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The Aurignacian in the Zagros region: new research at Yafteh Cave, Lorestan, Iran

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

M. Otte ,
F. Biglari ,
D. Flas ,
S. Shidrang ,
N. Zwyns ,
M. Mashkour ,
R. Naderi ,
A. Mohaseb ,
N. Hashemi  and
J. Darvish
...Show all authors
M. Otte
Affiliation:
1University of Liège, Service of Prehistory, 7, place du XX août, bât. A1, 4000 Liège, Belgium (Email: prehist@ulg.ac.be)
F. Biglari
Affiliation:
2Center for Paleolithic Research, National Museum of Iran, 30 Tir st., Emam Khomaini Ave. P.O.Box 11365/4364, Tehran, Iran (Email: f.biglari@nationalmuseumofiran.ir, s.shidrang@nationalmuseumofiran.ir, zagrosnaderi@yahoo.com)
D. Flas
Affiliation:
1University of Liège, Service of Prehistory, 7, place du XX août, bât. A1, 4000 Liège, Belgium (Email: prehist@ulg.ac.be)
S. Shidrang
Affiliation:
2Center for Paleolithic Research, National Museum of Iran, 30 Tir st., Emam Khomaini Ave. P.O.Box 11365/4364, Tehran, Iran (Email: f.biglari@nationalmuseumofiran.ir, s.shidrang@nationalmuseumofiran.ir, zagrosnaderi@yahoo.com)
N. Zwyns
Affiliation:
1University of Liège, Service of Prehistory, 7, place du XX août, bât. A1, 4000 Liège, Belgium (Email: prehist@ulg.ac.be)
M. Mashkour
Affiliation:
3UMR 5197, Muséum national d'histoire naturelle/CNRS, “Archéozoologie, Histoire des Sociétés Humaines et des Peuplements Animaux”, 55, rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France (Email: mashkour@mnhn.fr)
R. Naderi
Affiliation:
2Center for Paleolithic Research, National Museum of Iran, 30 Tir st., Emam Khomaini Ave. P.O.Box 11365/4364, Tehran, Iran (Email: f.biglari@nationalmuseumofiran.ir, s.shidrang@nationalmuseumofiran.ir, zagrosnaderi@yahoo.com)
A. Mohaseb
Affiliation:
3UMR 5197, Muséum national d'histoire naturelle/CNRS, “Archéozoologie, Histoire des Sociétés Humaines et des Peuplements Animaux”, 55, rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France (Email: mashkour@mnhn.fr)
N. Hashemi
Affiliation:
4Rodents Research Group, Mashhad Ferdowsi University, Iran
J. Darvish
Affiliation:
4Rodents Research Group, Mashhad Ferdowsi University, Iran
V. Radu
Affiliation:
5National Romanian History Museum, 12 Calea Victoriei, Bucharest, Romania (Email: direct@mnir.ro)
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Extract

The Yafteh cave in Iran has an intact Aurignacian sequence over 2m deep. First explored by Frank Hole and Kent Flannery in the 1960s, its strata and assemblage are here re-evaluated at first hand by a new international team. The authors show that the assemblage is genuine Aurignacian and dates back to about 35.5K uncal BP. They propose it as emerging locally and even as providing a culture of origin for modern humans in West Asia and Europe.

Keywords

PalaeolithicAurignacianEuropeIranZagrosmodern humans
Type
Research
Information
Antiquity , Volume 81 , Issue 311 , 1 March 2007 , pp. 82 - 96
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2007

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