Haua Fteah

A large cave site in Cyrenaica, Libya, with the most complete sequence, back to c 78,000 BC, of Upper Pleistocene and Holocene industries known from a single site in North Africa. The oldest flint industry is a Libyan variant of the pre-Aurignacian (Libyan Amudian), and is followed successively by Levalloiso-Mousterian (60,000 years ago), Dabban (40,000 years ago), Oranian (18-16,000 years ago), Libyco-Capsian, and finally (from c 6800-6400) by Neolithic with pottery and domesticated animals. Based upon the striking of parallel-sided blades from prismatic cores, the earliest stage has clear affinities with broadly contemporary industries in Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. Its makers exploited both large game animals and seafood resources. There was a return to blade technology with the Dabban industry and the beginning of the Dabban occupation of Crenaica seems to have coincided with the onset of very arid conditions in the Saharan regions to the south. The Oranian had small backed bladelets.

Excavations at this great cave in Cyrenaica, Libya, have illustrated the most complete sequence of Upper Pleistocene and Holocene industries yet known from any single site in North Africa. The lowest levels have not been investigated, so it not known when the site’s occupation began. The earliest industry so far known from Haua Fteah is an enigmatic one referred to as the Libyan pre-Aurignacian, which covers a period of uncertain duration prior to c60,000 bc. Based upon the striking of parallel-sided blades from prismatic cores, it has clear affinities with broadly contemporary industries in Syria, Lebanon and Israel. Its makers exploited both large game animals and seafood resources. Between c60,000 and c40,000 be the inhabitants of the site produced a Levalloiso-Mousterian industry, but after this period there was a return to blade technology with the Dabban industry which clearly belongs with the Upper Palaeolithic complex represented in many parts of Europe and the Near East at this general time-depth. The beginning of the Dabban occupation of Cyrenaica seems to. have coincided with the onset of very arid conditions in the Saharan regions to the south. The Dabban continued until cl2,000 be, when it was replaced in a manner not yet properly understood by an industry of small backed bladelets here known as the Eastern Oranian, so called in view of its apparent affinity with Iberomaurusian (Oranian) material from the Maghreb. The microlithic sequence continues with a ‘Libyco-Capsian’ industry in which evidence for the herding of domestic animals first appears at a level dated to the early 5th millennium be.