Technological and functional analysis of Upper Palaeolithic backed micro-blades from southern Oman Technologische und funktionale Analyse jungpaläolithischer Mikroklingen aus dem südlichen Oman

Hilbert Y, Clemente-Conte I, López Correa M, al-Fudhaili N, Mazzoli C (2022)

Publication Type: Book chapter / Article in edited volumes

Publication year: 2022

Journal

Quartär. Internationales Jahrbuch zur Eiszeitalter- und Steinzeitforschung / International Yearbook for Ice Age and Stone Age Research Verlag Dr. Faustus

Publisher: Hugo Obermaier-Society for Quaternary Research and Archaeology of the Stone Age

Series: Quartar International Yearbook for Ice Age and Stone Age Research

Book Volume: 69

Pages Range: 85-103

DOI: 10.7485/qu.2022.69.102373

Abstract

While a considerable amount of information on the Pleistocene human occupation of South Arabia has been gathered by archaeologists over the course of the last decades, little is known about the Upper Palaeolithic period and its local specificities. This is evidently a function of the still poor archaeological record for this period and the difficulties in finding stratified and therefore datable occurrences in general. Here, we present the traceological and technological analysis of the stone tools from one of the few archaeological sites in Oman dating between 33,000 to 30,000 years ago, which has yielded a small but important assemblage of backed tools initially suggested to be projectiles. The bi-pointed backed micro-blades from Mutafah 1 share specific technological and morphological features making it germane to suggest comparable operational sequences for the manufacture of these pieces. Our analysis, which identified specific traces of use related to both hunting and domestic activities, as well as microscopic residues on the backed micro-blades, indicates that the Mutafah 1 tools were part of a toolkit with wide applications reflecting the highly opportunistic nature of the Upper Palaeolithic human occupation of South Arabia.

Authors with CRIS profile

Yamandú Hilbert Lehrstuhl für Ur- und Frühgeschichte (UFG) Matthias López Correa Lehrstuhl für Paläoumwelt

Involved external institutions

Institucion Mila y Fontanals (IMF) ES Spain (ES) University of Padua / Universita degli Studi di Padova IT Italy (IT)

How to cite

APA:

Hilbert, Y., Clemente-Conte, I., López Correa, M., al-Fudhaili, N., & Mazzoli, C. (2022). Technological and functional analysis of Upper Palaeolithic backed micro-blades from southern Oman Technologische und funktionale Analyse jungpaläolithischer Mikroklingen aus dem südlichen Oman. In (pp. 85-103). Hugo Obermaier-Society for Quaternary Research and Archaeology of the Stone Age.

MLA:

Hilbert, Yamandú, et al. "Technological and functional analysis of Upper Palaeolithic backed micro-blades from southern Oman Technologische und funktionale Analyse jungpaläolithischer Mikroklingen aus dem südlichen Oman." Hugo Obermaier-Society for Quaternary Research and Archaeology of the Stone Age, 2022. 85-103.

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