As a useful addendum to what has already been mentioned on the Forum, re: Levantine palaeoanthropology, here is, for the ‘lithics’ aficionados, a series of downloadable papers and lengthy abstracts that are presented by John K. Williams , of Southern Methodist University.
Major Publications:
*The Levantine Aurignacian Debate: Searching for Meaning in the Variability (abstract).
In Press, Eurasian Prehistory.
A study presenting a synopsis and examination of the debate surrounding the Levantine Aurignacian, including a detailed study of the reduction sequence of numerous stone artifact assemblages throughout the southern Levant.
*Digging Up Our Nutritional Past - Nutrition Lessons from the Prehistoric Record
2004
www.johnberardi.comWritten for a general audience and published at the website of John Berardi, an exercise and performance nutritionist, this article draws from the archaeological record to address various nutritional issues, including the merits of recent "paleo-diets".
*An Examination of Upper Paleolithic Flake Technologies in the Marginal Zone of the Levant.
2003 More than Meets the Eye: Studies on Upper Palaeolithic Diversity in the Near East.
Explores the variability in several lithic assemblages from the Negev desert of Israel, which have at various times been labeled "Levantine Aurignacian". These flake technologies are investigated with respect to twisted bladelet manufacture and environmental variables to reach a level of understanding beyond a purely classificatory one.
*Examining the Boundaries of the Levantine Aurignacian (abstract).
2003 Southern Methodist University.
A dissertation that deals with variability in stone artifact assemblages to address the enigmatic Levantine Aurignacian industry of the Upper Paleolithic, and at what levels this variability manifests itself.
*Land Use and Technological Trends in the Levantine Upper Paleolithic.
2000 Mitekufat Haeven, Journal of the Israel Prehistoric Society.
Patterns are revealed in where particular Upper Paleolithic sites are situated on the landscape. Lithic technological variability appears to be partly influenced by land use, as assemblages lacking lithic diversity seem to represent ephemeral camps situated on high plateaus away from water, while larger basecamps with greater technological diversity are typically situated in valleys near permanent springs.
*Inter-Assemblage Variability and Characteristics of Upper Paleolithic Flake Technologies in the Central Negev Highlands, Israel.
2000 Society for American Archaeology, 65th Annual Meeting, Philadelphia.
A study revealing the reduction sequence of several stone artifact assemblages from the 'marginal zone' of the southern Levant. It is argued that technological variability is patterned with respect to the location of the site on the landscape.
*The Nature of Lithic Assemblages in the Central Negev Highlands: The Relationship between Environmental Variables and Reduction Strategies.
1999 Society for American Archaeology, 64th Annual Meeting, Chicago.
Environmental variables such as elevation, plant and animal life, distance to permanent water, and raw material outcrops are examined with respect to stone artifact reduction sequences to reveal various relationships between the environment and technology in the Upper Paleolithic of the Levantine marginal zone.
*Tor Aeid: An Upper Paleolithic Occupation in Southern Jordan (abstract).
1997 The Prehistory of Jordan II: Perspectives from 1997.
This article presents a synopsis of the research performed on the Upper Paleolithic assemblage at Tor Aeid in southern Jordan. Expanded excavations revealed the true nature of this assemblage as Early Ahmarian in nature.
*A Lithic Examination of Tor Aeid: A Middle and Upper Paleolithic Rockshelter in Southern Jordan (abstract).
1997 University of Tulsa.
This study, culminating in a Master's thesis at the University of Tulsa, examined the artifact assemblage at Tor Aeid, and Upper Paleolithic rockshelter in southern Jordan. Various lithic analyses were performed to examine the relationship of Tor Aeid to the broader Levantine Upper Paleolithic.
*Lithic Use-Wear Analysis of Early Ahmarian el-Wad Points: An Example from Southern Jordan.
1997 University of Tulsa.
Microscopic traces of use were examined along the edges of a particular tool type - the el-Wad point, to determine various functional properties of these projectiles.
© 2004-2005 John K. Williams. All rights reserved.
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