The Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition as seen from Far’ah II and Boker Tachtit, Israel: Does it relate to the Nile Valley?

The Middle (MP) to Upper Paleolithic (UP) transition in the Levant has been studied for the past decades. The main research focuses are the nature of transition, its chronology and relevance to modern human dispersals out of Africa. Renewed excavations at Far’ah II and a revision of the lithic assemblage underscore the relevance of Late Middle Paleolithic technological practices to the emergence of new strategies in the Initial Upper Paleolithic. A comparative technological study of lithic assemblages from Far’ah II and Boker Tachtit highlights elements of continuity across the MP-UP interface. Placing these assemblages within a regional context suggests that the transition is a local phenomenon stemming from local Late Middle Paleolithic industries. The differences in pace and manner of technological change between the Nile Valley and the southern Levant, during the end of MIS 4 and MIS 3, indicate that if processes of cultural diffusion did occur, they had limited influence on the lithic assemblage.