological position of human types in Levantine Mousterian contexts. The infant was found in situ in the Mousterian deposit, lying on its back with arms extended and legs flexed, indicating an intentional burial. A sub-rectangular limestone slab at the top of the head and a small piece of triangular flint just on the infant's heart were found in the most sterile layr of the burial fill. A limestone slab of this type is rare in the Dederiyeh cave deposits.The skeleton of the Dederiyeh child is remarkably well preserved. From the many morphological features shared with European Neanderthal infants, the Dederiyeh Mousterian child is certainly Neanderthal.The infant was found in layr 8 of the Mousterian deposit, about 1.5 m from the surface. An analysis of the lithic assemblages of layr 8 indicates a great similarity between the Tabun B-type association found at Dederiyeh and those of the Levantine Mousterian, or the Kebara Neanderthal. Apart from the new discoveries at Dederiyeh, the Qafzeh and Kebara caves are the only other sites in the Levant for which there are clear stratigraphic associations between bominid fossils and well-defined lithic industries.